Third report from the Select Committee on Medical Registration and Medical Law amendment : together with the minutes of evidence and appendix.

  • Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Select Committee on Medical Registration and Medical Law Amendment.
Date:
1848
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Third report from the Select Committee on Medical Registration and Medical Law amendment : together with the minutes of evidence and appendix. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    could be very easily organized as a university system ; perhaps the most simple way to organize it would be upon the universities, as in France; but if this were done, an end would be put to the incorporated bodies, which I consider to have been of great service to the country in respect to medical education and practice. 1738. Do you consider it attended with such eminent advantages, that you should run the risk of all the delay in a good adjustment of the question other- wise, and the opposition of those bodies, and the heats and dissentions that would arise necessarily in such a case ?—I think that in England it is particularly difficult; in Scotland it would not be so difficult, because the titles of the Colleges of Surgeons and Physicians have become, for the reason already stated in the course of my evidence, rather honourable titles ; the fellowship has become rather an honourable title than anything else, and under a one-faculty system, I have no doubt that the fellowship of those colleges would still be much coveted ; I doubt however whether the same advantage would be secured in England under a similar system. j 739. In point of fact, is there any disadvantage in having different sources and modes of education, and different modes of authentication or ascertainment and certificate rather of the qualification of persons to act as medical practitioners proceeding from different sources ; is there any objection to that if you can overcome the obstacles?—No ; being under proper regulation. 1740. So as to secure a due admission of each certificate everywhere?— Exactly; if you had to legislate for Scotland alone, the matter would be very easily settled; all that would be requisite would be to state in such terms as might be thought best, what is the minimum of education sufficient to allow the medical practitioner to practise anything, and under that title to let him practise as he pleases ; then leave the colleges as they are; the colleges would still thrive; their titles would still be coveted, of that I am satisfied. The Committee will easily see, that under the system pursued in Scotland, such really is, in point of fact, the case in that country now. 1741. But you get that result by taking the medical man, on the ascertainment and certificate of his qualifications from different sources, instead of deriving it from one central authority called the Medical Faculty?—Yes. 1742. Scotland is an instance in which that result, if it is thought desirable, may be obtained by allowing men to enter medical practise from different sources under different qualifications?—Yes. 1743. So that it may be obtained in that way as well as by a one-faculty system ?—Certainly. 1744. Mr. Walter.] What possible advantage do you consider would result from the establishment of a single faculty ?—I think that I did not say there would be any positive advantage in the establishment of a single faculty, but that I saw no objection to it excepting the difficulty of forming it. 1745. Chairman.] But are there any advantages in establishing it ?—None, excepting the exceeding simplicity with which all the regulations for education could be carried into effect. 1746. Mr. fVakley.] A single faculty, you apprehend, would be under one system of government ?—Yes. 1747. Do not you apprehend, that under the proposal now made, that there should be a Council of Health to regulate the proceedings of all the institutions, there would also be an approach to the establishment of one faculty ? — I under- stand by one faculty, that there should be one corporation, including practitioners of every denomination ; and in reference to that view, I mean to say, that in Scotland there would be no difficulty in uniting the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Surgeons. 1748. That is in Edinburgh; you are referring particularly to your two Colleges?—Hy a single faculty, I understand a corporation that includes under one body, practitioners of every denomination, physicians, surgeons and general practitioners; now, I believe that could be organized in Scotland without any great difficulty, because the College of Physicians and the College of Surgeons in Edinburgh, I think, would assent to the union, were it thought advisable that such union should take place. 1749 Was that subject discussed before the conference?— Not at all; it was not approached. 1 750. Mr. Walter.'] You stated before, I think, that you did not see why 702. c 2 there R. Christison, Esq., M. D.