Observations and reflections on the Bill now in progress through the House of Commons, for 'better regulating the medical profession as far as regards apothecaries' / by Robert Masters Kerrison.

  • Kerrison, Robert Masters.
Date:
1815
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations and reflections on the Bill now in progress through the House of Commons, for 'better regulating the medical profession as far as regards apothecaries' / by Robert Masters Kerrison. 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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    must be acknowledged to be necessary, when their own Court of Examiners will be composed of men, who have received a good lite- rary education, served an apprenticeship, passed through their medical studies as Physicians’ pupils in the Hospitals of London, and who have been engaged, not less than fifteen or twenty years, in the dai- ly exercise of their professional duties. ' It is not proposed to interfere with Apothecaries already in prac- tice : but the qualification of those, who are to be permitted in fu- ture, consists in having served an apprenticeship to an Apothecaiy, of not less than five years ; in having attended the medical prac- tice of one or more hospitals in London, or in a provincial hospital, during a certain number of months and in producing “other tes- timonials, to the satisfaction of the said court of examiners, of a sufficient medical and classical education, and of a good moral con- duct.” No part of this clause can, by any possibility of construction, be objectionable to the Fellows and Members of the Royal College of Physicians. The Apothecary, who is heavily responsible for the correctness of preparing the prescriptions of the Physician, ought to be well acquainted with the language in which they are written; and he, whose prompt interference is so often demanded in the absence of the Physician, would be worse than useless, if not tolerably ac- quainted with the principles, on which the Physician was acting for the relief of the patient; but his temporary and intermediate assist- ance, when so qualified, becomes conducive to the wished-for re- sult—the cure of the complaint. A subsequent clause relates to the Assistants of Apothecaries \ and it is proposed, that no one shall be employed hereafter, unless he has been regularly educated to the profession, and examined as to his fitness for the duties of his station. This must be as desi- rable to Physicians, as it is creditable to Apothecaries, and useful to the public. The remaining clauses concern the due execution of the Bill when passed into a Law. The only one of importance relates to 1 The period of attendance is left a blank space, to be filled up in the pro- gress of the Bill.