Report from the Select Committee on Medical Registration : together with the minutes of evidence, appendix, and index.

  • Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Select Committee on Medical Registration.
Date:
[1847]
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report from the Select Committee on Medical Registration : together with the minutes of evidence, appendix, and index. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    J. A. Paris, Esq. do you Consider that the functions, duties, and privileges of the Royal College m.d, of Physicians consist in the power of imposing penalties, or do not they consist rather in maintaining that high standard of medical practice which its exami- 4 June 1847. nations, under public sanction, have for many years maintained?—That is my opinion. 161. Chairman.'] I understood you to say, in answer to a question from Sir Robert Inglis, that you approved of the system established by the Apothecaries’ Act of 1815 ?—I am not prepared to answer that question. 162. I only wish to ask you, do you mean to include in your general appro- bation the system of apprenticeship ?—No. 163. Mr. Dennistonn.^ Is there any provision in this Bill which would prevent a gentleman educated in England from practising in Scotland r—No, not in this Bill. 164. Would you approve of a measure which should make the qualification, whatever the qualification may be, extend equally to the three countries, England, Ireland, and Scotland —^My answer to that question is, that we have no objection to reciprocity, provided there be uniformity of education ; we do not object to an Edinburgh physician coming to London to practise, if we are satisfied that the education that he has received is the same as that which the London physician or the English physician has received. 165. You stated, that if your power of examination were abrogated, you conceived that the general standard of medical men throughout the country would be lowered ?—I did. 166. At present your jurisdiction extends to England and Wales only, not to Scotland ?—No. 167. What is your opinion of the standard of the medical profession now generally in Scotland ?—As far as my knowledge goes, the medical education in Edinburgh is very good. It is a great many years ago since I was there, and therefore I am unable to say what the present extent of discipline is. But when I was in Edinburgh (and I was there for two years), I was perfectly satisfied that the school of medicine, as it was conducted in those days, was highly favourable to the profession. I am very grateful for the information which I received there, and I hold the university of Edinburgh in the highest respect. 168. You have no reason to believe that it has been lowered since?—I am unable to say what the present state of the school is ; that the Committee can of course learn from others. 169. Might I ask how many pure physicians and pure surgeons there are in the country, according to the best of your belief; I mean by a pure phy- sician, a gentleman who practises as a physician simply, and does not act as a surgeon in any case whatever r—I believe that in L.ondon there are a great number of pure physicians, and I believe also in the country there are a great many ; there will be exceptions here and there, but I believe that physicians in large towns keep very much to their own grade. I do not think that they interfere with the surgeon or apothecary. You have exceptions, of course. 170. Are you aware how that is in Scotland ?—I believe that in Scotland there is a great confusion of grades. 171. Do you think that in Scotland there is one single pure physician, or one single pure surgeon ?—Yes ; as far as my knowledge goes there are. 172. Are there six?—In Edinburgh I think you might find six; I know that when I was there I could have found six; that was in the days of Dr. Gregory. 173. Mr. 'Wakley.'] How many physicians constitute the governing body of the College of Physicians ?—The whole of the college may be considered the governing body; they of course appoint committees ; there is a subdivision of labour, but the college itself must be considered as the governing body. 174. You have a president and censors ?—Yes ; we have a president and four censors, a registrar, and a treasurer. ^7.5- Ey whom is the president elected?—By eight elects ; seven elects, with the president. 176. What are the qualifications which render him eligible for the office ?— He is elected by the eight senior fellows of the college ; at least they are generally
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