The Express.
London, England, 1849-05-29 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, TUESDAY EVENING, MAY 29, 1849.

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LONDON, TUESDAY, MAY 29.
Mr. TRORNELT asked the LORD ADVOCATZ
in the House of Commons whether there was
any intention on the inn of the committee on
Medial Legislation to bring in a medical reform bill
this session. Do this question his lordship answered that
it was intended to bring before the hone in the course
of a few days a new medical and surgicel bill. So the
public and the medical profession must be prepaid.
Mere can be no doubt as to what will be the nature
of the measure. The " principle? concocted by. the
Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons, the examiners
at Apothecaries' Hall, and the Council of the National
Institute, seceded to by the authorities of the univer-
, „,,a,* of Ediaargb aud Dahlia, wiN form the basis of
the new measure. We have before shown that these
"principles" can neither benefit the profession nor the
public, that to call any measure founded upon them a
reform is a mockery and delusion. The solemn farce
has been enacted of examining a few dozen gentlemen
before a committee of the House of Commons ; bat
the intention of the fellows of the London College of
Physicians and the oouncil of the London College of
Surgeons to keep all power, authority, influence, and
practice in their own hands has been the only
thing regarded. The self-constituted authori-
ties in Pall-mall and Lincoln's-inn-fields have cajoled
the Society of Apothecaries and the National Institute
into the reception of a measure which, whilst on the
one hand it secures anew a legal distinction between
physicians, surgeons, and general practitioners, and
confirms the Colleges of Physicians acd Surgeons in
all their corruption -and exclusiveness, on the
other effectually debars the general practitioner
from rising in his profession, and maintains
the odious distinction of inferior and superior classes
in the same profession. That such must be the cha-
racter of any measure emanating from the medical
corporation is necessarily the case, and we warn all
against supposing that a measure thus manu'actured
is one of n.edical reform. No; pan this measure ts-
mtsraw, and medical reform will have yet to be
struggled for, yet to be achieved. To the great MUs
of the profession who are submitting with indifference
to legislation on this subject we would say, lose not
a moment in examining the new measure when pre-
sented to parliament, and if it be found fraught with
enactments for the degradation and injury of the
great bulk of the medical practitioners of Great
Britain, let them at once exert themselves
for its defeat. It is unfortutate for the medical pro•
fession, just now, that Mr. \VARLET, through ill
health; is not able to attend in his place in parliament.
We at one time feared that, tired with the everlast-
ing jangling. of a disunited profession, he had
for the rake of peace withdrawn his opposition to any
plan of medical legislation founded on the "princi-
ples ;" but although not, we fear, prepared to take the
field with any plan of his own, we are glad to find
that he repudiates all acquiescence in the propoect
measures.
But will not the Celleges Bill, as the present mea-
sure may be called, be better thin nothing ? Will it
not be an instalment, a ieep in the right direction?
If we could for one moment think so, we should no
counsel opposition. But let any medical man
ask himself of what he has to complain, and then
refer to the " principles'," and we are confident that
so far from the evils to which he is subject being re-
moved, they will be increased by any legislation
founded upon them. Does be complain of the unjust
legal distinctions made between physicians, surgeons,
and surgeon-apothecaries? They are to be more stain-
gently. than ever maintained. Does he complain of
the injustice of being made to pay enormous sums of
money to mere stock job companies, as the Colleges
of Physicians and Surgeons, and the Apothecaries'
Company, without any voice or control in their ma-
nagement or government? These institutions, in one
form or another, are all to be perpetuated. Does he
complain that his examinations are onerous, severe,
and, after all, no teat of skill in his profes-
lions ? These examinations are to be as nu-
merous as ever, and no provision is to be
mode for their improvement. Does he feel it an evil
that wha'ever may be his industry. or merits, he
has no chance of rising, as is invariably the care in
the law and the church, and that dull seniority lies as
a nightmare upon his slumbering profession? Seniority
is still to be the law to which the colleges and profes-
sion are to submit. We might increase this list with-
out end, and be it remembered that the evils which
are now old and have got their rough edges and
corners amoothened by centuries of wear, are to be
reproduced anew, and will be much more galling
from the angularity and sharpness of newness.
Must, then, the medical profession give up all hope
of redress? We think not. Bat they must sit
about medial reform in a very different way from
what they have done. The borough-mongers did not
carry the Refrrm Bill, nor the clergy of the
church of England catholic emancipation, nor
the landlords free trade. Nor will the
medical colleges, companies, universities, or in•
stitutes carry a measure of medical reform. Such
a measure must come from the great mass of the
profo-.ion. They must follow the example of the
successful reformers. They must recognise a few
simple principles. They must organise, and must
spend their time, and their money too, about an
effective, earnest, operative organisation. Already
Mr. WARLET has invited the profession to subscribe
towards it a first five hundred pounds. This is but
too necessary; without money nothing can be set
in motion; the success that will attend the judicious
outlay of such a sum will soon lead medical men to
discover their interest in larger contributions. The
great quesicn now how to organise, what form
should organisation take? Why not assemble in Lon-
don a body of deputies from all parts of the United
Kingdom? District committees should be formed
throughout the country, and each committee be in-
vited to send up its deputy. Every local association
or society of medial men in the kingdom should
appoint its deputy. These deputies should meet and
appoint a chairman. Such a body could not do
better than appoint for their head such a man as Sir
Limas CLARK, holding the first official position in his
profession in the country. Known for the liberal
views he takes on medical legislation, and a despiser
of the tricks and doubtful honours of our medical
corporations, he would command at once the respect
of the legislature and the profession. In such an
assembly first principles should be enunciated—
principles that would for ever confound the so-
▪ "princ
iples" on which the British senate are
about to be called upon to legislate. In such an as-
osmbl heads of a bill should be discussed which
shouil be regarded as final. This assembly should
leave bsbind it a council and a committee. The coun-
cil to meet once in three or six `months to receive
reports from the committee, whoa duty it should be
to seek, by every means in their power, by acting on
the public mind and the houses of parliament, &c., to
secure the pawing of the bill thus framed into law.
Only by some such plan as this will an effective
measure of medical reform ever stand a chance of
being passed into a law. So long as the British legis-
lature is allowed to regard the corporations of Leaden
as the representatives of the medical profession of
Gnat Britain, so long will medical law present itself
in its present tatterdemalion form, so long will every
new law that is passel increase the disquietude of the
profession, quackery and empiricism reign triumphant,
and impudent pretence occupy the positions of science
and merit.

THIS " doctrine" laid down by Lord lons, Russ=
last Friday night is one to which we are by no means
prepared to assent. "It has always been the doc-
trine," says the noble lord, "that there should be con-
siderable progress made in the votes in supply be-
fore the production of the annual financial statement."
That is to say, it has always been the "doctrine"
that you are to appropriate and spend your money