The Express.
London, England, 1861-04-30 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
(THU DAY.)

EQUITY COURT.
(Beton Vio•Chasoolior air W. page Wood.)

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711 g ATIVIN4IT.4III3II[I4I. r. nit aural. c 0 LLD:2 ur SL:M.EONS.
TIM CAA, Or THE A Pull' te.% Rtzr.

This was 'demurrer toe information and bill promoted
awl filed by the " llaster, Warden., and Society of the Art
awl Mystery of Apothecaries of the City of loadon," and
having for its object to restrain the College of Physicians
Teen 'amnia; any license which purported to authoiise the
licentiate to compound and supply for gain the medicines lie
ire-critics, win any other way to exercise the calling of an
apothecary, or which purported to establish a new order of
medical eractitioners. The information then set forth the
engin of the College of Physicians, in the reign of
Henry V lIL, and detailed the various charter', and statutes
under which that body has since been governed It pointed
out that the members of the college consisted of two dal sea,
" fellows' and " licentiates," both of which, however, were
known to the politic under the general name of physician..
The distinctive features of the practice of the members and
nti.ites of the College of Physicians consisted in this,
that they gave advice simply, and did not compound or
semi the medicines which they advised their patients to
tike. In this state of thing., there M5OllO in the medical
pr..f,siion a third class of practitioner, who advised sad
Poll medicines to their patients -these were the &path,-
carol., sometimes known as general practitioners. By a
charter of James I. the plaintiffs, the A.,-.othecaries
Company, were 'rued, and by their exertions thee
ruse., the status opothecaries sod increased their
ccrierd efficieacy. About the year 1815 the Apothecaries
Company made as effort to put the general regulations of
the profession on • sounder footing, and to induce the
Colleges of Physicians and Su to join with them to
that eat This attempt failed, but the Apothecaries Com-
pany obtained the Nagano( La act increasing their ply/emu
a governing telly over their own branch of the prefesinoo. In
the year ISTot the general Medical Act passed, sad •
medical council was establiahol. The informatics havingia
set forth the facts above stated, proceeded with the follow-
ing allegation ,„The defendants have recently cosoeived
the scheme of erecting the present licentiates into members
of the college by establishing a new class of practitioners to
be Brewed 17 the defendants, and they intend that such
new clam shall commence practice at an earlier age than, and
be inferior io qualifications and attainments to, the present
dew of fellows and honitiates of the said college, and they
intend to grant to such new class licenses purporting to
snow them to act as apothecaries, or to compound and
supply fur gain the medicines they prescribe. It then
stated various steps on the part of the College of Physi-
ciass in furtherance of this plan, the most note.
worthy of which was a resolution passed as the
I.th April, lftrio—" That the college will grout licences to
prectia., physicy. to Persons who shall not tie restricted by any
brides rem supplying mnlicinestn their patienta,4ll.l who
shall be eatitled to register under the Medical Act as licen-
tiates of the College of Physicians."
Mr. It. Palmer, in support of the demurrer, contended
that the bill di;chased no case for the interference of •
mart of equity ; that there was DO imirdicti. on in the court
to interfere; sad, ma if there were, that the court would
have the are to he tried at law.

Cleseby Wed Ir. fei;;;Wer• following on the wee
side wine oar report left.