The Express.
London, England, 1850-03-14 00:00:00

MR. WAILEY AND THE COLLEGE OF

BURGEONS.

(?Po the Dolly News.)

_ .
In the Lancet of week, Mr. WARLEY, in expla-
nation of some remarks of oar own, states that he has
not altered his views on the great medical reform ques-
tion, and that be shall only demand a new "College
of Medicine, Surgery, and Mtdwifery,wholly indepen-
dent of the existing colleges, and equal with them in
powers and privileges, the moment he is convinced
that there is no hope of obtaining a fair and satisfac-
tory reform of the College of Surgeons." This mo-
ment will not come, we suppose, till it is decided to
give the College of Surgeons a new charter, contain-
ing the arrangement we before alluded to of admitting
all members of the college of twenty years standing
Ito the fellowship on the payment of ten guinea.. In
the mean time Mr. Ws•Lev calls upon the members
of the College of Surgeons to exert themselves once
and for all with the government to secure in the new
charter " the concession of the representative princi-
ple to the great body of the members of the CJllege,
and the presence of representatives of the surgeons in
general practice in the council itself." 'rtese demands
are so perfectly just that we could hardly conceive
an intelligent member of the medical profession op-
posing them did we not know on the wider field of
general politics how terribly selfish and unjust are
men who posse.. an exclusive privilege, and how
blind this makes them to advantages to be gained
even by themselves in an honourable and hberal
course of conduct. If there be any one body of men
more qualified than another by general intelligence
and education to manage their own institutions,
that body is surely in the medical profession. Yet at
the present moment this is an advantage they do not
possess in one of the many medical corporations of
the United Kingdom. They are compelled to pay
their money, but have no voice in the spending it ;
nay, more, are insulted and vilified by the men who
s,rend it for them. We quite agree, then, with Mr.
WAKLIY that the men.bers of the College of Sur-
geons should contend for the " representative prin-
ciple."
The next point urged by tha Lancet is " the pre-
sence of representatives of the surgeons in general
practice in the council itself." The necessity fir
this demand can hardly be understood by the public,
and, when understood, must excite surprise that
such • monstrous cond.tion of things should
ever be allowed to exist. The College of
Surgeons is essentially a college of general
practitioners, as they are called, of men who practise
every branch of their profession. A few of these
members in London, including dentists and oculists,
choose to forego the practice of midwifery and phar-
macy, and, on the ground of this sacrifice, claim all
power to govern in the college. This is merely an
excuse for the management of the college by a clique
of hospital surgeons in Landon for their own advan•
tape tied interest. In this way many of the moat
learned and distinguished members of the college in
tteneral practice are prevented taking part in its
management, whilst men grossly ignorant of their
profession, as a whole, are permitted to job and mis-
manage its affairs, and peril its very existence. We
give oar most hearty sanction to all efforts at reform
of the College of Surgeons.

It will, however, be seen that the medical reform
question assumes two aspects, one which relates to
the organisation of the profession itself, and the other
the position of the profession in relation to the state.
Although all preceding legislation has proceeded
through some existing combination of the profession,
it is not at all necessary that it should do so, and it
appears to us that it would simplify the question
very much if these two things were separated. The
first and most important thing to settle is what shall
be the position of the state to the men who practise
medicine. We fail to discover that this ques-
ton has seriously occupied the mind of medical men,
at all. Renew oar powers, give as fresh powers,
give our new college power, are the only
sounds we hear am•det the Hebei of contention that
now meet us in the medical j urnal•. Well might
Sir GEORGE GREY say " g) and agree amongst your-
selves," if he wished to keep things as they are. No
agreement seems to be at all possible, whil•t each
party this k they are the one into whose hands should
be entrusted the keeping the sacred credentials that
err for ever to ensure peace sad good-will in the me-
, dice! profession. Cannot medical men see that such
pretension smacks very much of the claim to infalli-
bility on the part of an Mall ution which has at least
much better grounds historically for such a position
than any of their mustiroom colleges cr camomile'?
What, then, must be done in order to ensure the great
objects of me dical reform, the supply to the public of
' an intelligent body of medical men, and the preven-
t Lion of quackery and imposture? C:ea,ly, no dispu-
tations about the powers of colleges, and universities,
discussions about fellows and members, hiving. of
presidents, and hootings of Hunterian orators, will
ever secure this. We advise the medical profession
to get clear of this sort of thing, for a time at least,
and instead of fretting and fuming at the indignity
which the doll heads of their colleges atd companies
would inflict upon them, turn their attention to
the discussions of 1847. In the Medical ll.,,gistra-
tion Bill, then brought before the House of Commons,
they will find to a greater or less extent the charter
of their deliverance. Although Mr. WALLEY
assures us that "his opinions of the utility and neces-
sity of • system of medical registration have not
varied in the least," since he introduced the medical
Registration Bill, we would remind Mr. WAKLEY
that that bill was mach more than a mere registra-
tion bill. It effectually cut the claws of the corpora-
tions, and prevented them from doing further harm
to each other and the public by placing all power of
prom cution, where it alone ought to be, in the hands
of the governrcent. It insisted on an equality of
education and examination for all who wished to
practise the medical profession. It gave the man once
qualified, and recognised the right of practiskg his art
in all parts of the British empire. It abolished the
legal fiction which has came into existence through
the colleges in London, of a distinction between
physicians, surgeons, and general practitioners.
This bill had the sanction of a majority of the pro-
ssion of the universities and colleges of the sister
kingdoms, and only met with opposition from the
self-elected few who manage the corporations in
London.

We do not say the details of Mr. WAKLEY'S bill
admit of no charge, but it recognises the great just
principles of medical legislation, and whenever these
become operative, medical organisation will follow.
If Sir GEORGE GREY were really in earnest about
medical reform, we would say to him, disregard the
London colleges, adopt the principles of Mr. WAK-
LET'S bill, withdraw all power of licensing and pro-
secuting from the universities, colleges' and compa-
nies, institute one sound examination on the part of the
government, at d licence or not your na, dical men on that
ground. In granting licenses to medical men you
need not to know how they got their education, what
college. or university they belong to, whether they
are going to practise all branches of their profession
or only a part ; the duty of the state is to provide in-
ttlligetat men who will do good and not harm, and
that can be done by a state examination in this
country, as it is time on the continent of Europe. We
feel, however, painfully impressed with the fact that
this is a common sense view of the matter, a view
that is too lunch opposed to the special sense of
dignity and importune assumed by the magnates of
the London colleges to allow Sr G. GREY to act
upon it, provided he had the inclination or the energy.
But should he or any other legislator take up the
subject, we promise them, on the tiii.h we have in the
good sense of the majority of the medical profession
and the public, success.

MATRICIDE AND ATTEMPTED PARRICIDL—The
secluded village of L,t•le Evenden, in Cambridgeshire, (about
I fight miles from Cambridge on the B.dford road,) has just
been the some of en awful tie/roily. An old man, named
Carrington, has lived for many years in the village with his
wile and one son, John. On last Tuesday a quarrel
between the father and the son, when the latter struck the
former several blows on the head with a spade, injuring
him so severely that he lie. without hope of recovery. Th
wretched mane mother coming into the cottage at the time,
interfered for the protecion of her husband, and was also
SJ savagely beaten that she almost immediately. He
was of dune immediately taken into custody and locked up.
Toe prisoner is forty years of tee, and the eccentricity of his
conduct for some years past favours the supposition that he
is insane. Oa Wednesday a coroner's inquest was held, and
the farts as detailed above were given in evidence. The jury
returned a verdi. t of " murder" aphis. John C.r
rington, who was consigned to the county gaol to await his
trial. The deposition sr the injured man will be taken so
don as his state of heal,h will allow, se that is case of his
death it may be used at the triel of the prisoner, who
evinesd no emotion on being made acquainted with the ver•
t of *spay.