The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-21 00:00:00

MEDICAL REFOR3I.

Yesterday a deputation of the members of the Pro-
vincial Medical and Surgical Association, consisting of
Sir Charles Hastings, Drs. Webster, Wynter, O'Connor,
Henry ; Messrs. Brady, M.P., Headlam, M.P., Best,
tomiey, Lord Nunneley, &c., waited on Sir George
Grey, at the Home-office, for the purpose of ascertaining
the intentions of Government on the question of medical
reform.

Mr. Headlam introduced the deputation.
Sir CHARLES HASTINGS, as president of the association,
said that it was the wish of the deputation to call the
attention of Government to the anomalous and unsatis-
factory state of the laws affecting the medical profession.
On the 18th of last May they had waited on him for the
same purpose, when he (Sir George Grey) was kind
enough to express his determination to send a copy of the
bill then about to be introduced into Parliament by Mr.
Headlam to the universities and medical corporate bodies
of the United Kingdom, and to send along with it the
scheme of the bill propounded by the professors of the
University of Edinburgh, and to request the opinions of
those bodies on the two bills in question. The association,
though unacquainted with the precise terms of the replies
given by the medical colleges to Sir George's questions,
were yet able to surmise that the great preponderance of
opinion was in favour of Mr. Headlam's bill. With the
sentiments of the universities they were not so well ac-
quainted, nor did they attach any great weight to their
opinions upon medical reform. They appreciated the
advantages of a university degree, and would encourage
its acquisition by all medical students ; but they main-
tained that the power of licensing should be exclusively
confided to the medical profession through duly autho-
rised representatives. It was because Mr. Headlam's bill
would, while affording valuable advantages to the univer-
sities, ♦est the examining and licensing powers in the
medical colleges alone, subject to the supervision of a
medical council, that the association approved of it ; and
at its last annual meeting resolved to give it, if re-intro-
duced, their determined support. They would, however,
give an equal support to any Government. bill, whatever
might be its details, which would secure uniformity of
examination and qualification, freedom of practice
throughout the United Kingdom, a due representation
of the great body of the profession, and a proper system
of registration. These reforms the association sought
purely on public grounds. In speaking to Sir G. Grey
it was not necessary to detail the confused state of the
laws by which the medical profession was supposed to
be regulated ; but they felt bound to observe that Bev*.
rat important acts lately passed imposed duties on and
afforded privileges to legally-qualified medical practi-
tioners, thereby excluding a considerable proportion of
the profession, including many of its most eminent mem-
bers, and likely to complicate the working of those acts.
Indeed the progress of sanitary reform made medical
reform an absolute necessity. The laws as they exist in
reference to the medical profession, however suited to
the times of their enactment, and when each division of
the United Kingdom had its separate legislature, were
now unjust, harassing, and productive of discontent and
agitation. It was from such a state of things that they
prayed the Government to free them by getting a mea-
sure of medical reform passed into law next session.
Sir GEORGE GREY, in reply, stated that he had laid
the answers which he had received from the cor-
porate bodies before Mr. Headlam, and he thought
that the best course for the association now to adopt
would be to get that gentleman to re-introduce his
bill, with whatever improvement those replies may
have suggested to him ; and he (Sir George Grey)
would be happy to give it his support. The subject
was one of great iLterest, and the failure which had
hitherto attended legislation in regard to it was, be
thought, to be attributed to the difficulty of bringing
medical men themselves to anything like an agreement.
He had at one tune hoped that Mr. Macaulay and Lord
Rntherfurd bad brought ab mt such an agreement, but
in that ho had been disappointed, and now he could not
pledge the government to bring in any measure on the
subject during this session.