The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-26 00:00:00

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IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
The HOUSE OF LORDS, Ffb. 25.
shortly afterl) "a CH.% NcryLeft
took his seat on the Wooltack
21. Five o'clock
r • O'Alera, the Clerk of the Crown in Ireland, presented
1.411111.

examiners under another name, that of general practitioners.
Ile came now to another alteration, which was one to which
he attached great importance. He earnestly desired that the
first entrance to the medical profession should be by oneexami-
nation, common to all, and that, after this first examination,
the practice of the science sheuld be open and common to all
who should have passed this portal. But one objection had been
made to this principle, which, he must say, appeared reasonable,
and was indeed insuperable. Physicians had always strongly,
and, as it appeared to him, rightly, attached great importance
to an university education, whether that education was re-
ceived in one of our domestic or in a foreign university. At
present they enforced an examination before a general tri-
bunal ; that examination was an early one, and that early ex-
amination was made before a general tribunal, that examination
not being inconsistent with the long study and education neces-
sary to the accomplished physician. Some difficulty had been
felt as to the limitation of the age before which such examina-
tion for physicians should be undergone ; he did not
think, on the whole, thirty-six would be too late a period of
life. But with respect to surgeons, he thought the objec-
tion on this point would not apply. An university education
did not form so invariably, or by any means so frequently,
a part of the medical education even of the most accom-
plished surgeons; this objection, therefore, did not apply to
them, and he bad the satisfaction of saying, that, as far as
the inquiries ho had made went, there would not be on this
subject any objection •n the part of the College of Surgeons
to a proposal which he thought would be a great improve-
ment on the Bill of last session. He proposed that no persons
should, under this Bill, be qualified to act as surgeons, unless
they had previously been examined as a licentiate in surgery.
There was also a provision in the Bill which appeared to be
a departure from this principle of uniform examination ; the
difference, however, was more in appearance than
reality. It was in the proposal to which he attached
considerable importance that there should be an examination in
midwifery, in addition to that of medicine and surgery. He
proposed that the council of health should be, by a provision of
the Act, err.pov,Tred to examine general practitioners for all
three parts of the United Kingdom, in midwifery also, those
practitioners to be distinguished on the registry by a mark
against their names, denoting that they had passed this
examination. Now, his Hon. Friend the Member fir Middle-
sex had just presented a petition, in which a request was made
that medical practitioners should be incorporated. He had
given his most anxious consideration to this subject, and at all
events he did not wish to preclude himself by any stipulation
on the subject, from adopting that suggestion till the pro-
fession at large should have had an opportunity of considering
the measure.—(Hear, hear.) There was another important
alteration he ea 'shed to propose to the House. Ile had last
year proposed to repeal the Apothecaries' Act, and entirely to
obliterate it. But he had now departed from that intention,
and would not totally repeal that enactment. A separation which
he should have deeply regretted, between the general practitioner
and the College of Surgeons, might have been, in some de-
gree at least, apprehended as a consequence of his measure of
last session. He thought he had modified his measure, in this
respect, in a very important degree. He proposed that ne
person should be qualified to practice as a surgeon without pre-
viously passing an examination as a licentiate of surgery.
He would not now anticipate the discussion that would cer-
tainly arise on the question of new charters to Medical Corpo-
rations. But it had been thought necessary to introduce into
the College of Surgeons, for the first time, a peculiar order
which existed in every other medical college in Eng-
land, Scotland, and Ireland, without exception—
namely, the order of Fellows of that College.—( Hear. )
It had been thought necessary to create this order, as the con-
stituent body of the elective council of the College.—( Hear,
bear.) He was not now arguing the question—he was only
stating the difficulties that in the change would have to be
overcome, but, if they were surmounted, and the connexion
between the College of Surgeons and the general practitioners
preserved, he was convinced that this latter class would become
more noble and more useful than it had bees at any ante-
cedent period. Now, reserving to himself a full right of con-
sidering the policy of advising the Crown to grant charters of
incorporation, he confessed he should be driven to give that
advice with the greatest possible reluctance, were he
not anxious to sustain the character, the standing, and
position of the general practitioners. He thought they were
the most useful body of men in the community.—( Hear. )
In large cities, where great numbers of people were congre-
gated, a division of labour was not only possible in the profes-
sion, but led to excellence, to increased skill, and greater re-
muneration. In cities, therefore, it was possible to divide the
medical profession into the physician, the surgeon, and the
general practitioner, and this division had actually arisen from
the force of circumstances. But dealing, as it was his duty to
do, with the interest of the entire community, he could not
dissemble from himself the fact, that the great body of the
poorer population, covering the greater area of the kingdom,
must look to the general practitioner for assistance, and he
thought it was his first duty to the public to do all in his power
to uphold the character arid position of the general practitioner.
He now sincerely stated that he entertained the greatest doubt
whether it would be for their advantage, and for the honour
and dignity of the profession, that they should be separated
from the College of Surgeons ; and he entertained the san-
guine hope of connecting the general practitioner with the
College of Surgeons. He was most anxious that the altera-
tions which he tendered in the most conciliatory spirit, might
meet with the wishes of the general practitioners, whose opi-
nions he was most anxious to obtain. He had given the whole
subject his most serious consideration, and the changes he pro-
posed were the result of it. He considered it indispensably
necessary for the whole profession, that the body of the several
practitioners should be connected with the College of Surgeons,
a noble institution, which had produced the most eminent
surgeons in Europe, which had one of the finest museums
in the world, and which was renowned for the
progress which it had made in the science of human
physiology. It was impossible that this arrangement could
be otherwise than that of conferring honour and distinction
on the general practitioner. He could not anticipate from
any other arrangement equal benefit to the general practitioner.
He would pass on to another alteration in the Bill of last
year. Previously to qualifying as a physician, the Bill im-
posed as a necessary condition that the candidate should, fey
the three years immediately preceding examination, have re-
sided in the University. Upon consideration, he found it
would be wholly impossible to carry out this provision. He
therefore proposed to substitute two years after examination,
or three years antecedent. And instead of three years' resi-
dence in a Foreign University, one year was proposed. He
now came to the question of the constitution of the Councils.
If he had filled any other station he would have ventured to
have proposed to the House some alterations in this respect.
His own judgment led him to believe that, upon the whole, it
would be far safer to leave to the Government, acting upon its
responsibility to Parliament, the power of nomination. But
he felt it necessary, situated as he was, to depart in some re-
spects from this principle ; but, upon the whole, he would ad-
here to the plan for the formation of a Council proposed in
the Bill of last session. The matter was still open to discus-
sien, but he intended to make it a condition that the nomina-
tion of six members of the Council should be reserved to the
Crown ; and that a portion of those six, so appointed,
should be general practitioners and country practitioners, for
it was only fair that those important classes should be re-
presented at the Board. In the Bill of last year there was a
deficiency which he now proposed to remedy. It conferred
no power on the Council to remove from the registry men who
had been guilty of flagrant misconduct. By the alterations
under the Bill, it gave a power of removing from the re-
gistry any party who had been convicted before any courts of
law, or who had practised, or attempted to practice upon false
testimonials. There was one other alteration. He proposed
to give to the faculty of physicians and surgeons in Glas-
gow equal and co-ordinate powers of licensing with
the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Edinburgh. By
the Bill of last year, lie had conferred on the Glasgow Col-
lege the power of licensing both in surgery and medicine ; bat
subsequent experience had convinced him that they could have
no such power. The question had been raised before the Su-
preme Court in Scotland, and it was clearly proved that the
Glasgow College had no power of licensing, and that the power
misted only in the College of Physicians and Surgeons in
Edinburgh. lie was not aware of any other important change.
He had pointed out such alterations as he thought were neces-
sary, and so far from time alterations being at vari-
ance with the great objects of the measure, they were
perfectly consistent with it. He had been anxious
to avail himself of all the discussion which had taken place on
the subject, and had not been at all affected by the angry spirit
which had been infused into those discussions. He had
endeavoured to take a calm and dispassionate view of
the subject, being perfectly disinterested, and having only one
desire, that of promoting the public welfare. He would not
consider that his labour had been thrown away in the least de-
gree, if he were fortunate enough to introduce some improve-
ments in this most useful profession. He would not now press
the measure upon the consideration of the House, but would
give time for further discussion and further consideration.
But he hoped this session would not close without some
measure beneficial to the profession receiving the sanction of
that House, and passing into law.—(Cheers.) The Right
Hon. Gentleman concluded by moving for leave to bring in a
Bill for the better regulation of medical practice throughout
the United Kingdom.
Mr. WAKLEY heard the statement of the Right Hon.
Gentleman with the greatest satisfaction; and he now believed
that the difficulties which pressed upon the subject would be
amicably arranged and finally settled. The Right Hon. Gen-
tleman had shown by the alteration which he proposed his anxiety
to meet the wishes of all departments of the profession. He
believed the Right Hon. Gentleman and the Government
had not been at all aware of the difficulties which beset this

question when they first took it in hand. There were so many
interests involved in it, se many laws affecting the profession, so
many rights apparently opposed to one another, as well as
to common sense, that it was extremely difficult to legislate
upon it. He felt very strongly against the former Bill, and he
had so expressed himself. He thought many of its provisions
were most objectionable ; but he now felt satisfied that the
Right Hon. Gentleman, in the alterations proposed, was
anxious to conciliate all parties, and to listen to any suggestion
which might be thrown out from any side. Ho would now
only ask for the postponement of the second reading of the
Bill, so as to give time for full deliberation with reference to all
its provisions ; and the Right Hon. Baronet would receive
the gratitude of the most important bodies of men to be found
in the country.—( Cheers.)
Leave was then given to bring in the Bill.
Sir J. GRAHAM mired for leave to bring in a Bill to en-
able her Majesty to grant new charters to certain Colleges of
Physicians and surgeons. He heard with great satisfaction
the speech of the Hon. Member for Finsbury. He would ac.
cede to the postponement of the second reading of the Bill till
after Easter. In compliance with this feeling, he was quite
to lay on the table of the House four charters. Those
eharters were, a charter for the physicians of London, another
for the physicians of Dublin, another for the physicians of
Edinburgh, and another fir the College of Surgeons in Edin-
burgh. These, he thought, would sufficiently secure the ob-
jects he had in view. .