The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-05-05 00:00:00

MPITFAT, TORRitmorlihs siolivprov7 planti n Pc qo
Nwth Pr &ailing ModipattiksoopiAtion utiO ta tl, At4o,
nEetwo, 4n4criAnd, on Viocineaday arennight, Dr, ihaclitiT,
of Newcastle, in the chair, who in his opening speeeh said
he was confitlentirom•what he hilt! obsei'ved that. the cause
of medical reform had advanced, and was still progressively
going on. The profession, he said, bad no selfish views—no
private interests to promote ; they were simply actuated by
the honourable motive of upholding the honour of their pro-
fession, increasing its usefulness, and extending its operation
for the benefit of the community. Mr. Carter, the secre-
tary, read a long report, which, on the motion of Dr. Brown,
was received and ordered to be printed and circulated. The
secretary then read the following petition :
To the honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, in Parliament assembled
The Petition of the President, Vice-Presidents, and Mem-
bers of the North of England Medical Association, in Pub-
lic Meeting convened at Sunderland, this 26th day of April,
1843,

Humbly sheweth,—That your petitioners (consisting of
physicians and surgeons resident in the Counties of Durham,
Northumberland, and Cumberland,) have long deplored the
defective and anomalous state of the medical profession in
Great Britain and Ireland.—That your petitioners, having
reason to believe that measures have been for some time in
contemplation for reorganizing and reforming the profession,
beg respectfully but earnestly to impress upon your Honour-
able House the great importance of this question to the com-
munity at large, and its consequenly strong claims to an early
adjustment. That your petitioners, having paid much at-
tention to the subject, take the liberty of stating their per-
suasion that any measure of Medical Reform, to be perma-
nently beneficial, must provide for the union and consolida-
tion of the whole professional body, and the proper qualifi-
cation of all persons who shall hereafter be legally authorized
to practise the healing art within her Majesty's dominions.
Your petitioners are further of opinion, that uniformity in
the qualification for a license to practise should be enforced,
that honorary degrees in Medicine and Surgery should be
conferred on a uniform principle : that reciprocal privileges
should be enjoyed by the medical practitioners of England,
Scotland, and Ireland: and that suitable measures should be
adopted for protecting the public from the dangerous and
fatal consequences of unauthorized medical and surgical
practice. Your petitioners therefore pray that the present
state of the medical profession may receive the early atten-
tion of your Honourable House. And your petitioners, as
in duty bound, will ever pray.
Signed for and on behalf of the Meeting,
T. E. Headlam, M.D., President.
Charles T. Carter, Secretary.
Dr. Knott moved thot the petition be adopted, and that
David Barclay, Esq. be requested to present it to the House
of Commons; and that a similar petition be presented to the
House of Lords by the Marquis of Londonderry. Mr. Wat-
son seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously.
After some other business of minor importance, the meeting
broke up. The members of the association and their friends
afterwards partook of an excellent dinner at the Bridge Ho-
tel. Dr. Headlam occupied the chair, and Dr. Brown the
vice-chair. Amongst the Company were Sir Cuthbert Sharp,
the Rev. Mr. Kenuicot, the Rev. R. Skipsey, Mr. Hartley,
J..P., Dr. Cowan, C. Potts, Esq., &c. &c. Several appro-
priate toasts were proposed and drunk, and the company se-
parated at nine o'clock, after spending the evening in a most
agreeable and harmonious manner.