Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1865-12-31

From he Richmond Times

| -
A measure is ON foot among the member.
of the medical profession in this city, for the
formation of an association, to be known az
the Academy Of Medicine" The object o.
| the association is TO encourage and facilitate
the employment Of the obvious advantage
of free intercourse and consultation and dis
cussion among the members of the profes-
sion. One admirable feature in their organ
ization is the appointment of several "sec-
tionsv or committees, one for each of the
general divisions of the Science of Medicine,
whose duty it will be to examine all contri-
buttons, essays, &c, and to decide as to their
fitness for presentation before the Academy.
Each paper will, of course, be submitted d.
rectly to the section appointed for the par
ticular subject treated of.
The Academy will doubtless embrace all
of the respectable professional talent in the
city. 1t will thus have the moral weight
and influence to enforce the general observ-
ance of such necessary rules and regulations
as NAV be required for the more effective pro-
lection of the profession and the community
at large, against the impositions of quacks
and charlatans Under proper management
it NAV, within the limits of its jurisdiction,
constitute itself the tribunal, before which all
candidates for practice will have to establish
their proficiency and competence. In this
capacity it would serve most useful and i'm
portant end, in supplying want which can
not well be met in any other way.
Under the centralized government of Eu-
rope, the learned professions are regularly
organized State institutions, and are the sub
ject of special watchfulness and protection.
In England, as the lawyers are classified ac-
cording to the divisions of the law into
Common Civil, and Canonical, and are
again sub-diyided into doctors, and sergeants,
and solicitors, and barristers and attorneys
and conveyancers, &C., each class being con-
fined in their practice to certain specified
subjects and branches of law; so are the
physicians divided into Doctors of Medicine,
Surgeons and General practitioners. The
English general practitioners combine the
functions of physician and apothecary. Both
they and the surgeons are educated at Apoth-
ecary Hall and the Royal College of Sur
geons, in London. The course of study is
six years-four of which are mainly devoted
to learning the duties of an apothecary.-
These institutions confer no degrees, but is
sue certificates of proficiency, upon which IL
cences are granted. Their graduates having
no degree, are always addressed as Mister"
or Esquire" They constitute the great
body of the profession. The Universities of
Oxford, Cambridge and London are alone
privileged to confer the degree of Doctor of
Medicine. This degree in England certifes
to the possession of high literary and scien-
tifc, as well as strictly professional acquire
ments, and is of course, not generally at
tainable.
This degree of perfection of organization |
IS not attainable in this country where any |
oint stock company is at liberty to set up !
Medical College, as a money speculation. |
Similar advantages may, however, be Sc
cured by the action of the profession itself, |
n establishing Just such associations as that |
low being formed in Richmond. The pro-
ession will have to hedge itself in, not only |
With conventional rules and laws of etiquette;
,ut with more substantial barriers, in the
orm of actual tests of merit and proficiency;
o be made the condition of admission to
erms of professional equality.
In France there are corresponding clas-
of Doctors of Medicine, Surgeons
nd Health Officers. The degree of Doctor
f Medicine may be conferred by either of
he faculties or Superior Schools at Paris,
'trasburg and Montpelier. Before matri-
ulation in these schools, the student must
how the diploma of bachelor es lettres and
t the end of three years, that Of bachelor
8 sciences, in the University of France. The
ocular course is FIVE years; two of which
re especially devoted to the study of col
ateral sciences. The officers de sante either
o over part of the course at one of the
uperior Schools, or are instructed in one
f the Secondary Schools of which there
re many. They are, however, either ex-
mined by the faculty or before some Pro-
,ssor belonging to it; and can only prac-
ice in the department in which they are