, 1870-11-27
EARLY HISTORY OF SURGEONS,
Were Surgeons BARRIERS, or Enrbcr~
SurEcGnAe "a Singular GARpleE
from EnEllhh lliAtofy.

SurgcenAl "A Singular CAnpleT
from. EnEilhh lziAtory.
F,om The La1.don Telegraph.
There was time when the profession Ct a
surg ee4n aud that Of barber won't hand in
laLd. Ey charter Of Edward w.. the
balbers practising surgery in the nctEopo-
lis we're legally incorporated rs ''Tne COM
raDr Of the Ba1beIs in Lohdon." Their
authority extended 10 tho right Of e1am,n-
iuE Ill Instruments aud remedies, and Of
MipSins actions against tbose who practised
ignoraut1J and Illegally. This friends If COM
pe'ltive examination will also be glal 70 leasa
that even TO far back aa she frat Ut Edward
", there were EXAMINATIONS fur surgical can
dilatea by tie masters OF the COMPANY. But
the iiErt e hottatlon Lad too much uf the bar
btr cltI.tnt in it. AIsuy ptrsoas rrac,iseL
surgery withcnt i,A leave, aud ut last al asso-
ciatlen, ~llcl. st5 led itself g Tie SURGEONS Of
Lcs:dIn. vas formed 1t tAe beginning Of
Henry VILE reign.
IL the third ye1r Of thai N noaarch il was en-
acted ilat Eo person within tile CITY Of Lou-
don. or within scvcn miles Of tho ta,ae. ehuEll
practice eu.g.ry uuIess lie we're first e1A,n-
or the Dean Of st. puuls,' lariug "o;ller
expert Persons in that faculty" a.
1ht1f assesso1a. In these Associations it
,:isl be cLEe1yed that sarrery lad t,I1own
uif tue ta1ltr's basin; hut tlo step waa
p1tn2:uEe. The s'izgeou. co;sl'i not YET stand
aAuue NlLoul Tue DaIGtts. Aua IL tae aha1tF-
te-cId yehr Of Henry VIII. tue Company Ut
Earl cas- and tho Company CT Surgeons w.za
united in cne c.mlany, "h.cA still exists.
wi.h its Aail, in 1lonaweIi street, and
its famous picture by uoloein, in
whicl. tho "blnH King" na.y ba saon giving
two uaucs--for neither could b, called pro-
ftseion-that OF tlia basin aud that OF the LAM
cet-weso iIs :palehI5 joined Together until
the eighteenth year OF George H.. when lh.s
un,5 was Dissolved and the surgeons were
constituted au Independent company It wa
act until the furtiet!l year Of Gt.s6e Ill. that
the cou:l any passed ia,o tie. hatta Of the
No.al College CT SuIgcals-
We lave Leen thus particular in tracing tho
early history Of surgery II this country, and
III showing how one It the noLlsst c1I4iuss
tp1ang hum base beginnings, bcc.u=a we
end Ecicuee whith raise mere t7ado Ike thar
Of bsrter, with lis soa.Nuds and Ills
basin, iuto an cniiGatczea profession,
uhi>h, whifa It a1!cr,stes suffering and co.l-
ftrs tie greatest blessing on tic human
rnce, il capalo at the game t,1ne of satisfying
~ the surgeon went Etout elood-lsstieg aad
toctE-drawinE, now dressing . beartl, aal
now "bre6thirg vein, he Was little better
than barber, And was called a barber
surEson." So long as ho merely looked ut
the outward shape and fashion Of the hui
ho1e in it or scraped it's onter colt eitl, 4
tcalpcl, hc was mere traiesasa1 kni
quack, and his calling rEoport,o1.ststy i'enr
ard EeAn. But when ha pas.ed fsou, Tie
outside Ut the wondrous house in winch
We all dweIl, and penetrated into its in1isr-
mist rtcesses: wEon hs measured and eur.
veS. "a II; when he undertook to renoyate aud
restore ii-nay, whom he WAS bold enough to
nutilnse and deface parte OF it in order that the
Ee:t might remain ard live; when be learned,
After lcng and labotious inquiry. after gencr-
atlors Of thinkers, each Of which, al it came.
cauGh. up and carried On the lam p Of science
when 1ts predecessor drnnpcd il; when he
learned. We s4y. 60 MANY Of taa secrets OF
humanity Gully to ind bow. great hts ignorance
still was and how much remained for him
to Ie&n-lhen his base trade had passed
INTO divine profession. and to the kaoHl-
edge OF rage he had united the humility of
, Child. Ihi. We take to bs very much the
roti ion OF surgery at tho present day. trne
surgeon may feel proud a. be looks back to
the time Of Henry VII, aud the days OF By
bsI Surgeons Hail. but as he looks forward
std teels how short life l.. aud lloE Glow arc
the steps Of soissce, he kuown that. however
eteat Ler victon.9 over ignorancs ltvs been,
Che has many more pitched battles to via
over lIer enemy befoEe hs shall lN tinallv cub
dut Il nEd laid proarate AT her feet.