May 1,
?l?
misconduct, expunging the
pdfa!
may have been
is
that all contributions to the
particularly requested
Gazette" may be written of each sheet of paper. Technical
as
legibly
as
"
Indian Medical
possible, and only
on o>'E side
expressions ought to be so distinct that no possible mistake
can
be
made in printing them.
Neglect of these simple rules causes Communications should be
much trouble.
as early in the month as possible, else delay must inevitably occur in their publication. Business letters to be forwarded to the Publishers; and all professional communications to the Editor, direct.
Subscribers
changing
forivarded
their address
are
particularly requested
to
notify
the
" You have chofen the path, not of politics but of fcience. Among thofe who have preceded you in it, and in our own particular department, we find fome of the brighteft ornaments of Britifh hiftory ; and I will not do you the injuftice of fuppofing that there is any one among you who would not prefer the reputation of Harvey or the Hunters to that of nineteen-twentieths of the courtiers and politicians of the periods in which they lived."?SIR BENJAMIN BRODIE.
TIIE MEDICAL ACT. It is now nearly eight years since an Act, passed by the Legislature of Great Britain for regulating the qualifications of practitioners in Medicine and
Surgery,
became law in the United
and its colonies.
Kingdom
consideration, as it put some control ou the irregular practice of Medicine by unqualified persons. It has undergone some modifications since, and it will, no doubt, be the subjcct of This Act was the result of much and careful
was
found to be necessary to
further changes before it is competent to effect all for which it was
designed.
Indeed, practically, though has not hitherto done fied from the
professional men.
of
It the
exempts them from
It
corporate,
parochial,
doubt it has done
some good, it distinguish the qualihas, however, confirmed the various grades of Medical serving on juries, inquests,
much more than
unqualified. status
no
or
other such
offices, and from militia
that
any person who shall wilfully provides and falsely pretend to be, or take or use the name or title of a Physician, Doctor of Medicine, Licentiate in Medicine or Surgery, Bachelor of Medicine, Surgeon, General Practitioner or Apothecary, or any name, title, or description implying that he is registered under this Act, or that he is recognized by law as a Physician or Surgeon, or Licentiate of Medicine or Surgery, or a Practitioner in Medicine, or an Apothecary, shall upon a summary conviction for any such offence, pay a sum not exceeding twenty pounds. duties.
This
It
much
it
has
done,
and
so
far
registered.
name of any such offender who Certain new privileges are also con-
ferred on the various Universities for their Medical
degrees, and Ilalls, for their licenses and diplomas. The exclusiveness, that granted to a Doctor of Physic of Cambridge, what it refused to one of Edinburgh or Dublin, has ceased to exist; and the Fellows and Licentiates of the College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, like the University graduates, are now qualified, like their congeners in England or Ireland, as much for one section of the United Kingdom as for the other ; and those narrow rules, which limited certain privileges to certain places, orders, and degrees, are now, if not done away with altogether, so much modified that they are practically inert. Tho result, therefore, of this Medical Act, by its establishment of a Council consisting in some part of representative men from the great examining bodies, and in others of representatives on the part of Government,?by enforcing a system of registration from whose lists unqualified persons are rigidly excluded,?by its taking note of, and in fact supervising and regulating the standard of Medical education throughout tho United Kingdom, has been to do some good. It is true it has not done all that was expected, and much room remains for amendment. But, in the meantime, the profession on
It
123
THE MEDICAL ACT.
1866.]
it has been bene-
ficial, for it has enabled the public to ascertain, by an inspection of the official register, who is and who is not properly qualified. But it has not, it is to be feared, done much, if anything, to prevent the public from being misled by the infinite variety of impostors, who haDg on to the skirts of legitimate Medicine. The public is still at liberty to poison itself or to be poisoned, the only condition being that it shall .not do so under the shadow of the register ; that exclusive muster-roll declining to receive those unqualified by diploma or degree on to its lists ; and very properly, on proof of grave
the
Colleges
and
is thankful for even
so
much.
In
legislating for the mother country in this matter, the dependencies of Great Britain were not altogether forgotten. The colonies were brought under its operation, and no one can now legally practice the Medical profession in any part of Her Majesty's dominions unless his name is borne on the general register. The law is as strong in Port Royal or Victoria as it is in London or Edinburgh. What was deemed necessary for Great Britain and her colonies, one would have thought would be equally wanted in India ; and why this country has been so long excluded from the benefits of this Act, can only be explained on the supposition that no one has as yet cared to raise the question, or call the attention of Government to the omission?another instance, it might be suggested, of the indifference with which all matters affecting State Medicine It is now high time that the oversight should be are regarded. corrected, and we gladly initiate the subject, and would suggest to all interested the advantage, indeed (the necessity, of placing the Medical profession in India under the operation of a law which, if it have been found necessary in all other parts of Her Majesty's dominions, is surely equally so here. "We may perchance, on some future occasion, return to this subject ; at present we would merely invite attention to it. We are aware that difficulties lie in the way. Vested interests would be endangered, and the operations of charlatanism might be restricted. But the very grounds for its introduction into
England press also for its importation here ; and in these days of progress, where a large body of Medical men, independent of the public services, employed in a variety of of the empire, ways, and many of them proceeding to other parts are rapidly springing into existence, it is doubly necessary that, for the protection of their interests,' as for those of the public, those who are, should be
distinguished
from those who are
not
who, scrupling not to trade on the fears and follies of the credulous portion of the public, are doubly dangerous where disease is so active, so fatal, and so unforeseen as it
qualified,
and
124
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE. We
is here.
hope in time to see the Medical Act introduced into system of registration of all duly qualified to
with its
India, practice
Medicine. This would, of course, in-volve difficulties,
but none that would not be constituted Council the claims of own
peculiar
all,
or
easily dealt with by a properly Registration. In considering
Board of
it would be careful to
judge
each
case on
its
merits.
the meantime, it is
right that the authorities should consubject, and, with as little delay as possible, take steps for introducing- an Act which is needed, if it were only to legalize the large body of Medical men who are really now unlawfully practising their profession. In
sider the
[May 1,
I860.
?l?
misconduct, expunging the
pdfa!
may have been
is
that all contributions to the
particularly requested
Gazette" may be written of each sheet of paper. Technical
as
legibly
as
"
Indian Medical
possible, and only
on o>'E side
expressions ought to be so distinct that no possible mistake
can
be
made in printing them.
Neglect of these simple rules causes Communications should be
much trouble.
as early in the month as possible, else delay must inevitably occur in their publication. Business letters to be forwarded to the Publishers; and all professional communications to the Editor, direct.
Subscribers
changing
forivarded
their address
are
particularly requested
to
notify
the
" You have chofen the path, not of politics but of fcience. Among thofe who have preceded you in it, and in our own particular department, we find fome of the brighteft ornaments of Britifh hiftory ; and I will not do you the injuftice of fuppofing that there is any one among you who would not prefer the reputation of Harvey or the Hunters to that of nineteen-twentieths of the courtiers and politicians of the periods in which they lived."?SIR BENJAMIN BRODIE.
TIIE MEDICAL ACT. It is now nearly eight years since an Act, passed by the Legislature of Great Britain for regulating the qualifications of practitioners in Medicine and
Surgery,
became law in the United
and its colonies.
Kingdom
consideration, as it put some control ou the irregular practice of Medicine by unqualified persons. It has undergone some modifications since, and it will, no doubt, be the subjcct of This Act was the result of much and careful
was
found to be necessary to
further changes before it is competent to effect all for which it was
designed.
Indeed, practically, though has not hitherto done fied from the
professional men.
of
It the
exempts them from
It
corporate,
parochial,
doubt it has done
some good, it distinguish the qualihas, however, confirmed the various grades of Medical serving on juries, inquests,
much more than
unqualified. status
no
or
other such
offices, and from militia
that
any person who shall wilfully provides and falsely pretend to be, or take or use the name or title of a Physician, Doctor of Medicine, Licentiate in Medicine or Surgery, Bachelor of Medicine, Surgeon, General Practitioner or Apothecary, or any name, title, or description implying that he is registered under this Act, or that he is recognized by law as a Physician or Surgeon, or Licentiate of Medicine or Surgery, or a Practitioner in Medicine, or an Apothecary, shall upon a summary conviction for any such offence, pay a sum not exceeding twenty pounds. duties.
This
It
much
it
has
done,
and
so
far
registered.
name of any such offender who Certain new privileges are also con-
ferred on the various Universities for their Medical
degrees, and Ilalls, for their licenses and diplomas. The exclusiveness, that granted to a Doctor of Physic of Cambridge, what it refused to one of Edinburgh or Dublin, has ceased to exist; and the Fellows and Licentiates of the College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, like the University graduates, are now qualified, like their congeners in England or Ireland, as much for one section of the United Kingdom as for the other ; and those narrow rules, which limited certain privileges to certain places, orders, and degrees, are now, if not done away with altogether, so much modified that they are practically inert. Tho result, therefore, of this Medical Act, by its establishment of a Council consisting in some part of representative men from the great examining bodies, and in others of representatives on the part of Government,?by enforcing a system of registration from whose lists unqualified persons are rigidly excluded,?by its taking note of, and in fact supervising and regulating the standard of Medical education throughout tho United Kingdom, has been to do some good. It is true it has not done all that was expected, and much room remains for amendment. But, in the meantime, the profession on
It
123
THE MEDICAL ACT.
1866.]
it has been bene-
ficial, for it has enabled the public to ascertain, by an inspection of the official register, who is and who is not properly qualified. But it has not, it is to be feared, done much, if anything, to prevent the public from being misled by the infinite variety of impostors, who haDg on to the skirts of legitimate Medicine. The public is still at liberty to poison itself or to be poisoned, the only condition being that it shall .not do so under the shadow of the register ; that exclusive muster-roll declining to receive those unqualified by diploma or degree on to its lists ; and very properly, on proof of grave
the
Colleges
and
is thankful for even
so
much.
In
legislating for the mother country in this matter, the dependencies of Great Britain were not altogether forgotten. The colonies were brought under its operation, and no one can now legally practice the Medical profession in any part of Her Majesty's dominions unless his name is borne on the general register. The law is as strong in Port Royal or Victoria as it is in London or Edinburgh. What was deemed necessary for Great Britain and her colonies, one would have thought would be equally wanted in India ; and why this country has been so long excluded from the benefits of this Act, can only be explained on the supposition that no one has as yet cared to raise the question, or call the attention of Government to the omission?another instance, it might be suggested, of the indifference with which all matters affecting State Medicine It is now high time that the oversight should be are regarded. corrected, and we gladly initiate the subject, and would suggest to all interested the advantage, indeed (the necessity, of placing the Medical profession in India under the operation of a law which, if it have been found necessary in all other parts of Her Majesty's dominions, is surely equally so here. "We may perchance, on some future occasion, return to this subject ; at present we would merely invite attention to it. We are aware that difficulties lie in the way. Vested interests would be endangered, and the operations of charlatanism might be restricted. But the very grounds for its introduction into
England press also for its importation here ; and in these days of progress, where a large body of Medical men, independent of the public services, employed in a variety of of the empire, ways, and many of them proceeding to other parts are rapidly springing into existence, it is doubly necessary that, for the protection of their interests,' as for those of the public, those who are, should be
distinguished
from those who are
not
who, scrupling not to trade on the fears and follies of the credulous portion of the public, are doubly dangerous where disease is so active, so fatal, and so unforeseen as it
qualified,
and
124
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE. We
is here.
hope in time to see the Medical Act introduced into system of registration of all duly qualified to
with its
India, practice
Medicine. This would, of course, in-volve difficulties,
but none that would not be constituted Council the claims of own
peculiar
all,
or
easily dealt with by a properly Registration. In considering
Board of
it would be careful to
judge
each
case on
its
merits.
the meantime, it is
right that the authorities should consubject, and, with as little delay as possible, take steps for introducing- an Act which is needed, if it were only to legalize the large body of Medical men who are really now unlawfully practising their profession. In
sider the
[May 1,
I860.
