THE NORTH OF ENGLAND MEDICAL ASSOCIATION.

204

French ; her Majesty Queen Victoria, and the President of the United States of America. The CHAIRMAN then gave, The

Medicine of Paris. Dr. PlofiRY, one of its

Faculty

of

professors, returned

on Wednesday last, in the Register. buildings, Sunderland. Shortly after one o’clock, the chair was taken by Dr. HEAD. LAM, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, the president

held

of the association.

The CHAIRMAN rose to open the business speech by giving, The Parisian Medical Society, having first of the day. After congratulating the meet. passed an eulogium on the incessant labours ing on the large number of members that had of that body to advance the progress of been enrolled in the short space of eighteen science. months, and on the respectability of those Dr. OLIFFE and Mr. BENNETT returned members as medical men, the Chairman ob. thanks, in the name of the society, iu appro- served, that they had no sordid motives to gratify-their sole purpose, he sincerely priate speeches. The CHAIRMAN then gave, in succession, believed, was to uphold the honour of their the following toasts:—The Institute of profession. They bad no other object in France; The College of Physicians of the view; and they were of opinion, that the Three Kingdoms ; The Royal Societies of best mode in which they could uphold their L. E. & D.: to the two last of which Dr. honour as a body, was by advancing the DoUGLAs replied. standard of medical education, and extend. The Colleges of Surgeons of England and ins their powers of public usefulness. He

thanks;

and concluded his

-

America: to which Mr. CAMPS, the hon. would not enter into any details of the steps that had been taken to bring this subject secretary of the society, returned thanks. The Cortcours System, and may it, ere under the notice of the Legislature. These long, be adopted in England and America. he would leave to a gentleman whose name Dr. EVANS replied ; alluding to the ad- could not be mentioned either on this or any vantages to be derived from its general other occasion, without calling forth the adoption, and concluded by proposing, warm applause of his professional brethren The Interns of the Hospitals of Paris. —a tribute justly due to their worthy and Mr. BENNETT and Mr. JBl’CARTHY replied. indefatigable secretary. But he could not Sir R. Cherniside and Dr. Ricord, the late allow this opportunity to pass, when not presidents of the society. Dr. RicoRD re- only the profession but the public were preplied ; and concluded by proposing the sent, without briefly stating the objects of health of The President, Dr. Mott. This I the association. They claimed, for the toast was drunk with loud applause; and in honour of their profession and the safety of returning thanks, Dr. MOTT delivered, in a the public, that no man should be allowed fluent and impressive manner, a speech re- to enter their body, unless he had received a plete with interesting and scientific matter. licence or qualification to practise ; and that The healths of Monsieur Oi-Sia ; Dr. Ben- the government of the country should reinet, the first president of the society; Dr. quire, that every man, before receiving such Oliffe and Mr. Bennett, vice-presidents ; the a licence, should first pass through a proper Council, and its Chairman, Mr. M’Carthy ; course of education, and prove his fitness Dr. Brewster, and the Stewards of the Din- before a competent tribunal. There was ner ; Mr. Camps, the honorary secretary, surely nothing unreasonable in requiring, and Mr. Daunt, the ex-secretary, were then that no man, until he had established his proposed ; and, after several speeches from competency, should be entrusted with the members of the society, the meeting broke health and life of the public. But it was to UD at an advanced hour. be apprehended that great opposition wonld We were happy to perceive at this annualI be encountered, in the endeavbur to bring festival, a large assemblage of professional1 about a uniformity of medical education. of this opposition were, in his and scientific gentlemen. The countenance of the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, and more imaginary than real. The SECRETARY proceeded to read the of several of its professors, afforded a guathe council :-172 members have rantee that the praiseworthy and incessantreport since the establishment of the labours of the Parisian Medical Society, thebeen The number is now 169-one only scientific body on the continent, in and two removed from the diswhich debates are carried on in the having died,association was formed to obtain, language, are, and will continue to be, duly trict. in conjunction with similar bodies, the corappreciated and zealously promoted. rection by the Legislature of a system of misgovernment; and it has taken a prominent part in the endeavour to procure an THE NORTH OF ENGLAND MEDI- amended medical polity. But it also aims CAL ASSOCIATION. at the advancement of medical science, and the protection of local interests ; and the THE third general meeting of this impor- council recommends that sectional meetings tant union of the medical profession, recently of its members be held in differentparts of established in the North of England1 was the district, to promote these objects,

Tie grounds [ opinion, of enrolled English association. The

I

205

Mr. T. M. GREENHOW moved

the adoption of which, all that is necessary here to be petition to the House of Commons, of stated is, that it is in conformity with the which the following is the substance :principles which they now wish to promul" That, in the opinion of your petitioners, gate as the basis of a more general measure, the Bill for the better government of the the period having at length arrived when, medical profession, now before Parliament, through the concurrence of the different meis based on principles which are calculated dical corporations, a full and comprehensive to confer important benefits on the commu- reform may be expected. The governor and company, in delivering nity. " Your petitioners, therefore, humbly beg their opinions on no important a subject, that those principles may receive the sanc- wish to premise, that while they give a tion of your honourable House." ready assent to the faulty constitution of the Mr. GREGORY seconded the motion, and it existing corporations, they entirely disbewas at once agreed to. lieve they have operated injuriously upon Mr. CARTER brought forward a petition in the public, or that they are incapable of favour of certain clauses proposed to be in- adaptation to the wants of the profession; troduced into the Poor-law Amendment they must express their regret, therefore, Bill, to abolish the " tender system" in the that any Bill should have been introduced appointment of medical officers in unions, into Parliament having for its object the and for other improvements in the medical supersedence or annihilation of these instirelief of the poor. tutions, which, with all their alleged imperMr. TORBOCK having seconded the motion, fections, have sedulously administered to it was adopted. the wants of the people, and provided welleducated practitioners in every department of the healing art ; and it cannot be too much urged that the grievances complained OPINIONS OF ANTI-REFORMERS of have reference principally to the wellbeing of the profession itself, and that the ON MEDICAL REFORM. public are only interested in the changes sought, so far as they are calculated to To the Editor of THE LANCET. engender a better spirit of co-operation and SIR :-Your giving insertion to the en- harmony in the medical community. The governor and company, however, reclosed in your valuable Journal, will oblige presenting a numerical majority of the pracyour most obedient servant, of

a

GEORGE ATKINSON, titioners in Ireland, are not the less sensible Secretary to the Court of Examiners. of the magnitude of the interests at stake, or less disposed to aid in a consummation so Apothecaries’ Hall, Dublin, April 8, 1841. greatly to be desired ; but while professing 1841. to have the same objects in view, they must APOTHECARIES’HALL OF IRELAND. dissent from a large portion of their brethren MEDICAL REFORM.

who would seek for them in the establisha " one faculty of medicine," in place of the tripartite representation which has so long existed, convinced by long experience that excellence in the respective departments can only be attained by sectional separation, and that the appointment of different institutions to preside over the branches of " physic," " surgery," and " pharmacy," is founded in wisdom, and advantageous to the public. The governor and company consider that the real grievances under which the profession labours, arise, in the first place, from the irresponsible constitution and unequal privileges of the corporate bodies; and in the second, from the want of uniformity of education and reciprocity of rights among the members of the respective departments the three kingdoms. ment of

The governor and company of the Apothecaries’ Hall of Ireland, coinciding in the opinion generally entertained that a change is required in the constitution of the medical profession in these kingdoms, have taken the subject into their consideration, in the hope of contributing to the removal of some of the difficulties with which itis surrounded, and of laying the foundation of an effectual and salutary reform. The governor and company have been, for a long time, desirous of a general amendment of the laws which regulate medical affairs ; but, in consequence of the divisions which have hitherto prevailed among the different presiding bodies, they despaired of effecting any arrangement which would have been commensurate with the wants of the profession as a whole, and had to restrict their attention to such changes as appeared to be called for in their own department. Their views on this subject are embodied in the draft of a Bill, which they are prepared to submit to the wisdom of the Legislature, and, with regard to the

in The

governor and company accordingly propose the following legislative changes :— 1. A full extension of corporate rights and advantages to the licentiates belonging to each branch of the profession. 2. The establishment of uniform curricula

nature of study for England, Ireland, and Scotland,