A VINDICATION

OF THE

UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH,

&.c.

THESE remarks owe their origin to a paper published in the "Pamphleteer," for May 1814, under the title of "Observations on Medical Reform, by a Member of the University of Oxford," and which has just fallen under the observation of the author.

The Oxonian commences by saying, "It might naturally have been expected that the morbid tendency of the present generation to reform, would have received such a check from the dreadful examples that have exhibited themselves in many situations, as at least to deter the prudent from dangerous attempts. Those examples, it is true, have been chiefly displayed by political reformers; they have run their course, their day is past, and most of them have experienced the lot they deserved. There is, however, a sign of the times, a portentous contempt of the great masters of ancient genius, which makes me suspect that the political reformer has only changed his garb, that he has descended from palaces and courts, to colleges and academies, only to play a surer game."

Now, as I have a right to my suspicions, as well as himself, I suspect, that, as there is no connection between politics and medicine, the political reformer who steps so much out of his way, as to engage in, or foment disputes among medical men, will find, to his cost, that his time has been mis-spent, and that he will only receive his trouble for his pains. As to any "contempt of the great masters of ancient genius," as far as medicine is concerned, I confess I know of none such; and I believe I shall be fully borne out in asserting, that the writings of the great father of physic, as well as the other ancient physicians, obtain at this day, quite as much attention as they deserve; especially, as very great portions of them,

can now only be perused as matter of curiosity. He further says, "I think myself justified in this remark, by the insolent tone of the medical reformers, as they styled themselves, by the clamorous audacity of their partisans, and by the levelling system they openly promulgated before the apothecary's bill or act was hissed out of the house of parliament last year (1813.")

As one assertion is as good as another, I assert, that the medical reformers evinced no insolence, unless a manly and independent spirit be insolence; many of them were feelingly alive to their wrongs, and sought redress; even a worm will turn when trod upon.'

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In order that reformers may not in future have the plea of ignorance, the Oxonian here gives an account of the establishment of the Royal College of Physicians of London, and the end that was proposed to be answered by it: he further states, that the college was to consist of doctors of physic of Oxford and Cambridge, who had regularly taken their degrees, and upon due examination, were found qualified; "in order that a fit body of men might never be wanted for executing these beneficial regulations,” (i. e. those enjoined the college by their charter.)

The author of the Observations, speaking of the examination of a candidate before the Royal College, says; "This examination is perhaps one of the most arduous that can be imposed. For three several days the candidate is questioned in Latin, on Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology, Therapeutics, and all other branches of medical science, and thrice is he obliged to display his knowledge of Greek literature, by reading publicly and extemporaneously difficult passages of Aretaeus or some other medical classic."

What sort of an examination does the candidate undergo upon

the subject of medical pharmacy? With this brief account given

by the author of the examination of a candidate for admission into this royal and chartered institution, I have no fault to find; but he goes on to say, " Such is the stream, which perpetually replenishes the College of Physicians; and I believe, that in no period of its history has any other corporate body contained more wise, more learn ed, more virtuous, or more illustrious men, in proportion to its numShades of Caius, of Mayerne, of Harvey, of Sydenham, of Willis, of Freind, of Lister, of Morton, of Petit, of Mead, of Lawrence, of Nichols, of Baker, and of Heberden, ye are immortal witnesses."

bers.

Does the author of the Observations wish it to be believed, that the illustrious men he has mentioned obtained their medical knowledge at either Oxford or Cambridge? He knows full well, (whatever he may wish the public to believe,) that they neither could, nor did obtain their knowledge of medicine, at either of these universities, as they neither are, nor have been, schools of medicine.

! Vide the papers published on the subject of " Medical Reform."

. The streams that actually replenish the College of Physicians with Fellows, are the London hospitals; for to them do the young gentlemen resort, who afterwards graduate at either Oxford or Cambridge; well aware, that the university which afterwards is to confer the degree of doctor upon them, cannot teach the science, the highest honors of which, it so pompously confers. The truth is, that at our English universities, the medical lectures are very few in number, their subjects treated very diffusely; in fact, they are mere popular lectures, and there are no opportunities for anatomical dissection; indeed any hospital in the kingdom is a better school of medicine, than either of the English seminaries. Here then a reform is most sadly wanted. Either let them put themselves on an equality, as to means of medical instructions, with those north of the Tweed, especially Edinburgh and Glasgow, or let them not insolently domineer over physicians, educated at other universities, nor arrogate to their own members the sole right of becoming Fellows of the College of Physicians. Doctors of physic of the Scotch, Irish, and foreign universities, are allowed to become members of the Royal College of Physicians of London, if, after due examination, they be found qualified, but are not allowed the least share in the government of the College; nor, observe reader, in the publication of the Pharmacopeia: indeed all physicians residing in London, or practising within seven miles of it, are compelled to undergo an examination before the Royal College, and are either allowed to practise or prevented from practising, within the limits of their jurisdiction; any physician offending in this respect is liable to a prosecution; several, in consequence, have been prosecuted by the College, and verdicts obtained against them. The charter of the College was given them by King Henry the Eighth, for the purpose of examining all physicians who practise medicine in London, and within a district of seven miles round, (this part of their duty they punctually and very authoritatively perform,) for the prevention of quackery, (which florishes most luxuriantly in spite of them,) for the inspection of medicines, in the shops of the London apothecaries; they are also authorised by an act of parliament to elect a committee of their body to license and inspect the madhouses in London and its neighborhood; they are likewise empowered to frame a Pharmacopeia, which is order ed by government, to be the standard by which all medicines are to be prepared, which are vended by apothecaries in England and Wales. Now, as the Pharmacopeias of 1809 and 1815, are universally allowed by the profession to be extremely imperfect, might not some reform be reasonably introduced into this chartered body, especially as the proper composition of medicines is of such vast and serious importance to the public?

The Oxonian says, " and here let me ask the reformers from what purer source, or on what better principle they would improve the system of discriminating those practitioners who should be licensed, and those who should be restrained."-I will take the liberty of pointing out a purer source.

Let them admit all doctors of physic of the British universities, who have studied a number of years at the university at which they have taken their doctor's degree, after having satisfactorily passed a full, fair, and strict examination, of their classical and medical acquirements; to the station of fellow and all its privileges, with which their charter has encircled them. The author of the Observations here asks, "do they," (the apothecaries,) "wish to prefer their own body to the English universities? Would they prefer the ancient university of St. Andrews, or the modern school of Edinburgh, or put them upon the same footing as the English universities?" What the apothecaries wish, I know not, but I answer, both good policy and common justice demand that doctors of physic of all the universities of this land, provided they have regularly studied a certain period, at their respective colleges, should be put upon the same footing as those who have graduated at Ox ford and Cambridge, especially as the latter are not schools of medicine. It matters not, to his majesty's subjects, at what universities physicians are bred, provided they are properly qualified to exercise their profession; which, after all, must be allowed the only requisite. One great desideratum in medicine, a general Pharmacopeia, for the united kingdom and colonies, might be accomplished, by admitting all physicians, having regularly studied at their respective universities, after approval by the college to the station of fellows; a regulation which would not produce any inferiority in point of excellence in their next Pharmacopeia, compared with their two last.2 It may be proper in this place to mention,

As the author of the "observations" applies the epithet modern, to the university of Edinburgh, it may not be amiss to observe, that some of the medical professorships, at Oxford and Cambridge, were founded later than those of Edinburgh; for instance, at Oxford, the professorship of clinical medicine, was founded by the Earl of Lichfield, in 1771, and the professorship of chemistry, by Dr. Aldrich, in 1803; at Cambridge, the botanical professorship was founded in 1724, and the professorship of anatomy 1707; all of which are of later foundation than those on the same subjects at Edinburgh; as the foundation of the chair of clinical medicine at the last-mentioned university may fairly be dated in 1740, those of botany and anatomy at the latter end of the seventeenth century, between the years 1685, and 1700, and the chemical chair in 1720. Vide Encyclopedia Britannica, Article Edinburgh, and the Oxford and Cambridge Calendars.

2 The best proof of this is to be obtained by comparing the last Edin burgh Pharmacopeia with the London one of 1809 or 1815, when the inferiority of the latter will be as apparent as the mid-day sun.

VOL. XIII.

Pam.

NO. XXVI.

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that all dissenters from the established church, are prevented from taking degrees, at either Oxford or Cambridge; consequently, no one but a member of the Church of England can become á fellow of the college in Warwick-lane. This is a strictness of rule, not adopted, by at least some of the catholic universities; as it was very common for English protestants to study medicine, and graduate at some foreign catholic university, as Louvain, or Padua, before Edinburgh became celebrated for the study of physic; for instance, the immortal Harvey studied medicine, and took his degree of M. D. at Padua,' and the celebrated and beautiful poet, Goldsmith, became bachelor of physic at Louvain.

In page 4, of his "Observations," the Oxford gentleman gives an account of what he calls the constitutional character, and station of the physician, and then proceeds to mention the length of time requisite, and the different degrees to be taken, previously to that of M. D. at the English seats of learning, but he forgets to inform his readers, that the time requisite, before a candidate can obtain the degree of M. D. is not all, or nearly all, spent at college, there being many vacations in the course of the year, and that even the keeping of many of the terms, enjoined by the regulations of the university, is dispensed with to the medical students, in order that they may acquire their knowledge of medicine, by attendance at hospitals, dissections, &c. in London. There is, to be sure, a hospital in Oxford, and one very small one in Cambridge, but there is no regular full course of anatomical lectures delivered in either university, nor any regular anatomical demonstrations, and it is a very rare circumstance for a student to be found with a scalpel and forceps in his hands. The author of the "Observations" omits all mention of the course of medical instruction pursued at the

Harvey was also created doctor of physic at Cambridge, soon after his return to England, and at Oxford in 1742, after his discovery of the circulation of the blood, to which place he had attended King Charles I.; and in 1645, he was elected warden of Merton College, in the latter university, by virtue of the king's letters patent, sent to that society for the purpose. Vide Bibliotheca Biographica.

The celebrated Doctor Mead studied medicine at Leyden, under Doctor Pitcairn, and took the degrees of doctor of philosophy and medicine at Padua, August 26th, 1695: in 1707, he was also created doctor of physic, by the university of Oxford.

Sir Richard Blackmore, M. D. who espoused the cause of the revolution, took his degree in medicine at Padua, though he had previously studied at Oxford, where he had resided thirteen years.

Doctor Bastwick, who was so inhumanly punished along with Burton, the clergyman, and Prynne, the barrister, in the reign of Charles the First, also took his degree of doctor of medicine at Padua, though he had been previously a student in Emmanuel College, Cambridge.

The learned Sir Thomas Browne, M. D. also a Protestant, was permitted to study medicine at Montpellier and Padua: many other instances might be adduced to the same effect. Vide Flloyd's Bibliotheca Biographica.