of the Association for Promoting a Teaching University for London.

On 18th January, 1887, at the meeting of Convocation, Sir Philip Magnus presented a report from the Special Committee, setting forth “that pursuant to the Resolution adopted by Convocation on 29th June, 1886, the Senate was respectfully requested to receive a deputation of the Special Committee, and that the Senate having been pleased to appoint Wednesday, 1st December, for the purpose of a conference, an interview with a Committee of the Senate took place on that day, at which many points in connection with the scheme were discussed, and the Senate promised to take the whole question into their careful consideration".

The question was now removed from Convocation to the Senate, but before proceeding to give an account of how it fared with that body, it is necessary to go back somewhat and take up the story where it was left with the Royal Colleges.

THE ACTION OF THE ROYAL COLLeges.

It will be remembered that the Royal College of Physicians, under the guidance of Sir William Jenner, its President, and Sir Henry Pitman, Registrar, had already approached the difficult question of a degree for London Medical Students on easier terms than those to be obtained at the University of London, and at the Comitia on 17th July, 1884, had agreed to defer further consideration of the subject until the General Medical Council had sanctioned the pending scheme for combined examinations by the two Royal Colleges (see p. 39). Notwithstanding the somewhat adverse opinion of counsel, to whom the question had been referred, the general proposal was that the Colleges should jointly take steps to afford increased facilities for English Medical Students obtaining a degree.

The scheme referred to came into force on the following Ist October, 1884.

The revival of the subject proceeded from the Council of the Royal College of Surgeons at its meeting on 14th May,. 1885, when Mr. Durham, pursuant to notice, carried a re

solution "that seven delegates from this College be appointed, with authority to invite an equal number from the Royal College of Physicians, to meet and confer upon what steps, if any, can be taken to enable the Colleges to obtain the legal right of giving the title of Doctor to persons who shall have obtained the licence of the Royal College of Physicians of London and the diploma of the Royal College of Surgeons of England".* Thus did the College of Surgeons, at its first authoritative pronouncement on the subject, boldly affirm the desirability of the Royal Colleges acquiring a power of conferring degrees on their diplomates, a proposal which the sister College, who had been considering the matter for the past eighteen months, had so far only put forward in a less direct way as an alternative to other methods of attaining the desired object. But the period that had elapsed since the question was last before the Fellows of the College of Physicians had been marked by a growing interest in the subject and the consequent development of a body of opinion, stimulated in great measure by the proceedings of the Metropolitan Counties' Branch of the British Medical Association (see pages 40 to 54).

The resolution of the Surgeons was promptly communicated to the College of Physicians, and brought before an extraordinary meeting of the Fellows held on 28th May, 1885, Sir William Jenner presiding. The proposal was at once agreed to, and the following were appointed as delegates: the President, the Registrar, Sir Andrew Clark, Bart., Dr. Wilson Fox, Dr. Moxon, Dr. Ord, and Dr. Norman Moore. At this same College a letter was read from Mr. Hickman, M. B., accompanied by a memorial from teachers, practitioners, and students of medicine on the question of conferring the title of "Doctor" on persons who had passed the examinations conducted by the two Colleges. The communication was referred to the Committee of Delegates. It may be recollected that the first public proposal for the Royal Colleges to

* The delegates appointed were Mr. J. Cooper Foster (President), Messrs. Savory and Holmes (Vice-Presidents), Sir Joseph Lister, Messrs. Marshall, Hulke and Durham. The number was subsequently increased (see p. 137).

confer the title of doctor on their diplomates was made by Mr. Hickman at a general meeting of the Fellows and Members of the College of Surgeons in March, 1884 (see p. 39).

The Committee of Delegates at once set to work, and starting as they did with almost unanimity in their views, lost no time in drafting a report as follows:

"The Committee have to report that they have fully considered the question referred to them-viz., the advisability and practicability of granting the title of Doctor to persons who have obtained the diplomas of the two Colleges.

"They have also considered the memorial, signed by more than 600 teachers, practitioners and students in medicine, and referred to them, advocating the amalgamation of the two Colleges into one Royal College of Medicine, for the purpose of granting Degrees in Medicine and Surgery.

"After careful deliberation, the Committee have unanimously agreed to the following resolutions as expressive of their opinion on the subject :— "i. That it is desirable that persons examined by the Royal College of Physicians of London and the Royal College of Surgeons of England conjointly, and found duly qualified, should, in virtue of that examination, have a Degree in Medicine and Surgery conferred upon them. "ii. That the curriculum of study and the examinations to be undergone for the licence of the Royal College of Physicians of London and the diploma of the Royal College of Surgeons of England are equal to those required by most of the Universities for Degrees in Medicine and Surgery.

"In conclusion, the Committee are of opinion that, should the two Colleges approve the foregoing resolutions, means could be found for giving

effect to them.

"7th July, 1885."

"WILLIAM JENNER, Chairman.

On 30th July the report came before the College of Physicians, and at the suggestion of the President was received and entered on the minutes, its deliberation being deferred to a special meeting to be held in October; and on 6th August a similar course was adopted by the Council of the College of Surgeons. Sir William Jenner had earnestly commended the subject to the careful consideration of the Fellows in the interval, and as an aid to them in their endeavours an article in his usual brilliant style appeared in the Lancet for 25th July from the pen of Dr. Moxon. The general purport of the communication may be gathered from

its title, "The demand for Equitable Graduation in the South of England: Being a Study of an Unfulfilled Duty of the Royal Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons". The disadvantages which the London medical student laboured under when he entered on practice for the want of an M.D. degree were characteristically set forth, and the two great duties which the writer considered the Royal Colleges to have were also enunciated. The one

"to raise and maintain the standard of medical knowledge, so as to ensure due merit in those who hold their qualifications, a duty which is in favour of the public and at the expense of the medical candidate. This first great duty of the Colleges is well done, and in thoroughness their medical and surgical examination is probably equal to any in the world. But the very thoroughness with which the Colleges have done their first great duty to the public brings up the claim that they now should undertake their second great duty-the duty of properly recompensing candidates by giving them the title equitably merited by men who pass examinations of the kind. The Royal Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons are the constituted medical authorities. in the South of England. In the general scheme of medical qualification

in the British Empire they occupy for London the place which the several Universities hold in University towns in the North and abroad. The London Colleges occupy the place of a University fully and in all respects, save that they lack the power of naming their candidates M.D. after examination. The same class of men go through the same class of studies, under just the same conditions, and are equally severely examined. In the North of these islands these students become M.D. in virtue of their examination, but in the South of England these students do not become M.D. through an equal examination. This is not equity; it is flagrant injustice. The hospitals and teaching Medical Colleges in London are under orders from the Royal Examining Colleges, and the curriculum of the schools is thus governed, subject, of course, to the universal ascendency of the Medical Council. Along with the hospitals and teaching colleges, the Royal Colleges of Physicians and of Surgeons, which are now acting together, constitute a system which is in every way a University except in this matter of granting degrees. . . . These Colleges have in their hands the whole of the powers, responsibilities and duties of governing and favouring the development of the profession of Medicine in the South of Great Britain, just in the same way as the Universities hold their powers and rights in the North and on the Continent. With such vast powers and rights in their hands, they must not and cannot forego their responsibility and duty to their candidates, nor weakly allow the perpetuation of a most oppressive and scandalous injustice to those who look to them for equity. They, in fact, already constitute a teaching University in Medicine. Such a University now exists, and is in operation. It is ready to hand for the service of those

who desire to establish a more general teaching University for London. Endow the Royal Colleges with the form and function of conferring degrees, and other faculties will gather round those Colleges, whose ancient establishment and lofty character form just such a nucleus as will prove a centre of growth for the future teaching University. . . . Give the degree in London on equitable terms, and remove the oppressive anomaly which so heavily disfavours medical teaching in London. The natural advantages of London for medical teaching will then develop. Those who hope to see a teaching University for London should join all their influence in favour of formal University powers to the Royal Medical Examining Corporations of London. It would be a most serious evil if the just demands of London students for this now necessary degree of M.D. should lower the character of the London University M.D. or greatly alter the character of the Oxford M.D. . . . Let each M.D. retain its character, and especially its merits. . . . Let the London or National University keep its place as par excellence the examining University of England, and let the Royal Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons, which, with the medical schools and teaching colleges, now virtually constitute to all intents and purposes a Medical University, give the M.D. as in equity they are entitled to give it."

Surely the claims of the Royal Colleges to obtain University powers were never so forcibly, nor indeed so plausibly, put. But not every one would have agreed to the character of the relationship between the Corporations and the Medical Schools as set out by Dr. Moxon, and many would demur to the statement that the examinations of the Royal Colleges were equal to those of the Northern Universities. The plea that the Schools and Colleges together in fact constituted a teaching University in all but degree-giving powers, however reasonable it might sound, found no favour with those who were the active spirits of the Association for Promoting a Teaching University for London, who a little later deprecated the proposals of the Royal Colleges to occupy any such position. Moreover, some of the objections to the plan, which subsequently took definite shape, were not so much as hinted at, far less combated, and hence it could only be regarded as a one-sided statement of the case, excellent as it was from its point of view.

On 16th October, 1885, an extraordinary meeting of the Royal College of Physicians was held to consider the Report of the delegates. There was a large attendance, over eighty Fellows being present, for interest in the question had now been