BARBER-SURGEONS. In former times, both in this and other countries, the art of surgery and the art of shaving went hand in hand. As to the barbiers chirurgiens in France, see the Diction. des Origins, torn. i. p. 189. They were se parated from, the barbiers-perruquiers in the time of Louis XIV., and made a dis tinct corporation.
The barbers of London were first in corporated by King Edwitrd IV. in 1461 and at that time were the only persons who exercised surgery ; but afterwards others, assuming the practice of that art, formed themselves into a voluntary asso ciation, which they called the Company of Surgeons of London. These two com panies were, by an act of parliament passed in the 32 Henry VIII. c. 41, united and made one body corporate, by the name of the Barbers and Surgeons of London. This act however at once united and separated the two crafts. The bar bers were not to practise surgery further than drawing of teeth; and the surgeons were strictly prohibited from exercising " the feat or craft of barbery or shaving." The surgeons were allowed yearly to take, at their discretion, the bodies of four per sons after execution for felony, " for their further and better knowledge, instruction, insight, learning, and experience in the said science or faculty of surgery ;" and they were moreover ordered to have " an open sign on the street-side where they should fortune to dwell, that all the king's liege people there passing might know at all times whither to resort for remedies in time of their necessity." Four go
vernors or masters, two of them surgeons, the other two barbers, were to be elected from the body, who were to see that the respective members of the two crafts exercised their callings in the city agree ably to the spirit of the act.
The privileges of this Company were confirmed in various subsequent charters, the last bearing date the 15th of April, 5th Charles 1.
By the year 1745 it was discovered that the two arts which the Company pro fessed were foreign to and independent of each other. The barbers and the sur geons were accordingly separated by act of parliament, 18th Geo. II., and made two distinct corporations.
(Pennant's London, p. 255; Stat. of the Realm, vol. i. p. 794; Edmondson's Compl. Body of Heraldry; Strype's edit. of Stow's Survey of London, b. v. ch. 12.)