The above course of study may be ex tended over a longer period than three winter and two summer sessions, provided the lectures and medical practice are attended in the prescribed order and in the required sessions. The examinations of the candidate for the certificate are as follows :—In translating portions of the first four books of Celsus De Medicine' and of the first twenty-three chapters of Gregory's Conspectus Medicine Theo reticte ; in physicians' prescriptions, and the Pharmacopceia Londinensis ; in che mistry ; in materia medics and thera peutics ; in botany ; in anatomy and physiology ; in the principles and prac tice of medicine. This branch of the ex amination embraces an inquiry into the pregnant and puerperal states ; and also into the diseases of children.
In the Statement' issued by the Society of Apothecaries in May, 1844, they say : "Had the means of instruction remained as they were in 1815, the Court of Ex aminers could not have ventured upon extending their regulations as they have done. In this instance, however, as in others, the demand produced the supply. The increased number of medical stu dents attending lectures in conformity with the Regulations led to the increase of medical teachers, and not only did new schools spring up in the metropolis, but, under the auspices of the Court of Ex aminers, public schools of medicine were organized in the provinces : and at the present day Manchester, Liverpool, Bir mingham, Leeds, Bristol, Hull, Sheffield, Newcastle, and York, have each their public school, at which the student may pursue and complete his medical educa tion." It is added that " no mean pro portion of those whose examination has given evidence of the highest professional attainment have been pupils of the pro vincial schools." The influence of the Regulations of the Court of Examiners on the medical profession is very great. The number of students who registered at Apothecaries' Hall at the commence ment of the winter session of 1843-4, as having entered to lectures at the metro politan schools alone, in conformity with these Regulations, was 1031. The opi nion of very eminent members of the medical profession before a select com mittee of the House of Commons in 1834, as to the manner in which the Apothe caries' Company had performed the duties devolving upon them as an ex amining body, are very decided. Sir Henry Halford stated that the charac ter of that branch of the profession had been amazingly raised since they have had that authority ;" Dr. Seymour, that " there is no question that the education of the general practitioner is of the very highest kind, as good as that of phy sicians some years ago ;" Sir David Barry, that " the examination established by the Company of Apothecaries was by far the most comprehensive examination in London."
In November, 1830, the Court issued very strict rules respecting the registra tion of lectures and hospital or dispen sary attendance.
The Apothecaries' Society, in their in terpretation of the clause which requires five years' apprenticeship to an apothe cary, have considered that " every can didate who has been an apprentice for the length of time directed by the act, is en titled to be examined, provided the person to whom be was an apprentice was legally qualified to practise as an apothecary ac cording to the laws in force in that king dom or particular district in which he resided ; and in accordance with this in terpretation, hundreds of candidates have been admitted to examination who have served their apprenticeships in Scotland and Ireland, as well as many from Ame rica and the British Colonies." (Reply, &c. p. 3.) Of twenty-four graduates and licentiates of the Scottish colleges who presented themselves for examination be fore the Society of Apothecaries during the twelve months ending the 25th of April, 1833, eight candidates, or one-third of the whole number, were rejected. (Reply, &c.) The whole subject of me dical education in these kingdoms re quires a complete and impartial investiga tion ; and that the apprentice clause in particular demands a fresh consideration, is now a pretty general opinion. The admission of graduates from Scotland and Ireland to an equal participation of prac tice with the English general practitioner, can only be regarded as a very partial measure of reform, if reform should be found necessary ; and the interests of the public require that, if others than those licensed by the Apothecaries' Society are admitted to general practice in England, there shall at least be good proof that they are as well qualified as those who obtain the apothecaries' diploma. One plan of medical reform to which attention has been recently directed is to form what are now termed the three branches of the profession into one Faculty of Medicine, with the power of electing their own council ; but it is contended that the phy sicians and surgeons having interests ad verse to those of the apothecaries, such a plan would not be fair. It is also pro posed that chemists and druggists should be duly registered after an examination respecting their fitness.