The common law having given every man a right to practise in any profession or business in which he is competent, the effect of 14 Henry VIII. must be taken to be this ; it has left to every man his com mon law right of practising in the pro fession of physic, as in any other profes sion, if competent, and has appointed the president and college to be judges of this competency. (Willcock, p. 38.) The mode of examination is wholly in the discretion of the college, which has con fided the immediate direction of it to the censors. It has however also appointed that the doors of the censors' chamber shall be open to all fellows who may think proper to be present, and that they may take part in the examination, should they think fit; and that the fellows may have an opportunity of availing themselves of this right, it is appointed that all exami nations shall take place at a court held at certain regular intervals. (Ibid, p. 41.) The order of Candidates was abolished in 1836, as above stated, but there were reserved to students then in the uni versities of Oxford and Cambridge their inchoate rights.
The order of Fellows comprises those who are admitted into the fellowship, community, commonalty, or society of the college. The charter incorporated all physicians then legally practising in London, so that each of them who thought proper to accept it became ipso facto a member or fellow ; but as all future prac titioners, within the precincts of and seven miles round that city, were required to obtain the licence of the college, there soon arose two orders of the profession. The fellows attempted by various by laws to limit their own number, but seem to have considered the licentiates as members of the college, or the commons, and themselves as forming a select body for the purpose of government. To this state of the society the statute 32 Henry VIII. seems to allude in speaking of the "commons and fellows." The charter of Charles II. expressly notices these orders as forming the body of the society, inasmuch as it directed that new fellows should be elected from among the com mons of the society. (Ibid., p. 44.) The by-laws that formerly existed as to the of fellows have been repealed, and the following are the regulations published by authority of the college, by which it is now governed.
Regulations of the Royal College of Physicians .ndon.—The College of Physicians, having for some years past found it necessary from time to time to make alterations in the terms on which it would admit candidates to examination and license them to practise as physicians, has reason to believe that neither the character nor object of those alterations.
nor even the extent of the powers with which it is invested, has been fully and properly understood.
The college therefore considers it right at this time to make public a statement of the means which it possesses within itself of conferring the rank and privi leges of physician on all those who, hav ing had the advantage of a liberal edu cation, both general and professional, can prove their qualifications by producing proper testimonials and submitting to adequate examinations.
Every candidate for a diploma in me dicine, upon presenting himself for ex amination, shall produce satisfactory evi dence, 1, of unimpeached moral charac ter ; 2, of having completed the twenty sixth year of his age ; and, 3, of having devoted himself for five years, at least, to the study of medicine.
The course of study thus ordered by the college comprises :- Anatomy and physiology, the theory and practice of physic, forensic medi cine, chemistry, materia medics and botany, and the principles of midwifery and surgery.
With regard to practical medicine, the college considers it essential that each candidate shall have diligently attended, for three entire years, the physicians' practice of some general hospital in Great Britain or Ireland, containing at least one hundred beds, and having a regular establishment of physicians as well as surgeons.
Candidates who have been educated abroad will be required to show that, in addition to the full course of study al ready specified, they have diligently at tended the physicians' practice in some general hospital in this country for at least twelve months.
Candidates who have already been en gaged in practice, and have attained the age of forty years, but have not passed through the complete course of study above described, may (under special cir cumstances to be judged of by the Cen sors' Board) be admitted to examination upon presenting to the censors' board such testimonials of character, general and professional, as shall be satisfactory to the college.
The first examination is in anatomy and physiology, and is understood to com prise a knowledge of such propositions in any of the physical sciences as have reference to the structure and functions of the human body.
The second examination includes all that relates to the causes and symptoms of diseases, and whatever portions of the collateral sciences may appear to belong these subjects.