Out of 90 medical schools, 60 are now coedu cational, although 16 out of the medical col. leges admitting women have no women stu dents. Out of seven medical schools for ne groes, in 1910 only two were efficient.
More attention should be paid in the United States to instruction in hygiene and state medi cine. In Great Britain no one can be appointed a medical officer unless he has a special diploma in public health. In this country little oppor tunity is afforded for general or special sanitary work on broad lines. This subject is now under discussion and doubtless progressive States will soon provide places where medical officers of health or other persons engaged in sanitary work can obtain practical and scientific training. The scientific investigations which would be made in the laboratories of such schools would be of great value to the public.
The earliest law relating exclusively to physicians was passed by Virginia in 1639, but like the later act of 1736 it was designed mainly to regulate their fees. The act of 1736 made concessions to physicians who held university degrees. In only two of the 13 colonies were well-considered laws enacted to define the quali fications of physicians. The general assembly of New York in 1760 decreed that no person should practise as physician or surgeon in the city of New York till examined in physic and surgery and admitted by one of his majesty's council, the judges of the supreme court, the king's attorney-general and the mayor of the city of New York. Such candidates as were approved received certificates conferring the right to practise throughout the whole province, and a penalty of i5 was prescribed for all vio lations of this law. A similar act was passed by the general assembly of New Jersey in 1772. In 1840 laws had been enacted by the legisla tures of nearly all the States to protect citizens from the impositions of quacks. Between 1840 and 1850, however, most of these laws were either repealed or not enforced as a result of the cry that restrictions against unlicensed prac titioners were designed only to create a monopoly.
State Careful attention needs to be given to the difference between a license and a degree, the one carrying with it the right to assume a title which is evidence of scho lastic ability, the other the right to enter on the practice of a profession or a pursuit, both ema nating from the same authority, the State, either directly or through intervening mediums. As
foreigners are often puzzled to account for the diversity in our legislation, the fact is again emphasized that all matters of internal police control are left exclusively to the several States, and that national laws regulating professional practice cannot be enacted. Hence the laws of the United States will be silent concerning licenses and degrees except in so far as they may apply to the District of Columbia and cer tain recent political dependencies.
The requirements for admis sion to practise a profession in the 54 political divisions of the United States vary as greatly in the various professions as the political divi sions differ in area, extent, population and im portance. However, two general items appear in full or in part in the various statutory re quirements for licensing; namely, (1) the gen eral preliminary education requirements; (2) the professional preparation. The general preliminary are given uniformly under the synopsis of requirements.
In medicine all political di visions except Alaska now have examining and licensing boards. In some States the stringent laws against non-medical practitioners are en forced; in others quackery receives such legal protection that any person may treat "the sick or suffering by mental or spiritual means with out the use of any drug or material remedy' This is due largely to the fact that so many statutes lack specific definitions as to what con stitutes the practice of medicine, and without these definitions the conviction of such pram boners cannot be secured through the courts. There is much misunderstanding in this coun try regarding the duty of the State in relation to the health of the 'people. It does not con sist in discriminating between schools or sys tems of medicine, but in requiring without prejudice or partiality of all who seek a license to practise for gain on the lives of fellow be ings a minimum preliminary and professional training.