Hunterian oration : the Hunterian oration, (February 14th, 1851,) that would have been delivered by a Member of the College of Surgeons, of London, if permission had been granted to him by the President and Council.

  • Crisp, Edwards, 1806-1882.
Date:
[1851]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Hunterian oration : the Hunterian oration, (February 14th, 1851,) that would have been delivered by a Member of the College of Surgeons, of London, if permission had been granted to him by the President and Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    that they will not. Is his doctrine of inflammation, that great destroyer of the human race, founded on fact ? Does increased activity of ves- sels arise from the cause Hunter supposed ? Will Hunter’s account of the structure of the arteries bear the test of minute investigation ? Are the correctness of his views respecting the venereal disease confirmed by modern experience ? I allude to these things, Sir, and I could mention several others, not for the purpose of taking from Hunter’s merits, which are beyond dispute, but to show that the fulsome lauda- tions of previous orators have had an injurious effect upon the minds of the students of this college. Lord Bacon himself, a melancholy ex- ample of corporate and official dishonesty, says, “ That which is passed and gone is irrevocable, and wise men have enough to do with things present and to come; therefore they do but trifle with themselves who labour in past matters.” I presume, Sir, to recommend this sentence to the next Hunterian orator—if another should be appointed. I have now, Sir, done with Hunter—all honor to his memory ! and as I see the Prime Minister of England, and other members of the go- vernment, before me, I cannot, I think, better employ the remaining part of the time allotted to me than by placing before them the statis- tics of the medical profession in England; and as my knowledge is de- rived from the parliamentary evidence and other public documents, it is beyond dispute; and, Sir, with greatest respect, I beg the especial attention of the Right Hon. Lord John Russell to the following state- ments. I assume, at the onset, that it is the duty of a good govern- ment to provide proper medical attendance for the people ; and that no subject can engage the attention of Parliament that is so of much real importance to the public welfare as that of medical reform; that medical science must be clogged and shackled whilst we have char- tered monopolies, and private clubs instead of national institutions, and until the profession in the United Kingdom is united into three bro- therhoods or faculties, and honors and rewards are open to all, there must be a great bar to scientific progress. In the United Kingdom thirty diplomas may be obtained, all varying in price and quality ; they are as follow :—England.—Archbishops and bishops, 1. College of Surgeons of London, 2. College of Physicians of London, 3. Apothecaries’ Company, 1. University of London, 1. Oxford, 1. Cambridge, 1. Ireland.—College of Surgeons, 2. College of Physicians, 1. Apothecaries’ Company, 1. University, 1. Uni- versity of Cork, 1. Galway, 1. Belfast, 1. Queen’s College, 1. Scotland.—Edinburgh College of Surgeons, 2. College of Physici- ans, 1. University, 1. Glasgow Faculty of Physicians and Sur- geons, 2. University, 1. St. Andrew’s University, 1. Aberdeen, 2. It must also be remembered that, at the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, London, and Dublin, some only take the degree of M. B. The price of the parchment varies as much as the requirements to obtain it. Thus the College of Physicians of London charge £24. 18s. for the country licence (for rural knowledge) and £56. 17s. for Metro- politan parchment. The College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, assistant surgeons in the navy, £2. 11s. 6d. Fellows of the College (entry money) £250. The price of the degrees of M.D. at Cambridge varies at different Colleges : St. Peter’s, £11. 7s. ; Clare Hall, £13. Os. 2d.; Pembroke, £7. 2s.; Caius £17. ; Trinity Hall, £20.; Corpus Christi, £10.;