NOTES 641 



only " good business," but also a moral obligation. There are at present 

 hundreds of medical men and others in this country who possess the know- 

 ledge, the brains, and the opportunity for private independent discovery, 

 without subsidies, but who do not attempt it because medical research does 

 not pay even when brilliantly successful. Let these men also be brought 

 into the fold of research by offering them some small reward when they 

 succeed. 



I would therefore suggest that, in addition to assisting investigations in 

 progress, it is proper for every civilised State to remunerate those of its sub- 

 jects who have already conferred the benefits of medical discovery upon 

 it — just as it is proper for a wealthy patient to pay his doctor. And this 

 policy will be not only an act of justice, but an act of wisdom. 



My proposals are, in detail : 



(1) That Parliament should resuscitate the precedent of Jenner by paying 

 compensation, when due, for losses incurred in achieving medical discoveries. 

 The procedure should be, as in Jenner's case, by direct petition to the House 

 of Commons through the Chancellor of the Exchequer ; and I am informed 

 by high legal authority that nothing has happened since Jenner's time to 

 invalidate such right of petition, which still belongs to all His Majesty's 

 subjects. Possibly some cases might be open to adjudication by the Royal 

 Commission on Awards to Inventors. 



(2) That Parliament should provide an annual sum, say of ^15,000, for 

 life-pensions to be given as rewards to such of His Majesty's subjects as have 

 made worthy medical discoveries, and to the widow of such after his death ; 

 there being, say, ten pensions of ^1,000 a year each, and ten pensions of 

 £500 a year each at disposal, all the pensions being free of income-tax. 



I think that such pensions would be preferable to donations in capital ; 

 and that the sums suggested would be sufficient — because men of science 

 do not desire wealth, but only such independence as will enable them to 

 employ their talents in the manner they think best. 



The procedure of allotment should be similar to that used for the Nobel 

 Prizes, and for the honours and medals of learned societies ; that is, full 

 particulars of the work of all applicants should be kept and considered. 



Parliament grants large subsidies to soldiers and sailors, has appointed 

 a Commission to consider awards to inventors, and allows patents. It 

 will not, I am sure, complain if the Medical Profession, which has done so 

 much for the nation during the war, now asks for some similar consideration. 



VII. Conclusion 



The Committee requested me also to prepare a statement embodying 

 a list of worthy medical discoveries as supplied to me by its members. I 

 purpose to submit this list separately and confidentially as soon as it is ready. 

 The present part of my report deals only with the general principles of the 

 subject, and therefore might be considered first. 



(Signed) Ronald Ross. 



The Conjoint Committee 



For the British Science Guild For the British Medical Association 



Sir Alfred Keogh, G.C.B. Sir T. Clifford Allbutt, K.C.B., 



Sir Ronald Ross, K.C.B., K.C.M.G. F.R.S. 



Prof. W. Bayliss, F.R.S. Prof. Benjamin Moore, F.R.S. 



Sir Richard Gregory. Prof. J. S. Haldane, F.R.S. 



Lt.-Col. O'Meara, C.M.G. E. B. Turner, F.R.C.S. 



Dr. D. Somerville. Dr. R. T. Leiper. 



