XIII STATE AND THE MEDICAL PROFESSION 339 



JLitor-examiners, who do their work just in the 

 way proposed. 



Whether in the way I have proposed, or by 

 the Conjoint Scheme, however, this is perfectly 

 certain: the two things I refer to have to be 

 done: you must have the threefold qualification; 

 you must have the limitation of the minimum 

 qualification also; and any scheme for the im- 

 provement of the relations of the State to 

 medicine which does not profess to do these two 

 things thoroughly and well, has no chance of 

 finality. 



But when these reforms are witnessed, w^hen 

 there is a Medical Council armed with a more 

 real authority than it at present possesses; when 

 a licence to practise cannot be obtained without 

 the threefold qualification; and when an even 

 minimum of qualification is exacted for every li- 

 cence, is there an3'thing else that remains that 

 any one seriously interested in the welfare of the 

 medical profession, as I may most conscientiously 

 declare myself to be, would like to see done? I 

 think there are three things. 



In the first place, even now, when a four years' 

 curriculum is required, the time allotted for 

 medical education is too brief. ^ A young man of 

 eighteen beginning to study medicine is probably 

 absolutely ignorant of the existence of such a 

 thing as anatomy, or physiology, or indeed of any 

 branch of physical science. He comes into an 



