1868. | The Public Health. 435 
“4, The sanitary organization, existing and required, including 
a complete account of the several authorities and officers. The 
education, selection, qualification, duties, powers, tenure, and remu- 
neration of the said officers to be specially reported on. 
“5, The revision and consolidation of the sanitary laws, having 
special reference to the increase of the efficiency of their administra- 
tion both central and local.’ 
The speakers on the occasion were Dr. Acland, Mr. Chadwick, 
Mr. Michael (formerly a medical man, now a barrister), Dr. Sibson, 
Mr. Acland, M.P., Dr. Symonds, Dr. Stewart, and Dr. Rumsey. 
Most of the speakers urged upon the Duke of Marlborough the 
necessity of a Koyal Commission. Dr. Symonds, of Bristol, late 
a president of the British Medical Association, urged the creation 
by the Government of a new order of medical men, who would give 
their undivided attention to sanitary matters and to questions of 
medical jurisprudence. He said, speaking of medical men as at 
present authorized, “they were chiefly educated for the care of the 
sick; and, in the practice of professional duties over some years, a 
great deal of the knowledge which they primarily possessed would 
be found to have slipped away from their memories when they were 
suddenly examined upon some particular point requiring minute 
investigation. Now the medical man, when called upon to give 
evidence in a court of law, had to do so on three different heads. He 
had to give evidence such as an ordinary witness would on points 
which would be within general observation; then he had to give 
evidence of matters which had come within his knowledge as a pro- 
fessional man ; then he was called upon to speak as to circumstances 
of which he was supposed ‘to possess a knowledge by an acquaintance 
with chemistry and natural science. But it must be stated that a 
man might have possessed a great amount of knowledge of chemistry 
and natural science at an earlier time of his life, without being able 
to prove his knowledge in a law-court; and he might be a most able 
practitioner, yet, when called upon to discharge the duties of a me- 
dical jurist, might show great shortcomings. Then medical men 
were differently qualified in different parts of the country, and while 
some were educated well, others were educated ill. Surely, under 
these circumstances, it was not right that men should have the ad- 
ministration of the sanitary laws with only a general professional 
knowledge. This was a most important point, for the people had 
the right to have the best and most efficient officers to be obtained. 
What was required in Lincolnshire was demanded in Lancashire, and 
it was not right that there should be any difference in the qualifica- 
tion of the men who were to administer these important laws either 
in the one place or the other. It seemed to those who attended there, 
that a new order of medical men should be called into existence, 
upon whom should devolve the consideration of all those questions, 
