1S16.] Dr. Walker on Licensing Midwives. 



2or 



quired in inidH'iferj', and it is expedient 

 that male persons so practising should 

 be qualified to render sucli aid, that it 

 shall not be lawful tor any male person 

 to practise midwifery unless he shall 

 have obtained a diploma or testimonial 

 t)l" his knowledge and ability to practise 

 jurgcry, under the seal of one of the said 

 three colleges (London, Dublin, Edin- 

 burgh), or unless lie sliall have obtained 

 a testimonial of qualilication as princi- 

 pal surgeon in the army or navy, and 

 skall have actually served iu that cai)a- 

 •Ity," &c. &c. 



The Royal College of Physicians 

 •nee assumed the authority of granting 

 their permission or license to practise 

 midwifery. What has been the conse- 

 quence of such assumption? 'I'lie vain 

 attempt of the learned body to establish 

 tlieir authority over a practice in which 

 kardly one of them could pretend, would 

 even deign to pretend, he had " seen 

 service," proved perfectly nugatory. 

 Their order of licentiates of midwifery 

 is nearly extinct. The passing of the 

 Surgeons' Bill would now so completely 

 •xtinguisli the assumed authority, that 

 «v"en the members of their college would 

 not be permitted to practise ujidwifcry, 

 because surgical assistance is frequently 

 required; and the fellows and the licen- 

 tiates, in their admission into the col- 

 lege of physicians, are obliged to prove 

 that they are no surgeons. 



What is to become of the general 

 practitioner, the regular apothecary, now 

 legislatively recognised as a practitioner, 

 if the bill be allowed to pass in its pre- 

 sent form? In vain will his friend, his 

 neighbour, in the heart-comforting con- 

 fidence whicli he feels in the whole cha- 

 racter of the worthy practitioner, address 

 Lim on the most mipoitant concern of 

 domestic life. During the anxious pe- 

 riod of gestation, his seasonable visits 

 may often gladden tlie family; and, con- 

 soled by liis counsel, they may look for- 

 ward with ciieering hope to the eventful 

 Bcason of jiarturition. But then, at 

 last, their hopes must be blighted ; all 

 their expectations of his continued so- 

 licitude and professional aid will be com- 

 pletely disappointed, for he will then 

 have to declare, while their every hope 

 and confidence may be reposed ou iiim 

 alone, that they nnist cull in a surgeon ; 

 that he is by law precluded from ren- 

 dering his professional services to the 

 alarmed, the agitated, patient; and con- 

 tolatioa or confidence to her astonished, 

 disappointed, distracted, companions ; 

 lliat, whatever symptom of puerperal 

 MaNniLY Maw. Nw. 289. 



fever, or other malady, however dire, 

 threatening or present, may appear, nei- 

 ther he nor the physician are eligible to 

 attend the labour. The surgeon only i.s 

 competent. The law has determined 

 the question, for " surgical assistance is> 

 licquenlly required." J.Walk,er, M.D. 

 Bund Court, Wallbrook ; 



Aui>: 13, 181G. 

 P.S. The examiners of the Apothecariei 

 Company examine their candidates for ap- 

 pointment on the subject of midwifery : the 

 similar boards of tUe colleges do not. If 

 the surgeons do obtain from Parliament 

 the exclusive privilege of becoming men- 

 midwives, and are not constrained by th« 

 same aiitliority to practise as snch, it may 

 be said that Parliament lias inadvertently 

 done great injustice to his Majesty's sub- 

 jects by preventing physicians and apothe- 

 caiies from following a most important 

 practice, which is almost imiversally de« 

 dined by the pure suvgeuns. 



Tut/ie Editor of the Monthly Magazine^ 



SIR, 



POPE Joan, I perceive, is still th« 

 disturber of the Holy Catholi» 

 Church, as appears by your correspon- 

 dent R. C. of this month, who is not a 

 little angry, and wiio, in his wrath, at-, 

 tacks, rather rudely, my neverthe- 

 less-very-respeetable authority, saying, 

 "There is nothing, I believe, however 

 improbable, preposterous, or false, which 

 will not be easily caught, and instantly 

 swallowed, by a credulous and unre- 

 flecting vulgar." Very pretty, by th» 

 way; supposing R. C. to be a member, 

 as clearly he is a warm defender, of ths 

 said church, over which, it is affirmed, 

 the said Joan was pontif and head. 

 What preposterous falsehoods has not the 

 church of Rome compelled her more 

 "credulous and unreflecting vulgar" to 

 swallow? Oh! what a tale could here 

 be told! And because some of the un- 

 reflecting vulgar had not throats wide 

 enough, and would not swallow all her 

 " preposterous fals hoods," such as turn- 

 ing, by a few words over them, bread 

 and wine into real tlesh and blood, called 

 by said chuich the real presence; to- 

 gether with lying wonders and miracles, 

 said to be wrought by the agcnts-of said 

 infalliiile church. What dreadful do- 

 ings have been transacted in inquisitions, 

 bishop's cellars, and at burning- stakes ! 

 I am no enemy to Catholic emancipation 

 but let the truth be told. 



Really, Mr. IZditor, the sneering man- 

 ner of your corresiMindent induces me to 

 conclude there is more tintli about this 

 sLe-popc than some people, particularly 

 D d thos« 



