XIII STATE AND THE MEDICAL PROFESSION 329 



no central authority, there was nothing to pre- 

 vent any one of those licensing authorities from 

 granting a licence to any one upon any conditions 

 it thought fit. The examination might be a sham, 

 the curriculum might be a sham, the certificate 

 might be bought and sold like anything in a 

 shop ; or, on the other hand, the examination 

 might be fairly good and the diploma corre- 

 spondingly valuable ; but there was not the smallest 

 guarantee, except the personal character of the 

 people who composed the administration of each 

 of these licensing bodies, as to what might happen. 

 It was possible for a young man to come to 

 London and to spend two years and six months 

 of the time of his compulsory three years " walking 

 the hospitals " in idleness or worse ; he could then, 

 by putting himself in the hands of a judicious 

 "grinder" for the remaining six months, pass 

 triumphantly through the ordeal of one hour's 

 viva voce examination, which was all that was 

 absolutely necessary, to enable him to be turned 

 loose upon the public, like death on the pale 

 horse, " conquering and to conquer," with the full 

 sanction of the law, as a " qualified practitioner." 



It is difficult to imagine, at present, such a 

 state of things, still more difficult to depict the 

 consequences of it, because they would appear 

 like a gross and malignant caricature ; but it may 

 be said that there was never a system, or want 

 of system, which was better calculated to ruin 



