XHI STATE AND THE MEDICAL PROFESSION 337 



and still are, extremely valuable, without any 

 question of compensation arising, and by an 

 extremely simple operation. It is only necessary 

 in fact to add a couple of clauses to the Medical 

 Act to this effect : (1) That from and after such a 

 date no person shall be placed upon the Medical 

 Register unless he possesses the threefold qualifi- 

 cation. (2) That from and after this date no 

 examination shall be accepted as satisfactory from 

 any licensing body except such as has been carried 

 on in part by examiners appointed by the 

 licensing body, and in part by coadjutor-examiners 

 of equal authority appointed by the Medical 

 Council or other central authority, and acting 

 under their instructions. 



In laying down a rule of this kind the State 

 confiscates nothing, and meddles with nobody, 

 but simply acts within its undoubted right of 

 laying down the conditions under which it will 

 confer certain privileges upon medical practi- 

 tioners. No one can say that the State has not 

 the right to do this; no one can say that the 

 State interferes with any private enterprise or 

 corporate interest unjustly, in laying down its 

 own conditions for its own service. The plan 

 would have the further advantage that all those 

 corporate bodies which have obtained (as many of 

 them have) a great and just prestige by the 

 admirable way in which they have done their 

 work, would reap their just reward in the 



