xii A HEATED CONTROVERSY 145 



forty-two in number, stirred themselves to obtain redress of 

 their grievances in an amicable manner, agreeably to the 

 college statutes, which enjoin fraternus amor among physicians, 

 cum suavi animorum et voluntatum consensu. They deputed 

 the following six graduates of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Rheims 

 and Leyden to confer with the fellows : Dr. Samuel Pye, 

 Dr. E. Hody, F.R.S., and Dr. David Ross, physicians to St. 

 George's Hospital ; Dr. J. Andree and Dr., afterwards Sir 

 J. B. Silvester, physicians to the London Hospital, of which 

 Andree was the principal founder ; and Fothergill. The 

 statement of grievances, presented November 3, 1752, com- 

 plained that the licentiates (though summoned to the comitia 

 major a in due form cum pileo et toga), were not permitted to be 

 present whilst the business of the college was transacting ; 

 that they were excluded from all offices in the college ; and 

 that a large fine (41 to 55) had been exacted from them for 

 the licence, and an annual tax (2 : 45.), secured by a bond, 

 although they were not allowed to enjoy the rights of the 

 corporation as members. They received a short written 

 answer that the college proceedings were in accordance with 

 its charter, statutes and ancient usage. 



The controversy, although it now slumbered for a time, 

 was long and bitter, especially as the licentiate physicians 

 continued to increase in numbers and influence, and had no 

 mind as they said to the stigma of minus docti set on their 

 foreheads. The Edinburgh medical faculty purged itself of 

 any former laxity, and gave no degrees without both residence 

 and examination. It is said that Dr. Pulteney, in 1764, was 

 the last person to graduate there by examination only, and 

 that the students publicly opposed it on the occasion. Glasgow 

 also created no graduates in absentia ; only Aberdeen and St. 

 Andrews continued the " traffic " in degrees. In 1765 the 

 London college ceased to invite the licentiates to the comitia. 

 In the same year the college statutes were printed, and the 

 restrictive edict of 1752 confining the fellowship to Oxford 

 and Cambridge men was thus published to the world. Not 

 long after it was reported that a proposal was before the college 

 to lower the standard of admission to the licence by no longer 

 requiring three examinations in Latin. The licentiates were 

 indignant, for they saw that this would lower their own status 

 as physicians, by the introduction amongst them of practi- 

 tioners of little or no education. There was ground for 

 believing that this was done by design. The college was 

 often involved in lawsuits, and about this time an action was 

 brought against it by a certain Dr. Letch, a man-midwife, for 



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