THE MEDICAL PROFESSION IN FRANCE. 
399 
viz. articles 316, 317, 330, 331, 333, 334, 335, 308, 349. On 
the third point alluded to, namely, the practice of foreign medical 
men, it is proposed by the new law that no foreign physician can 
be authorised to practise in France, unless it shall have been pre- 
viously decided by the Royal Council of Public Instruction, that 
his diploma or degree is equivalent, as an attestation of length of 
studies and respectability of the university which conferred it, to 
that granted by the French faculties. Further, the authorization 
may be restricted to a certain locality, and confined to a limited 
period, and is always revocable at pleasure. It remains for us to 
notice the state of medical instruction in France. The corps en- 
seignanl, as at present constituted, is composed — 1. Of the pro- 
fessors of the faculties of medicine, who lecture on the various 
branches of medical science ; 2. Of agreges , or assistant professors; 
and 3. Of 1 professeurs particulars,’ or private medical teachers, 
who may be assimilated to the class of ‘ grinders ’ in Great 
Britain and Ireland, and whose certificates are of no value as 
qualification for examination. It will thus be perceived that a 
class of professors of private schools, whose occupation is lucrative 
in England, and whose students are recognised by almost all the 
universities in that country as qualified to present themselves for 
examination, is unknown in France. To return to the legal me- 
dical authorities : — the professors, twenty-four in number, are all 
appointed by concours ; the minister, however, enjoys the privi- 
lege of nominating the first professor to a newly-created chair. 
Thus, it is in contemplation to establish a professorship of medical 
literature in the faculty of Paris, and the nomination will rest with 
M. de Salvandy or his successor. The judges of the concours are 
chosen partly from the professors of the faculty, partly from the 
Academy of Medicine ; and the election is subject to the approval 
of the King, and, if such is accorded, it is confirmed by royal or- 
donnance. The agreges and physicians to the hospital are also 
named by concours. The consequence of this mode of election is, 
that concours are incessantly going on. The number of candidates 
is sometimes very incommensurate with that of the vacancies (last 
year there were two vacancies for the situation of surgeon to the 
hospitals of Paris. There were thirty-two candidates, and the 
concours lasted five months). A general impression prevails that 
some means must be devised to diminish the host of competitors. 
At present all doctors of medicine have a right to contend for a 
vacant professorship ; but the new law proposes to exclude all but 
agreges from this privilege. The professor’s salary is 10,000f., 
whilst that of the agrege is only 2000f. In several provincial 
towns, such as Rouen, Caen, Bordeaux, & c., secondary schools are 
established, each of which possesses its staff' of professors, whose 
