A BILL For the Registration of Medical Practitioners in Great [Note.-The Words printed in Italics are proposed to be inserted to 5 HEREAS the Laws relating to the Practice of Medicine Preamble. in Great Britain and Ireland are numerous and complicated, and the public possess no means of distinguishing between legally qualified Physicians, Surgeons and Apothecaries, and the pretenders to a knowledge of Medicine and Surgery, and it is desirable that the names and qualifications of legally educated Practitioners should be duly registered by competent authority; Be it Enacted, by The QUEEN's most Excellent MAJESTY, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this 10 present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, THAT it shall be lawful for One of Her Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State for the time being, and he is hereby required, within One Month from the passing of this Act, to nominate and appoint Three fit and proper persons being at the time of such appointment qualified 15 to be registered under this Act, to be Registrars for carrying this Act into execution, one such Registrar to be called the "Medical Registrar for England," another the "Medical Registrar for Ireland," and the third the "Medical Registrar for Scotland," and also from time to time to appoint such Clerks and other officers as the said Secretary of State shall deem necessary for the assistance of the said Registrars in carrying into execution the provisions of this Act; and the said Secretary of State may at his discretion remove any Registrar or other person so appointed as aforesaid; and upon any death, resignation 20 591. 1. Registrars to be appointed. 2. 3. Register of names and abode of Me dical Practi tioners to be kept. nation or other vacancy, may appoint other proper persons to be such may And be it Enacted, That all monies received by the Registrars aforesaid, in carrying this Act into execution, shall be paid by them. into the Bank of England, at such times and in such a manner as the Secretary of State aforesaid shall direct, to the credit of the Lord 15 High Treasurer, or Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, and in the name of the "Medical Registration Fund of Great Britain and Ireland." And be it Enacted, That the several Registrars shall within Thirty Days after their appointment, and shall from time to time proceed to 20 register, in books to be kept for that purpose, without any fee whatsoever, the name and place of abode, together with a description of the testimonials of every Physician, Surgeon and Apothecary who shall apply to be registered, and who, prior to the passing of this Act, shall have taken a Degree in Medicine in any English, Irish or Scotch University, 25 or who shall state his place of abode and apply to be registered, and shall produce his Diploma, Certificate or License, or shall produce a duly attested Certificate, or such other proof as shall be satisfactory to the said Registrars, of his having obtained a Diploma, Certificate or License to practise as a Physician, Surgeon or Apothecary, dated prior to the 30 passing of this Act, and granted by any English, Irish or Scotch College or Hall, or any corporation sole or aggregate in England, Ireland or Scotland, legally entitled to grant the same at the time of the passing of this Act, and also to every person who shall apply for the same, and who was actually practising medicine in England and 35 Wales prior to the First day of August One thousand eight hundred and Fifteen, and who shall sign a declaration according to the form in Schedule (A.) to this Act annexed, and also to every Surgeon and Assistant-Surgeon of the Army and Navy who shall apply for the same, and whose warrant of appointment bears date prior to the First 40 day of August One thousand eight hundred and Fifteen, and to every Physician, Surgeon and Apothecary, upon the payment of Tuo Pounds, who, after the passing of this Act, shall take a Degree in Medicine as aforesaid, or produce a Certificate, License or Diploma as 5 10 as aforesaid, dated subsequently to the passing of this Act, and shall And be it Enacted, That the several Registrars shall issue Certificates according to the form in Schedule (B.) to this Act annexed, to every person who shall have been registered as aforesaid, and shall apply for the same, and shall state his then place of abode: Provided always, That the said Registrars shall issue such Certificates for that part of Great Britain and Ireland only for which they shall severally be appointed to act. And be it Enacted, That every person applying for such Certificate shall, upon his application for such Certificate, pay to the Registrar a sum not exceeding Five Shillings, and such Certificate shall bear date. on the day on which the same shall be issued, and shall continue in force until the Thirty-first day of December One thousand eight hun15 dred and Forty-seven, and no longer: Provided always, That it shall be lawful for the said Registrars, and they are hereby required, at any time on or before the Fifteenth day of December in every subsequent year, upon the application of such persons as shall be then registered, to issue such Certificates in like manner in all respects 20 as aforesaid, subject to the payment of a sum not exceeding Five Shillings as aforesaid, which said Certificates shall take effect from the day of the date thereof, and shall continue in force until the Thirty-first day of December in the year next following that in which the same shall be granted, and no longer. 25 And be it Enacted, That each of the said Registrars shall duly record in a book every Certificate which he shall issue as aforesaid, and in the month of January in every year shall cause to be printed a correct Register, arranged alphabetically, of the names of all persons to whom he shall have so issued Certificates during the year 30 preceding the Fifteenth day of December then last past, according to the provisions of this Act, together with their places of abode, and a description of their qualification or qualifications, and such Registers shall be respectively called, "The Medical Register for England," "The Medical Register for Ireland," and "The Medical Register 35 for Scotland," and a printed copy of the register for the time being, so published as aforesaid, shall be evidence in all courts and before all Justices and others, that the persons therein specified have obtained a Certificate according to the provisions of this Act, and the absence of the name of any person from such printed copy shall be evidence, until the contrary be made to appear, that such person has not obtained a Certificate according to this Act, and copies of such Medical Registers shall be furnished by the respective Registrars to every person who shall apply for the same, upon the payment of a sum not exceeding One Shilling for each copy. 40 Register of 6. Certificates to be kept. 591. A 2 And 7. Persons omitted in original Register may obtain subsequent Certificate upon application to Registrar. 8. Persons not possessing Certificates prohibited from acting as Medical Practition offices and other situations. 5 And be it Enacted, That if any person entitled by this Act to obtain a Certificate as aforesaid, whose name or correct description or abode does not appear in such Medical Register as aforesaid, shall at any time apply for a Certificate to any of the Registrars aforesaid, and shall prove to the satisfaction of such Registrar, either that he is a person whose name, through neglect or mistake, has been omitted from the Medical Register then current, or that he purposes commencing or resuming practice, or of changing his abode before the First day of January in the ensuing year, every such applicant shall be entitled to obtain from the Registrar appointed for that part of the United 19 Kingdom in which he resides, upon payment of Twenty Shillings, and sending his name and then place of abode, together with a description of his testimonials, a Certificate as aforesaid, to take effect from the day of the date thereof, and to continue in force until the First day of January then next ensuing. 15 And be it Enacted, That from and after the First day of January One thousand eight hundred and Forty-seven, no person who does not possess a Certificate in force according to the provisions of this Act, shall be deemed capable of acting in any part of Great Britain or ers in public Ireland, in the capacity of a Physician, Surgeon, Apothecary, Surgeon- 20 apothecary or other Medical Officer in any Hospital, Infirmary, Dispensary, Lunatic or other Asylum, Liyng-in Hospital, Gaol, Penitentiary, House of Correction, House of Industry, Parochial or Union Workhouse or Poorhouse, Parish Union or other public establishment, body or institution, or to any Friendly or other Society for affording 25 mutual relief in sickness, infirmity or old age; and wherever by law it is provided that any act shall be done by a Physician, Surgeon, Apothecary or Medical or Surgical Practitioner, by whatever name or title called, such provision shall be construed, after the passing of this Act, to mean a person possessing a Certificate in force according to the 30 provisions of this Act, and such persons only; and the certificate or evidence of any person not possessing a Certificate as aforesaid, given after the passing of this Act, shall not be received as the Certificate or evidence of a Physician, Surgeon or Apothecary or Medical or Surgical Practitioner in any court of law or equity, or in any matter or thing 35 in which by law or custom the certificate or evidence of a Physician, Surgeon, Apothecary or Medical or Surgical Practitioner is or shall be required. 9. Medical Practitioners exempted from serving And be it Enacted, That every person who shall possess a Certificate under the provisions of this Act, shall be exempt, if he shall so 40 on Juries, &c. desire, from being summoned or serving on all juries and inquests whatsoever, and from serving all corporate, parochial, ward, hundred and township offices, and in the Militia, and their names shall not be returned in any list of persons liable to serve in the Militia or in any such office as aforesaid; and no person shall be entitled to such exemption as aforesaid on the ground of being a Physician, Surgeon or Apothecary, who does not possess such Certificate as aforesaid. And i |