§ Order for Second Reading read.
§ MR. BRADY, in rising to move the second reading of this Bill, said, that he felt great difficulty in his position, inasmuch as the measure was one which required more power than he possessed in order to command the attention of the House. He would, however, endeavour to describe the present position of the medical profession and the objects of his Bill. There were at that time nineteen medical corporate bodies in the country. We had the College of Physicians, the College of Surgeons, the Apothecaries' Hall, the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, both of which granted medical degrees. There was, also, the University of London, together with our other English Universities and Colleges. But there was no possibility by which a man belonging to any of those bodies could be recognised or known. He proposed by his Bill to remedy that evil, and to show that in doing so he was acting in conformity with the constitutional practice of the country. He found that every one of the great establishments of the country was regulated by a system of registration. The courts of law, the officers of the Army and Navy were registered, the clergy of the country were registered by their bishops, and if any of them were not so registered they would not be eligible to hold livings. He looked upon the condition of the medical profession as perfectly anomalous. Many of the evils which were now complained of in connection with the admission of improper persons to practise medicine would be completely remedied by his measure. This was a question of grave necessity, as the lives of many persons were placed in jeopardy from their ignorance of the competency of medical men, except from their title of "doctor" being placed upon their door. The profession itself suffered seriously by this system, for many individuals who had been mere tradesmen gave up their natural avocations for the purpose of vending quack medicines to the public. As the measure he now proposed was efficacious, simple, designed for the protection both of the public and of the profession by whom it was essentially required, he trusted the House would agree to the second reading.
§ Motion made and Question proposed,
1251§ "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."
§ MR. HADFIELDsaid, he should be glad to know what was the intention of the Government with respect to this Bill, and if in the absence of the noble Lord the Home Secretary, no Member of the Ministry was prepared to make any statement with regard to it, he should feel it his duty—as the Bill was not in a form which he could altogether approve—to move its adjournment for some short period in order that it might be further considered.
MR. FITZROYsaid, he believed the hon. Member for Leitrim (Mr. Brady) had had some communication with the noble Lord the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who had stated that he had no objection whatever to the introduction of this Bill, and to its being read a second time. Under these circumstances he (Mr. Fitzroy) should not oppose the motion before the House.
COLONEL DUNNEsaid, it was his opinion that the Bill was a useful one, though there were some points in it upon which in Committee he should have to propose an amendment or two.
§ Motion agreed to.
§ Bill read 2o.
§ The House adjourned at half after six o'clock.