Remarks by the Medical and Surgical Corporations of the United Kingdom on the reports of the Visitors of Examinations 1881-2.

Date:
[1882?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Remarks by the Medical and Surgical Corporations of the United Kingdom on the reports of the Visitors of Examinations 1881-2. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    R. Colls. Phys. Suro. Edin. 2G llEMAKKS ON VISITATION-KEPOBT. The Colleges would again ask—Is this at present practi- cable ? At all events, when the Visitors made such a recom- mendation, they were bound to show from whence the supply of subjects was to be obtained. In certain localities there is, no doubt, a sufficient, or even an abundant supply. But if this recommendation is to be made an absolute rule. Government must sanction a more equal supply to the different Schools, so that they may be supplied with material both for educational as well as examination purposes, in some proportion to the number of students. In such Schools as London and Edinburgh, as the Anatomy Act is at present interpreted, it seems to be impossible to carry out the proposal either efficiently or fairly. “ 5. That for every ‘ minimum ’ qualification the examination in opera- tive surgery should be confined to emergency operations, such as any prac- tioner may suddenly be called upon to perform, r.y., amputation, deligation of arteries, catheterism, urethrotomy, tracheotomy, &c., and should for the most part exclude complicated operations, not of sudden urgency, such as ovariotomy, excisions of joints, plastic operations, lithotomy, lithotrity.” The intention here seems good, but the estimate of the importance and difficulties of different operations is peculiar. Is ovariotomy more difficult than amputation at the hip or shoulder-joints, or than deligation of the femoral or subclavian arteries ? Are excisions of joints never called for by sudden emergencies ? Every surgeon of experience must have performed primary excision, and thereby saved a useful limb. Is the “ minimum ” qualification man never to venture on the higher region of excision as above his position, but to limit himself to lopping off the limb ? “ 6. That the application of bandages and splints should be required in every surgical clinical examination.” The Colleges consider that this should form a part of every practical examination in surgery, general or clinical. They therefore cordially agree with the recommendation, with this proviso, that the candidate shall not be supplied with padded splints or other prepared apparatus, but shall show that he knows what he requires in order to adjust the splint or other apparatus to be applied.