Medical politics : being the essay to which was awarded the first Carmichael prize, of £200, by the Council of the Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland, 1873 / by Isaac Ashe.

  • Ashe, Isaac.
Date:
1875
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Medical politics : being the essay to which was awarded the first Carmichael prize, of £200, by the Council of the Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland, 1873 / by Isaac Ashe. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

    63/196 (page 47)
    NO MORE DKDG-SELLING. place him quite on a par with the classicaUy educated clergyman in the estimation of the world. Nay, more, the importance of his functions, public as weU as private, would every day be more and more recognised, while higher emolu- ments and a more satisfactory position would attract University men to the profession in England in something approaching to the proportion now found in Ireland, the proportion of graduates in Arts in the profession in the latter country being 29 per cent, in the metropolis, and over 10 per cent, in the provinces, while the English graduates in Arts number only 4^ per cent, in London, and 1^ per cent, in the provinces. To these may be added about 1 per cent, of graduates in Arts from Irish and Scotch Universities, who, having left their own countries to settle in England, increase its per centage by that amount, but who have reduced the Irish per centage, in consequence, by more than 2^ per cent. Should the proportion in England be brought more nearly into accord with that obtaining in Ireland undoubtedly a great improvement would result in the social status of the profession in that country, and the consideration accorded to them. But, as we have said, drugs must be relegated to the druggist. We believe that this would be even cheaper for the public, for competition here, as elsewhere, would keep down the druggist's profits to a minimum. Or should the public complain, as they have done ere now, that the druggist charges for Aq. font, at the same rate as for the other ingredients of the mixture, and should the doctor accordingly be still compelled to supply his own patients with medicines, at least let it be without charge, that is to say, without charge as for medicines. Let the fee for each visit, whether of the doctor to the patient's house, or of the patient to the doctor's house, be raised a little if the public will bear it, but let it be fixed; not the same for all classes, for this is what we give our voice against, but fixed for each class, with a due regard to the average power to pay of that class, and irres-