Page:The Thruston speech on the progress of medicine 1880.djvu/9

5 high displeasure of God, great infamy of the faculty, and the grievous hurt, damage, and destruction of many of the King's liege people, more especially of those who cannot distinguish uncunning from cunning."

Therefore, we find, with due regard to the protection of the public, it was enacted that in future an examining board be formed, or rather called together, by the Bishop of London, or the Dean of St. Paul's, and that no person be allowed to practise as either surgeon or physician unless he should have first satisfied this examining body. We find, moreover, that this Act only legislated for the City of London and its environs to the extent of seven miles. It is, I say, difficult for us in the present day to realize the depth of ignorance and superstition which must have existed, to have rendered necessary such a procedure on the part of Parliament, and we can feel no wonder that a man gifted as Caius must have been, with more than an ordinary amount of intelligence, should have hesitated