body of "Bye-laws and Regulations," in English, adapted to the altered circumstances of the medical profession and of the College, was finally assented to and ratified by the common seal of the College on the 22nd December, 1862. PRESIDENTS OF THE COLLEGE. By the Letters Patent of Henry the Eighth, constituting the College of Physicians of London, it is directed that a president should be chosen annually by the fellows from among themselves; to superintend, correct, and govern the College, and all men exercising the faculty of physic in London, or within seven miles; and the affairs thereof. But by the Statute 14 Henry VIII, this privilege and duty is withdrawn from the College at large, and given to eight of the seniors of the College, who are thereby constituted and styled Elects. It is therein directed, that the President thenceforward is to be chosen exclusively by such Elects, and as it would seem out of their own limited body, and not, as under the Letters Patent, from the whole of the fellows. Due provision is made by the statute to perpetuate this order of Elects. In case of a vacancy of an Elect occurring by death or otherwise, it was to be filled up by the survivors within thirty or forty days after, by the selection and admission of one of the most cunning and expert men in London, to complete the number of eight. This imperium in imperio continued for more than three centuries, in fact through the whole period comprised in this work, and down to the year 1860, when, with a view to the furtherance of the Medical Act of the 21 and 22 Vict., and of the general interests of the College, an Act, 23 and 24 Vict., cap. 66, to amend the Medical Act just named, was passed, which repealed so much of the Statute 14 and 15 Henry VIII as relates to the Elects. The then body of Elects, at a meeting specially convened for the purpose, and held 8th June, 1860, approved of the proposed bill, and consented to allow their order to die out; and the functions they had hitherto performed to revert to the College at large, as was originally the case under the provisions of the charter. Among the most important of these functions was the annual election of the president. The rules concerning the office and duties of the President, in the earliest statutes that have come down to us, the "Vetera Statuta," which are believed to be those of 1601, were as follows; but their spirit and style are so evidently those of Caius, that they probably, in great part, date back to 1563. Juramentum Præsidentis.-Jurabis te pro viribus conaturum ut honor et status Collegii conservetur, Statuta ejusdem pro sensu grammaticali sine fraude aut fuco ullo observentur, teque studiose perlecturum omnia Statuta et Annales Collegii intra menses quatuor ab electione tuâ, nisi prius tibi cognita et perspecta fuerint, omniaque acturum in salutem Reipublicæ et honestam utilitatem Collegii. Ita te Deus adjuvet et sancta Dei Evangelia. Juramentum deferet seu administrabit Præsidenti novo superioris anni Præsidens, si adfuerit; aut Consiliariorum alter, senior potissimum si adsit, aut his absentibus senior ex Electis præsentibus. De Præsidentis Admissione.-Qui juramentum detulit, idem porrigat virtutis Insignia,-Pulvinar nempe honoris, Librum et Caducæum, dicatque damus tibi præsidendi authoritatem, tradimusque Pulvinar honoris, Librum cognitionis, et Caducæum gubernationis et prudentiæ, ut intelligat tua excellentia et cateri Collega universi, cognitione et prudentiâ Collegium nostrum stare et permanere. Quamobrem ne id memoriâ excidat tuâ, in solemnioribus processionibus, pompis, et officiis, funeribus,aliisque temporibus atque locis opportunis gestari curabis ante te per bedellum Librum et Caducæum in cognitionis et prudentiæ signum, ut quod virtus postulat, id usus confirmet. De Præsidentis loco et dignitate.-Ejus locus primus esto et dignitas prima, non modo in Collegio sed omnibus aliis locis, eo anno, quo Præsidens est; aliorum vero locus esto pro ratione gradus et senioritatis, sic ut seniores junioribus in suo quisque genere atque ordine et intra Collegium et extra præferantur. Collegium vocamus non solum Congregationum aut Comitiorum ordinarium locum, sed ipsos Conventus et Comitia etiam Collegarum, funeris processionis aut Convivii solennioris causa celebrata: ut et senioritatem non quam ætas aut longi temporis gradus fecere, sed quam admissio in Collegium. De Præsidentis Officio.-Illi officium esto ut Comitia indicat, sed quâ ratione tum dicemus cum de Comitiis statuamus, tum ut causas Comitiorum proponat, singulorum sententias excipiat, cum majori parte decernat, pro Statuti ratione factiones excludat, Electos, Consiliarios, literarum et morum Censores ut et Medicinarum cum cæteris quorum interest eligat. In Collegis eligendis aliorum suffragia primum accipiat, dein suum ferat, et pro majori parte decernat, lites inter Collegas dirimat, sed id communi consilio et sententiâ Electorum et Censorum seorsim a reliquis adhibitorum et eo modo quo in capite de Consiliariis dicetur plenius. Curet præterea ut Sigillum commune in arcâ communi reservetur. Omnia ipse obsignabit in quæ reliqui Collegæ pro ratione, officio aut statuto consenserint. Si qui Libri Collegio donentur, curet ut reponantur in Bibliothecâ et ut exacto anno suo eorum ratio reddatur novo Præsidenti, ostendanturque ei nominatim ex Indice. Si quis sit redditus seu fructus annuus ex fundis Collegii, siquid donetur Collegio, siquid aliis nominibus accidat, procuret ut in communi arcâ seu cistâ conservetur, cujus ipse clavem unam, Consiliariorum item singuli unam alteram habeant. Rationem item acceptorum et expensorum anni superioris exigat a Thesaurario cæterisque Collegii Officiariis in præsentia reliquorum Electorum eo tempore in urbe præsentium, quos omnes admoneri volumus ut computis audiendis intersint si modo commode poterint, atque id imprimis videat ut Statuta diligenter observentur, atque in Collegio legantur vel per se, vel per Regestarium vel per alium, pro sua voluntate et arbitrio, eo nimirum modo atque forma, quo postea in Statutis provisum est atque constitutum. The series of Presidents, from the foundation of the College in 1518, is as follows: 1. 1518. Thomas Linacre, M.D., Patav. et Oxon. 1525. Not known. 2. 1526. Thomas Bentley, M.D., Oxon. 3. 1527. Richard Bartlot, M.D., Oxon. 4. 1541. Edward Wotton, M.D., Patav. et Oxon. 6. 1545. William Freeman, M.D., Oxon. 7. 1547. 1548. 8. 1549. 9. 1551. 10. 1553. 11. 1555. 12. 1561. 1562. 1564. 13. 1568. 14. 1569. 15. John Burgess, M.D. Richard Bartlot, M.D., Oxon. Vide No. 3. John Symings, M.D., Oxon. 1570. Richard Caldwell, M.D., Oxon. Vide No. 11. Vide No. 9. 1571. John Caius, M.D., Patav. et Cantab. Vide No. 11. 1572. John Symings, M.D., Oxon. Vide No. 14. 19 1600. 20. 1601. 21. 1604. William Gilbert, M.D., Cantab. 22. 1606. Henry Atkins, M.D., Corb. 23. 1609. 24. 1612. 1615. Sir William Paddy, M.D., Lugd Batav. et Oxon. Thomas Moundford, M.D., Cantab. Richard Forster, M.D., Oxon. Vide No. 20. 1616. Henry Atkins, M.D., Corb. Vide No. 22. 1618. Sir William Paddy, M.D., Lugd Batav. et Oxon. Vide No. 23. 1619. Thomas Moundford, M.D., Cantab. Vide No. 24. 25. 1620. Richard Palmer, M.D., Cantab. 1621. Thomas Moundford, M.D., Cantab. Vide No. 24. 1624. 26. 1625. 27. 1628. 1629. 28. 1634. Henry Atkins, M.D., Corb. Vide No. 22. John Giffard, M.D., Oxon. John Argent, M.D., Cantab. Vide No. 26. 29. 1641. Othowell Meverell, M.D., Lugd Batav. et Cantab. 30. 1645. 31. 1650. 32. 1655. John Clarke, M.D., Cantab. Sir Francis Prujean, M.D., Cantab. Sir Edward Alston, M.D., Cantab. et Oxon. 33. 1667. Francis Glisson, M.D., Cantab. 34. 1670. Sir George Ent, M.D., Patav. et Oxon. 35. 1676. Sir John Micklethwaite, M.D., Patav. et Oxon. 36. 1682. Thomas Coxe, M.D., Patav. et Oxon. Daniel Whistler, M.D., Lugd Batav. et Oxon. George Rogers, M.D., Patav. et Oxon. Walter Charleton, M.D., Oxon. 41. 1692. Thomas Burwell, M.D., Lugd Batav. et Oxou. John Lawson, M.D., Patav. et Cantab. Charles Goodall, M.D., Cantab. William Dawes, M.D., Lugd Batav. et Cantab. Sir Hans Sloane, bart., M.D., Aurant et Oxon. April 2. William Wasey, M.D., Cantab. 1794. Thomas Gisborne, M.D., Cantab. Vide No. 62. No. 61. 1796. Thomas Gisborne, M.D., Cantab. Vide No. 62. 63. 1804. Sir Lucas Pepys, bart., M.D., Oxon. 64. 1811. Sir Francis Milman, bart., M.D., Oxon. 65. 1813. John Latham, M.D., Oxon. 66. 1820. Sir Henry Halford, bart., M.D., Oxon. 67. 1844. John Ayrton Paris, M.D., Cantab.1 68. 1857. Thomas Mayo, M.D., Oxon. 69. 1862. Sir Thomas Watson, bart., M.D., Cantab. Vide Vide TREASURERS OF THE COLLEGE FROM THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THAT OFFICE IN 1583. For the first fifty years from the foundation of the College of Physicians, the Presidents performed all the duties of Treasurer. I add here, as I shall do in other lists to follow, the names of such fellows of the College as appear in the body of the Roll, and have filled the office of President, Treasurer, Registrar, Harveian Orator, or Lecturer since the opening of the College in Pall Mall East in 1825. |