The lure of Padua.

WHEN the College of Physicians of London, this present Royal College of Physicians, was founded in 1518 through the efforts of Thomas Linacre and a small group of presumably like-minded physicians, not the least reason for their efforts was the belief that the quality of English medicine then practised was below that of the Continent. This was to become apparent in the College's prosecution of charlatans, its efforts to limit the activities of apothecaries and surgeons, and its examination and licensing or refusing to license London physicians who had studied and obtained their medical degrees abroad-more particularly aliens who had immigrated into England. Occasionally, moreover, the College displayed reservations about the practice of physicians who had obtained their medical degrees at the English universities and thereby considered themselves to have the right to practise without the need of the College's licence. In this last respect there seems to be some indication that the founders of the College were not wholly satisfied with the quality of medical education in England, and that they hoped that in some way the College might have an influence towards the improvement of the medical curriculum of the universities. Although it was not politic to speak out strongly on this matter, nonetheless there were to be a few later occasions when such feeling was clearly expressed and thereby promoted no little friction between College and universities, although to little purpose. However, it seems to have been clearly apparent to many young English aspirants to medicine that the length of time required for a medical degree at their native universities was excessive, that the curriculum was medieval, and that there were occasional failures to observe even the medieval standards. In consequence many of the more serious sought their medical training abroad. If one consults the first volume of Munk's Roll of the Royal College of Physicians, covering the period approximately from the founding of the College to the end of the seventeenth century, it appears that about twenty-five per cent of the physicians associated with that institution during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries did study abroad, most of them receiving their medical degrees at continental schools. It must be added at once that Munk's account is by no means complete or, indeed, always accurate, but it is nonetheless sufficiently inclusive to provide a general estimate. If these English medical students abroad are followed and observed through at least the first hundred years of this period of two centuries, one may say that they showed a commendable seriousness of purpose by seeking out the best continental schools so that their presence or absence from any particular medical faculty gives