Disenchantment with Medicine: Three Poet-Physicians of the Romantic Era

Abstract

During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the medical profession was divided into three categories--physician, surgeon, and apothecary. This division may have been a result of the economic and social forces of the time. The physicians were men from wealthy families who could afford the high fees of universities such as Edinburgh, Cambridge, and Oxford to receive degrees in theoretical medicine. They were given the title of "doctor" and were allowed to become members of such professional associations as the Colleges of Physicians. Physicians generally cared for upper-class patients. The surgeons and the apothecaries cared for middle- and lower-class patients. The training of the surgeons and the apothecaries was completely practical and consisted of long apprenticeships. This allowed those who could not afford a university education to obtain the medical training necessary to secure a position in the medical field. Originally, the apprenticeship required seven years and, upon completion, the student was able to practice as an apothecary or was able to take the licensing examination to become a surgeon, which would allow him to perform operations. The training of an apprentice largely depended on the knowledge and industry of the master. By the end of the eighteenth century, the number of teaching hospitals in London, as well as elsewhere in England, had greatly increased over that of the beginning of the century. These hospitals offered surgery students lectures and clinical experience. However, due to the difficulty of administering a licensing exam outside of London, many students were not certified to practice as surgeons. In 1800, the surgeons formed the Royal College of Surgeons of England and were granted a charter. The College obtained the authority to grant licenses to those capable of practicing as surgeons.