STATUTES OF THE MEDICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON; INSTITUTED M DCC LXXIII. PREFACE. Nothing has contributed more to the advancement of science, than the establishment of literary Societies. These excite a generous ardour in liberal minds, and raise even envy itself into useful emulation, The principal part of our knowledge must he ever derived from comparing our own observations with these of others. In this view the utility of Societies, which afford an opportu- nity for the mutual communication of our thoughts, must be sufficiently apparent. Books cannot solve all our difficul- ties nor will the observations made in other ages and cli- mates, hold always true in our own. The object of the Medical Society of London is, to give practitioners in medicine frequent opportunities of meeting together, and conferring with each other, concerning any difficult or uncommon cases which may have occurred; or communicating any new discoveries in medicine which have been made, either at home or abroad. Papers, which tend to the advancement of the science, will be received by the Society; and such as may be deemed worthy of publication, carefully preserved, until sufficient matter for a volume shall be collected. In order to excite practitioners to bring those talents to light, which would otherwise lie buried, and useless to the community, the Society have resolved to hold forth honorary rewards to those who shall improve the medical art: and although this has not been hitherto attempted in these king- doms, yet they hope that their example may appear not alto- gether unworthy of imitation. The Society has likewise founded a medical library, that its members may obtain an easy access to the best ancient and modern authors. Animated with these designs, the Society submit their plan to the consideration of the Faculty in general, whose assist- ance is requested, in order to render it extensively beneficial to mankind. ++ CHAP I. Of the Qualifications, Election, and Admission of Members. 1. The Society shall consist of Physicians, Surgeons, and Apothecaries; and others, versed in sciences connected with medicine; divided into Fellows, Hon- orary, and Corresponding Members. 2. The Fellows alone shall direct the affairs of the So- ciety, and be eligible to any office, 3. No person shall be eligible as a Fellow, unless resi- dent in the city of London, or within seven miles there- of; nor shall any person residing within that distance, be eligible as a Corresponding Member. 4. No Physician shall be eligible as a Fellow, who is not a member of the college of physicians of London, or who does not produce a diploma, and testimonials of his having studied medicine regularly at some university. 5. No Surgeon shall be eligible as a Fellow, who has not been approved of by the court of examining Sur- geons of London, 6. No proprietor of any empyrical nostrum can be a member. 7. Every candidate for admission as a Fellow of the society, must be recommended by three or more Fellows on their personal knowledge; but the recommendation of a Corresponding or Honorary Member may be founded on an acquaintance with his character or writings, 8. The recommendation, containing the profession and place of abode of the person proposed for election shall be [5] be delivered to one of the Secretaries, and first read in the council; that they may be satisfied that the person recommended has been informed of the regulations of the Society, and is eligible according to its statutes: It shall then be read at the ensuing meeting of the Society, and hung up in the common meeting room for three succeed- ing ordinary meetings, if the recommendation be of an honorary or corresponding member; but if of a fellow, it shall be hung up for fix ordinary meetings; and on the last of these meetings, the votes shall be taken by ballot, if eight Fellows be present; and if three fourths of the Fellows present ballot in favor of the candidate, he shall be declared duly elected. 9. If it appear upon the ballot, that the person pro- posed, is not elected, no notice thereof shall be taken in the minutes. 10. The admission of every person who may be chosen a Fellow, shall be at some ordinary meeting, when, after he has paid his admission fine, he shall sign the follow- ing obligation; viz. We whose names are hereunto subscribed, promise, that we will endeavour to promote the honour, and observe the statutes and regulations of the Medical Society of London, as long as we shall continue members thereof. 11. The President shall then take him by the hand, saying, In the name, and by the authority of the Medical Society of London, I admit you a Fellow thereof, 12. If any Corresponding Member shall come to re- side in London, or within seven miles thereof, and de- sire to continue in the society, notice thereof shall be hung up in the meeting room for three successive nights: and on the third he shall be ballotted for as a fellow, and if [6] if elected, shall be admitted on making the usual pay- ment and signing the obligation. 13. Any Fellow, going to reside in the country, shall, if he desire it, be considered as a Corresponding Member during his absence. 14. Persons of distinguished character, eminently versed sciences connected with medicine, may be ele&ed as Honorary Members. 15. Honorary and Corresponding Members, shall have the privilege of being present at all meetings of the So- ciety. CHAP. 11. Of the Payment of Admission Fines, Annual Contribu- tions, &c. 1. Every person elected a Fellow, shall pay the sum of Two Guineas, as his fine of admission, and One Guinea, for his first years contribution. 2. Every Fellow shall pay to the Society, one guinea annually. 3. If any Fellow shall advance the sum of ten guineas above his admission fine, or, at any period, the same sum above all arrears then due, he shall be exempted from all future payments. 4. No fine, or annual payment is expected from Hon- orary or Corresponding Members. 5. If any person neglect to pay his admission fine within two months after being elected, unless prevented by some unavoidable impediment, his election shall be void, and he shall be incapable of being proposed again for the space of one year. 6. No person shall have a vote in the Society, whose annual contribution is unpaid. 7. If [7] 7. If any Fellow shall neglect the payment of his an- nual contribution for two years, he shall, at the end of two months after notice thereof has been given him by the Secretary without effect, be no longer a member. CHAP. III. Of the Officers and Council, and their election. I. To conduct the affairs of the Society, there shall be annually elected a President, Treasurer, Librarian, three Secretaries, and the seven following Committees, (each consisting of five members) who together shall con- stitute the Council. COMMITTEES. I. Theory and Practice. II. Anatomy and Physiology. III. Surgery. IV. Midwifery. V. Materia Medica, and Pharmacy. VI. Botany and Natural History, VII. Natural Philosophy and Chemistry. 2. This election shall be by the first gene- ral meeting. 3. A particular summons shall be sent to every Fellow, together with two printed lists, at least three days before the time of election: One of these lifts shall contain the name of every Fellow, with marks affixed, shewing what office he has formerly held, or now holds in the Society. The other shall have the offices printed, with blank spa- ces left for inserting the names of persons thought pro- per for each department. 4. Every [8] 4. Every Fellow balloting, shall deliver his name to one of the Secretaries, and afterwards put either the printed lifts filled up, or a written one, into the bal- lotting box. 5. The ballot shall begin as soon after the hour of one, as eight fellows shall be present; and be closed at two o’clock. 6- The scrutiny shall begin at two o'clock, and the lifts shall be examined by an officer, together with three Scrutineers, drawn by lot by the President. 7. Should a list contain more names to fill up any department than are proper, the irregular part shall be set aside, and the remainder taken, as if no such mistake had existed. 8. No person shall be eligible to any office, if twelve months in arrear when the lists are ordered to be printed, which shall be done by the Council, eight days at least before the election. 9. If any doubt or difficulty should arise during the election, it shall be determined by the majority of the Council of the preceding year then present. If any vacancy happen between the anniversary elections, it shall be filled up by ballot. CHAP. IV. Of the President. I. The President shall take the chair at all meetings of the Society. He shall regulate all debates, and prevent any from being prosecuted upon trivial subjects. He shall state and put all questions, according to the inten- tion of the movers. He shall summon all extraordinary meetings of the Society, and enforce the execution of their statutes. 2. In [9] 2. In the President’s absence, the Treasurer, or Libra- rian, and in their absence, the senior member of the Council or Fellow of the Society who is present, shall take the chair for that meeting 3. The President shall have a second vote, when the suffrages are equal. 4. The President, whilst in the chair, shall be covered, except when addressing himself to the whole Society, CHAP. V. Of the Treasurer. 1. The Treasurer, or some person appointed by him, shall receive all money due to, and pay all money due from the Society; and keep an account of all such receipts and payments. 2. The Treasurer’s accounts shall be audited by the Council immediately before two general meetings of the Society, or at any other time when they require it. 3. No sum of money exceeding five pounds shall be paid, except by order of the Council. 4. All sums of money for which there shall be no present occasion, shall be laid out in such securities as the council may approve. CHAP. VI. Of the Librarian, Library, and Museum. I. The books shall be properly arranged, and each volume distinctly numbered. An alphabetical catalogue shall be kept of all the printed books, expressing the edi- tion of each, place where printed, date, size, price, and number as it hands in the library. A separate catalogue shall [10] shall be kept of the manuscripts, ranged under proper heads. These catalogues shall be always open for the inspection of every member. 2. A printed paper shall be affixed to each volume, con- taining the name of the Society, the number of the book, and an abstract of the laws relating to the receiving and returning of books; and if it were presented to the So- ciety, the donor’s name shall be entered in it. 3. Any member shall have the liberty at stated times of visiting the library, and reading and taking extracts from the books to manuscripts. 4. Every member desiring a book, shall apply for it between the hours of six and eight in the evenings on Mondays, and five and six on other evenings, and shall write down on a slip of paper, the number and title, and shall sign and date it: The Librarian or his deputy shall file the paper, and deliver it back, or cancel it, when the book is returned to the library; and any person taking a book without such written acknowledgement, shall forfeit three times its value. 5. If a book, when sent for, be in the possession of ano- ther member, an answer shall be returned, containing the name of the person who has it, and the time when taken out of the library. 6. No member shall have more than two volumes at a time in his possession. 7. Any member detaining a pamphlet or volume in duo- decimo above one week; an octavo two weeks; a quarto three weeks; or a folio four weeks, shall be liable to a penalty of one, two. three, or four shillings, in propor- tion to the size, for each week he shall detain it, pro- vided such penalty exceed not half the value affixed to the book by the council. 8. The council shall designate certain manuscripts and hooks of value, which shall not be taken out of the library, without their written permission.  [11] 9. All pamphlets and books shall remain in the library for the space of one, two, three, or four weeks, (accord- ing to their size,) after they have been received. 10 A member who shall lose, or injure a book belong- ing to the Society, shall replace it, or make such compen- sation as the council may think proper. 11. No member, without leave of the Librarian or his deputy, shall take any book from its place, 12. All books shall be returned before the general meet- ing in March, for the inspection of the Librarian on enter- ing into his office. Every person neglecting to return a book at that time, shall forfeit half its value. 13. No book shall be purchased, unless by order of council. 14. No book or pamphlet shall, at any meeting, be suffered to lie on the table, excepting those presented the same evening. 15. The Librarian shall also have the care of the mu- seum, no article whereof shall be removed without his permission. CHAP. VII. Of the Secretaries, 1. There shall be three Secretaries; viz. Two in ordi- nary, and one for foreign correspondence. 2. All papers intended for the use of the Society, shall be delivered to one of the Secretaries, who shall lay them before the Council. 3. The Secretaries shall keep an exact account of all the transactions of the Society. 4. They shall read the minutes of the former meeting, and also any papers which have been referred to the So- ciety by the Council. 5. They [12] 5. They shall preserve carefully the hooks relative to the transactions of the Society, and also all papers com- mitted to their charge. These they shall arrange in pro- per order, and have ready for the inspection of the Society at all meetings. 6. They shall mark the time when any paper is deli- vered to them, that no person may be robbed of the title to a new thought or discovery. 7. One of the Secretaries shall, Immediately after every election of a member, send him notice thereof, with a copy of the laws, if a Fellow. 8. One of the Secretaries shall officiate at all meetings of the Council. CHAP. VIII. Of the Council. 1. The Council shall choose from among their own members, two chairmen annually, who shall take the chair alternately. 2. They shall meet every Monday evening at seven o’clock, and have the power of adjourning to any future day. 3. An extraordinary meeting of the Council may be held at any time by order of the President, one of the Se- cretaries giving notice of such meeting to every member. 4. Five members shall be empowered to transact bu- siness, 5. All matters of complaint shall be first laid before the Council, who shall bring such only, as they cannot adjust, before the Society. 6. The Council shall record their proceedings in a book kept for that purpose. CHAP. [17] CHAP. XIV. Of Visitors, Each member shall have the privilege of proposing two visitors at any ordinary meeting of the Society, and at the general meeting on the 8th. of March; whole names shall be entered in a lift; and they shall be introduced as soon as it has been read over; and no visitor shall afterwards be admitted without a particular order from the Presi- dent. CHAP. XV. General Laws. 1 All members shall pay implicit obedience to the Pre- sident, in the execution of his office. 2. Any person intending to speak in the society, shall rise and address himself to the president. 3. No member shall speak more than twice upon any subject, until all the members present, inclined to speak, shall have delivered their sentiments. 4. When the determination of the Society is required on a question, it shall be taken by ballot, if so demanded by any Fellow. 5. No question shall be put on any motion, unless the motion be seconded. 6. When a motion is made and seconded, any Fellow may move that the sense of the society be taken whether such question shall be put. 7. All questions, excepting those for which it is other- wise provided, shall be determined by a majority of the Fel- lows present. 8. No [18] 8. No member shall vote by proxy. 9. The Society shall have power to adjourn for any- time during the summer season, so that the adjournment shall not extend beyond the month of September. 10. The council shall nevertheless have power du- ring such adjournment, to meet as often as they shall find it requisite, in order to transact such business, and arrange such papers as may come before them. CHAP. XVI. Of the making and repealing Regulations. 1. No new laws or regulations shall be made, nor old ones repealed or altered, but at the second general meet- ing of the Society or such special general meeting as shall at any time be summoned for that purpose. 2. The making of new, and altering of old laws, or regulations, shall be first proposed in council; and if such proposition be approved, it shall be read in the Society at least one month before a general meeting, and hung up in the Society’s room until that time, when the ques- tion respecting it shall be determined by ballot. 3. If two thirds of the Fellows present ballot in fa- vour of the proposed regulation, it shall be declared a law of the Society. November 1st, 1790. James Sims, M.D. President, J.C. Lettsom, M.D. Treasurer, Joseph Hurlock, Librarian. W. Chamberlaine, J. Gibbs Ridout, E. Bancroft, M.D, Secretaries.