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William Leslie Logie: Mcgill’S First Graduate and in This Issue, David S THE ·OSLER·LI BRARY·NEWSLE TTER· NUMBER 109 · 2008 Osler Library of the History of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal (Québec) Canada IN THIS ISSUE • MONTREAL, MEDICINE AND WILLIAM LESLIE LOGIE: MCGILL’S FIRST GRADUATE AND IN THIS ISSUE, DAVID S. Professor Nikola von Merveldt of CANADA’S FIRST MEDICAL Crawford, Emeritus Librarian, the Département de Littérature et TH who now has more time to de Langues Modernes, Université GRADUATE. 175 ANNIVERSARY, devote to the history of medicine, de Montréal. The event began 1833–2008 celebrates the 175th anniversary with an interdisciplinary seminar of McGill University’s first with guest speaker Professor John graduate and the first medical B. Lyon of the University of by David S. Crawford, Emeritus graduate in Canada, William Pittsburgh. This delightful Librarian, McGill University. Logie. As he explains, the process exhibition will remain in place th was anything but smooth and until mid-June when another ay 24 2008 is an ultimately involved an appeal to guest curator, Dr. Allister Neher important anniversary in the history of the Court of King’s Bench. of the Humanities Department of M McGill University, its Faculty of (David Crawford’s activity in Dawson College, will present an Medicine, and medical education medical history actually began exhibition entitled, Anatomy and in Canada. On that day, 175 well before his retirement. the Representation of Knowledge, a years ago, William Logie, Among other activities, he was fascinating topic that focuses on McGill’s first graduate and responsible for producing our on- European anatomical prints from Canada’s first medical graduate, line Canadian Health Obituaries our collections from the 16th to received his degree.1 To ap- Barbara th data-base, a hugely popular the 19 century. preciate the significance of this Tunis and resource for the obituaries from achievement, one needs to review Canadian medical journals from A regular contributor, Dr. Charles the state of medical education Edward 1833-2000, http://www.mcgill. Roland, Hannah Professor of the and “medical politics” in Bensley have ca/osler-library/collections/links/ History of Medicine Emeritus, Montreal in 1833. explored both biographies/) McMaster University inaugurates Between 1820 and 1840, much what will become a regular was changing in Montreal, Logie’s life Our display area continues to column entitled, Roland’s Canadian including many aspects of and career, attract attention. We highlight a Medical History Miniatures. In each medical education and licensure. and medical seminar and exhibition on Johann issue, he will present a miniature Major events included the Caspar Lavater and the tradition history of some of Canada’s well- granting of a Royal Charter to licensure in of physiognomy, prepared by known and less well-known McGill College in 1821, and the Lower medical figures and events. opening of the Montreal General Hospital (MGH) in the same Canada in year.2 There was considerable Finally, we note here, the passing great depth. demand for a medical school to of Barbara Tunis, nursing be established in the British historian and the charming and North American colonies, References 1 intrepid researcher, who, 25 years because the only way to get a and 12 are ago, did the spadework that medical qualification at that time resulted in just about everything was to study in either Europe or essential that we now know about William the United States. Going to reading. Logie. • ·1· • Europe was costly and quite dangerous, while going to the United States could expose hen the establishment of the Montreal General students to revolutionary ideas. Hospital was being discussed in 1819, one of its To quote Archibald Hall, “On W fiercest opponents was the Member of the Legislature October 20th, 1822, a meeting for Huntingdon, Michael O’Sullivan. He recommended expanding of the medical officers of the Hôtel Dieu hospital instead, and also foresaw the opening of a medical school connected to the proposed hospital – which he hospital was held, consisting of also opposed. Indeed, as he had predicted, the opening of the W. Robertson, W. Caldwell, A.F. Montreal General Hospital led directly to the creation of a Holmes, J. Stephenson, and H.P. medical school. Loedel, for the purpose of taking into consideration the ex- O’Sullivan had a reasonable point of view but an unreasonable pediency of establishing a way of expressing it, which led to his famous duel with William medical school in this city.”3 This Caldwell, one of the founders of the MGH and the MMI.* school, the Montreal Medical * Bensley, E.H and Tunis, B.R. The Caldwell - O’Sullivan duel: a prelude to the Institution (MMI), was founded founding of the Montreal General Hospital. Canadian Medical Association in 1823, though Hall reports that Journal, 1969 June 21; 100(23): 1092–1095. (A digitised version is freely the first (twenty-five) students available at PubMed Central; see http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/ were actually enrolled in the picrender.fcgi?artid=1946046& blobtype=pdf) Going to 1824/25 session. Europe was William Robertson and costly and William Caldwell had attended country is indebted to the many sacrifices flattering testimony of their lectures at the University of quite incurred by heads of families to procure qualifications to the task. We must, Edinburgh but had not graduated Medical Education to their children out however, deplore that some defect dangerous, from there. (Robertson acquired of its limits, ought to impress on the complained of by the great majority of while going a degree in 1832 — honoris causa public, and particularly our Legislature, the Profession in Montreal, should have from the University of Vermont. the indispensible (sic) necessity of some given rise to a spirit of division, which to the United Caldwell acquired his degree in Medical School being established among we fear is to be referred to political States could 1817, by attestation, from us, where the student might acquire in dissentions kept up by national Marischal College, Aberdeen). expose his native country, that Anatomical and prejudices.”6 Andrew Fernando Holmes and practical knowledge which is the only students to John Stephenson were both fundamental basis of Medical Science, The authorities were certainly revolutionary graduates of the University of and which have to this day, been aware of this issue and Charles Edinburgh (their graduation ideas. acquired at such an enormous expense, Ogden, the Solicitor-General of theses are in the Osler Library), as must have in some instances precluded Lower Canada, commenting to and Henry-Pierre Loedel re- 4 entry in the Profession, to many who the Governor, Lord Aylmer, on ceived his degree in England. might have become its ornaments, and the proposed Statutes of McGill The opening of the MMI was contributed to its advancement. I am College in 1831, noted, “I incline not greeted with enthusiasm by aware that new establishments have been to think that this evil [fran- all sectors of the community erected, but which do not appear to cophone students needing to go because it had decided to require answer the purposes intended, nor to meet abroad to obtain a medical a knowledge of Latin and English the views and approbation of the degree] would be aggravated if but not French. Certainly the Legislature.”5 the restriction [of language] were francophone community did not suffered to exist.”7 However, his find this satisfactory, and In January 1827, the Journal de suggestion to lift the restriction frequently expressed its dis- Médecine du Québec / Quebec Medical on French was not accepted. content over the policy. In 1825, Journal returned to the subject As today, medical education at a farewell dinner with his and commented: was linked with medical Quebec City medical colleagues licensure, which in Quebec before moving to England, Pierre “Four Medical Gentlemen, viz: Drs. began on 30 April 1788, when de Sales Laterrière said: Caldwell, Robertson, Stephenson and the governor, Lord Dorchester, Holmes, have, since a few years, been proclaimed “An Act or Ordinance “The rapid improvements which have but engaged in giving lectures on various to prevent persons practicing lately taken place in the Medical departments of Medical Science, and the physic and surgery within the Profession in Canada, and for which the success they have encountered, is a Province of Quebec, or • ·2· Midwifery in the towns of France). Dissatisfaction with the of both Boards. At the initial Quebec or Montreal, without medical registration Act of 1788 election meeting for the Licence.”8 This Act created had been widespread prior to Montreal Board, the four Boards of Medical Examiners in 1823 (efforts had been made to surviving members of the 1823 both Quebec City and Montreal; repeal it in 1820 and 1822) but Board (Robertson, Stephenson, all Board members were ap- now both Drs. Arnoldi and Caldwell, and Holmes; H-P pointed by the Governor. By Loedel Sr. (whose appointments Loedel had died in 1825) were 1822, the Montreal Board had to the Montreal Board had just not elected — in fact, all had Papineau only three active members: been terminated) joined the been nominated and seconded was one of Henry Loedel (father of Henry- chorus of complaints and but were defeated by a “decided Pierre), Daniel Arnoldi (former petitions. Finally, in 1831, the majority.”14 those who teacher and partner of Andrew 1788 Act was repealed and a new The new Montreal Board had accused Holmes), and William Robertson Act passed by the
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