In Great Britain and Ireland, since the passing of the Medical Act of 1858, every one registered under the provisions of that Act is entitled, according to his qualification, to practise medicine or surgery, or both (as the case may be), in any part of Her Majesty’s Dominions, and to recover on any court of law (should any patient neglect to pay) his reasonable charges for professional aid, advice and visits, and the costs of any medicine, or other medical or surgical appliances rendered or supplied by |44| him to his patient; but any one not so registered cannot recover any such charges in any court of law. Proof of registration is absolutely necessary for a recovery; but it will suffice if the registration has taken place before the trial [91].
And as to who may be registered; the Act says any one may be who is a fellow, member, licentiate, or extra licentiate, of the Royal College of Physicians of London, or of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, or of the King and Queen’s College of Ireland; or fellow, member, or licentiate in midwifery, of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, or fellow or licentiate of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, or of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, or of the Society of Apothecaries, London, or of the Apothecaries Hall, Dublin; or doctor, bachelor, or licentiate of medicine, of any university of the United Kingdom, or licentiate in surgery of any university in Ireland; or doctor of medicine by doctorate granted prior to August, 1858, by the Archbishop of Canterbury; or doctor of medicine of any foreign or colonial college, after examination, or who satisfies the Council of Education and Registration that there is sufficient reason for admitting him to be registered [92].
In France, the medical profession is divided into two grades; in the higher grade are all doctors of medicine of the universities; those in the lower grade are _officiers de santé_. In Germany, the right to practise is conferred by a state licence granted on passing the _staats-examen_: the degree of doctor of medicine is almost always taken at some university after obtaining the state license. In Austria, the |45| right to practise is carried by the degree of doctor of medicine obtained from a university [93].