Edinburgh COLLEGE of Physicians was erected on the 26th November 1681. The design of this institution was, to prevent the abuses daily committed by foreign and illiterate impostors, quacks, &c. For this reason, his majesty, at the time mentioned, granted letters patent to erect into a body corporate and politic, certain physicians in Edinburgh, and their successors, by the title of the President and Royal College of Physicians at Edinburgh, with power to choose annually a council of seven, one of whom to be president; and these are to elect a treasurer, clerk, and other officers; to have a common seal; to sue and be sued; to make laws for promoting the art of physic, and regulating the practice thereof, within the city of Edinburgh, town of Leith, and districts of the Canongate, West Port, Pleasance, and Potterrow, through all which the jurisdiction of the college extends. Throughout this jurisdiction no person is allowed to practise physic, without a warrant from the college, under the penalty of £5 sterling the first month, to be doubled monthly afterwards while the offence is continued; one half the money arising from such fines to go to the poor, the other to the use of the college. They are also empowered to punish all licentiates in physic within the above-mentioned bounds, for
faults committed against the institutions of the college; and to fine them of sums not exceeding 40s. On such occasions, however, they must have one of the bailies of the city to sit in judgment along with them, otherwise their sentence will not be valid. They are also empowered to search and inspect all medicines within their jurisdiction, and throw out into the street all such as are bad or unwholesome; and that they may the better attend their patients, they are exempted from watching, warding, and serving on juries. They are, however, restrained from erecting schools for teaching the art of physic, or conferring degrees on any person qualified for the office of a physician; but are obliged to license all such as have taken their degrees in any university, and to admit as honorary members all the professors of physic in the universities of Scotland. These privileges and immunities are not, however, to interfere with the rights and privileges of the apothecary surgeons, in their practice of curing wounds, contusions, fractures, and other external operations.