(Lat. collegium, from collega, a person chosen along with others to a certain office), an association or body of men invested with certain powers or rights, performing certain duties, or engaged in some common employment or pursuit.
Collegium, among the Romans, was applied indifferently to such bodies, whether employed in the offices of religion, government, the liberal, or even the mechanical arts and trades; so that the word signified what is now called a corporation. Both before and under the empire the colleges were numerous; as the college of augurs, the college of capitolinei, or of those who had the superintendence of the capitoline games; colleges of artificers, carpenters, potters, founders, locksmiths, engineers of the army, butchers, makers of military cæsars, bakers, musicians, &c. &c. The term was likewise applied to various magistrates; thus the tribunes of the plebs were called collegium tribunorum, and so forth. Plutarch observes, that it was Numa who first divided the people into colleges, in order that each consulting the interests of his college, and occupying himself therewith, might thus be prevented from entering into any general conspiracy against the public peace. Each of these colleges had distinct meeting-places or halls, and also a treasury and common chest, a register, a person to represent them upon public occasions, and acts of government. They had the privilege of manumitting slaves, of being legates, and of making bye-laws for their own body, provided these did not clash with those of the government.
There are various colleges among the moderns, founded on the model of those of the ancients. Such are the three colleges of the empire, viz.— College of Electors, or their Deputies, which formerly assembled in the diet of Ratibon. College of Princes, or the body of princes, or their deputies at the diet of Ratibon. College of Cities is, in like manner, the body of deputies which the imperial cities send to the diet. College of Cardinals, or the Sacred College, a body composed of the three orders of cardinals. See Cardinal. College is also used for a public place endowed with certain revenues, where the several branches of learning are taught. The establishment of colleges or universities is a remarkable period in literary history. The schools in cathedrals and monasteries confined themselves chiefly to the teaching of grammar, and there were only one or two masters employed in that office. But in colleges, professors were appointed to teach the different parts of science. The first obscure mention of academical degrees in the university of Paris, from which the other universities in Europe have borrowed most of their customs and institutions, occurs A.D. 1215. See Universities. College of Civilians, commonly called Doctors' Commons, a college near St. Paul's Churchyard in London, founded by Dr Harvey, dean of the arches, for the professors of the civil law. Here also usually reside the judge of the arches court of Canterbury, the judge of the admiralty, of the prerogative court, &c., with other civilians, who live in a collegiate manner, commencing together; whence the appellation of Doctors' Commons. Their house being consumed in the great fire, they all resided at Exeter House in the Strand till 1672, when their house was rebuilt in a very splendid manner at the charge of the profession. To this college belong thirty-four proctors, who make themselves parties for their clients, manage their causes, &c. In the common hall the high court of admiralty and the principal spiritual courts are held. London College of Physicians, a corporation of physicians, who, by several charters and acts of parliament of Henry VIII. and his successors, have certain privileges, in virtue of which no man, though a graduate in physic of any university, may, without license, under the said college-seal, practise physic in or within seven miles of London. They have also power to administer oaths, fine and imprison offenders in that and several other particulars, to search the apothecaries' shops, &c., in and about London, to see if their drugs, &c., be wholesome, and their compositions according to the form prescribed by the college in their dispensatory. By the said charter they are also freed from all troublesome offices, such as serving on juries, being constables, keeping watch, providing arms, &c. Of this college there are a president, four censors, eight electors, a registrar, and a treasurer chosen annually in October. The censors have, by charter, power to survey, govern, and arrest, all physicians, or others practising physic, in or within seven miles of London, and to fine, amerce, and imprison them at discretion. The number of fellows was anciently thirty, till Charles II. increased their number to forty; and James II., giving them a new charter, allowed the number of fellows to be enlarged so as not to exceed fourscore; reserving to himself and successors the power of placing and displacing any of them for the future.
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 L5 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 the practice of curing wounds, contusions, fractures, and other external operations.
London College of Surgeons was established by ancient charters, one of which dates as far back as 1st Edw. IV. Its members are empowered to practise freely and without restraint the art and science of surgery throughout all his Majesty's dominions, and are exempt from serving as constables, jurymen, &c.
In the year 1843 this college petitioned the Crown for a new charter to alter the constitution of the college as established by the charters of 1800 and 1823; and a new charter was granted to the college, dated the 14th of September 1843, whereby the number of members of the council was increased from 21 to 24, and a new class of members, called fellows, was created, with extended rights and privileges; the fellows to elect the members of the council from amongst themselves, instead of vacancies in the council being filled up by the council itself; future members of the council no longer to hold office for life, but three of them to go out of office annually. The examiners may now be elected from the fellows; and the future examiners to hold office during the pleasure of the council, and not for life.
The two principal sergeant-surgeons to the Crown, and the surgeon-general to the forces no longer entitled to become members of the court of examiners upon the first vacancy after their appointment, in preference to other members of the college.
Under the provisions of the new charter, above 500 of the existing members have been created fellows; and by bye-laws and ordinances passed in pursuance of such charter, all members of the college (present as well as future) are entitled to be admitted to examination for the fellowship after a certain number of years' practice; that is to say, any person who shall have been a member on the 14th day of September 1844, is entitled to be admitted to the examination upon production of a certificate, signed by three fellows, that he has been eight years in practice, and is a fit and proper person to be admitted a fellow; and any person who shall have become a member of the college after the said 14th day of September 1844, is entitled to be admitted to such examination for the fellowship on production of a certificate, that he has a competent knowledge of Greek, Latin, and French, and of the elements of mathematics, and a certificate, signed by three fellows, that he has been 12 years in practice, and is a fit and proper person to be admitted a fellow. All members of the college, future as well as present (as well as other persons), are also entitled to be admitted to examination for the fellowship at any time, upon complying with the bye-laws and ordinances required to be observed by candidates for the fellowship: several members of the college, who were so qualified, have passed the examination, and become fellows of the college accordingly.
Persons not being members of the college, by obtaining the fellowship thereby, become members of the college, and acquire all the rights and privileges of other members.
Edinburgh College of Surgeons. This is an institution by which the surgeons of Edinburgh are incorporated into a royal college. They have the privilege of examining and licensing, if found qualified, all practitioners in surgery within certain bounds.
The examinations conducted by the Board of Examiners of this College may be classed under three heads—
I.—The Examination for the Diploma of a Licentiate.
The persons holding this diploma are entitled to practise the arts of anatomy, surgery, and pharmacy, within the counties of Edinburgh, Linlithgow, Haddington, Fife, Peebles, Selkirk, Roxburgh, and Berwick. The diploma of licentiate of this College is also admitted by the Army and Navy Medical Boards, and by the East India Company, as a qualification for becoming a medical officer of their several establishments.
The holders of this diploma, though possessing no anterior statutory privilege, have been by the custom of the country received as practitioners of these arts in every part of Scotland, and, till the passing of the Apothecaries' act of 1815, in every part of England, except London.
II.—The Examination for the Diploma of Fellow of the Royal College.
The candidates for this grade must have previously passed through the examination for the grade of licentiate. The holders of the fellowship are, therefore, entitled to all the privileges of licentiates, and they hold besides an exclusive right of practice within the city and liberties of Edinburgh. All licentiates may become candidates for the fellowship, and are entitled to become fellows on passing the prescribed examination.
No prosecution has been raised for a very long period of time to enforce the rights of the college against any persons for their not possessing either of the above qualifications.
III.—By the regulations of the Medical Board of the Royal Navy, medical officers, on promotion to the rank of full surgeon, are required to pass a second examination before a competent board; and the examiners of this college have been in the habit for many years of conducting such second examinations under the sanction of the navy medical board.
College of Justice, the supreme civil court of Scotland; otherwise called Court of Session, or of Council and Session.
See Scotland.
Sion College, or the college of the London clergy, has time out of mind been a religious house, sometimes under the denomination of a priory, sometimes under that of a spital or hospital. At its dissolution under 31st Henry VIII., it was called Elson's Spital, from the name of its founder, a mercer, who organized it in 1329. At present it is a composition of both; namely, a college for the clergy within the city of London, who were incorporated in 1681 (in pursuance of the will of the Rev. Thomas White) under the name of the President and Fellows of Sion College, and an hospital for ten poor men and as many women. The officers of the corporation are the president, two deans, and four assistants, who are annually chosen from among the rectors and vicars of London, and are subject to the visitation of the bishop.
College of Heralds, commonly called the Herald's Office, a corporation founded by charter of Richard III., who granted them several privileges, such as freedom from subsidies, tolls, offices, &c. They had a second charter from Henry VI.; and a house built near Doctors' Commons by the Earl of Derby in the reign of Henry VII. was given them by the Duke of Norfolk in the reign of Mary. This house has now been rebuilt.
This college is subordinate to the earl marshal of England, and the members are assistants to him in his court of chivalry, usually held in the common hall of the college.
College of Heralds in Scotland, consists of the Lyon king at arms, six heralds, and six pursuivants, with a number of messengers.