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THE MOST ANCIENT ACADEMIES OF FRANCE. 229
administration than the division into faculties. The study
of the artes liberates formed the preliminary step to the
study of theology, law and medicine, the "philosophical
faculty" forming, as it were, a foundation for the three
others.
By "medical faculty" was understood not only, as is
now the case, the staff of teachers of the medical school,
but the whole body of legally qualified doctors in Paris.
Since originally every doctor who had passed the examination
was at liberty to teach in the high school it was
natural to identify the two classes, the more so that frequently
the same persons played a leading part in both.
But not every doctor was able or willing to act as teacher
of his art. The medical corporation decided, therefore,
to depute annually certain of its members to the duty
of teaching. This, however, demanded knowledge and
ability not possessed by everyone; it was, therefore, very
natural that a class of doctors who made teaching their
profession was gradually formed. These circumstances
must be carefully considered if we wish rightly to understand
the state of the university of Paris at this time and
of the medical studies pursued there. They explain the
independent position held by the medical faculty in regard
to. the university, the influence exerted by the doctors who
held themselves aloof from professorships upon medical
teaching, and many other facts which, as they are transmitted
by history, appear singular and enigmatical. In
Paris, too, the Rector was originally the head of the associations
of students—of the "nations." Since the
members of these "nations," either as students or
graduates, belonged to the philosophical faculty, or stood
m relation to it, it ensued of its own accord that the Rector
gradually came to have the management of this faculty.
The faculty of the liberal arts, however, formed the,
foundation of the whole university; thence came it that
the Rector afterwards advanced to the head of this. As
early as 1280 he was looked upon as head of the whole