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MEDICAL TEACHING. 335
Montpellier and Padua, as is apparent from numerous
biographies of celebrated physicians of the 16th century.*
A doctor of Gottingen, in 1420, left a legacy of 600 florins
on the interest of which a poor student of medicine was to
be maintained for four years at Montpellier.f FELIX
PLATTER also betook himself thither from Basel to complete
his medical studies.
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION AND ITS ATTITUDE
TOWARDS THE MOVEMENTS OF THE
SIXTEENTH CENTURY.
THE medical examinations were of the same pattern as
before. But the academical degrees sank much in value, in. •
consequence of the easy terms upon which they were,'.;
granted at many academies. As early as the year 1502
complaints were made that " horse-dealers, traders in cattle,
and other common people, who have not the slightest
acquaintance with ARISTOTLE and are ignorant of even the
first elements of grammar " obtained the title of Magister in
the philosophical faculty of Paris.J At some French' *
universities the degree of Doctor of Medicine was even
sold for money. King FRANCIS I. on this account felt himself
obliged to extend his recognition to the medical
diplomas of Paris and Montpellier only.§ In Padua the
singular custom arose of the candidates bringing with them
assistants to the examination who whispered to them the
answers to the questions which were put. The convenience
of the candidates was still further consulted if, as AUGUSTIN
LEYSER states, the questions with the answers annexed
* MELCHIOR ADAM: Vitae Germanorum Medicorum, Heidelberg 1620.—A.
BUDINSZKY : Die Universitat Paris und die Fremden an derselben im Mittelalter,
Berlin 1876,8. 115 et seq.
t SCHMIDT: Gottinger Urkundenbuch ii, 20.
X BUL£US : Hist. Universitat. Paris 1673,T. vi, p. n.
§ H. TOLLIN in VIRCHOW'S Archiv 1880, Bd. 8o, S. 66, and in the Biol.
Ccntralblatt, Bd. v, S. 341.