CHAP. 53.

Public commencements
may be held
—diplomas, &c.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Provisos.

    12.  AND, for animating and encouraging the students of said
college to a laudable diligence, industry and progress, in medical
science, BE IT ENACTED, That the said regents, and their successors,
shall, by a written mandate, under their privy seal, and
the hand of their president or vice-president, have full power and
authority to direct the medical faculty of the said college to hold
public commencements, either on stated annual days, or occasionally,
as the future ordinances of the said institutions may direct,
and at the said commencements to admit any of the students of the
said college, meriting the same, (whose names shall be severally
inserted in the said mandate,) to the office and profession of surgeon,
or to the degree of bachelor or doctor of medicine; and it is
hereby enacted, that the president or vice-president shall make out
and sign, with his name, diplomas and certificates of the admission
to such offices or degrees, which shall be sealed with the public or
greater seal of the college or corporation, and delivered to the
graduates as honourable and perpetual testimonials of such admission;
which diploma or certificate, if thought necessary for doing
greater honour to such graduates, shall also be signed by the names
of the different professors or lecturers, or as many of them as can
conveniently sign the same; Provided always, that no student or
students within the said college shall be admitted to any such
offices or degrees, or have their names inserted in any mandate for
that purpose, until such students shall have been first duly examined
and thought worthy of the same, at a public examination of candidates
to be held previous to the day of commencement in the said
college, by and in the presence of the regents and other persons 
choosing to attend the same, and shall also have undergone such
previous private examinations, and have perform such exercises,
as shall be prescribed by the future ordinances of the college; And
provided further, that no student or students in the said college shall
be admitted to the degree of doctor of medicine, unless he or they
shall have attended lectures in the said college during two terms,
and shall, during that period, have attended each of the lectures
prescribed by the ordinances for at least one term, and shall also
have written, and caused to be printed, a thesis or theses in the
Latin or English language, and shall publicly defend the same on
the day of commencement; but the regents of the college shall, at
any time, have power to consider the having attended lectures in
any the medical seminary, of established reputation, for an equal
space of time, as equivalent to having attended one of the terms 
above prescribed.