Notes on the Corporation of Surgeons and Barbers of the City of Edinburgh

Abstract

The historic relationship between surgeons and barbers is considered. The article corrects a previously published inference that the Court of Session in 1722 had decided that barbers had never been full members of the Corporation under the Seal of Cause, as they had not been required to pass the examinations laid down in that document, but had merely been dependent on the surgeons. In fact the Court had signified their opinion that the barbers admitted to the Society prior to 1648 were entitled to the same privileges as the surgeons. In the pleadings before the\r\nCourt of Session the two following reasons for the connection were given: that both callings made use of sharp implements, and that shaving was a necessary and preliminary operation to either bleeding or dressing of head wounds, and that in consequence a surgeon had either to be able to shave or had to call in a barber.