In the fifth year of the reign of King Charles I. the surgeons were by letters patent authorised to elect ten of the freemen of that society to be examiners of the surgeons of London during life; and it was ordered, that no person whether a freeman of London, or a foreigner, should practise surgery within the cities of London and Westminster, or within the distance of seven miles of the city of London, without being first examined by two or more of the above examiners, and having authority from the company of barber surgeons to practise the art of surgery: allowing all who were thus approved, to practise surgery in any part of England. It was likewise ordained that no one whether a freeman of the barber surgeons company, or a foreigner, a native, or alien, should undertake the office of surgeon of any ship, whether in the service of the crown, or of any merchant or others, unless they, and their medicines, instruments and chests, were first examined, inspected and allowed by two such masters or governors of this company. The surgeons continued thus incorporated with the barbers, under the denomination of barber surgeons, till the year 1745; having the same hall, a very noble structure erected by Inigo Jones, in which is a theatre, wherein dissections were performed and lectures read. At that period the surgeons applying to parliament, observed, that since the two companies had been united, those who had practised surgery have from their constant application to the study of that science, rendered it of great benefit to the nation; while the barbers have been long, and still are employed in a business foreign to, and independent of the practice of surgery, and therefore finding their union with the barbers in many respects inconvenient, and that their separation would greatly contribute to the improvement of surgery, desired that they might be made distinct and separate companies; upon which an act was passed accordingly, and the surgeons incorporated by the name of _the master, governors and commonalty of the art and science of surgery_ of London. By the above act they were confirmed in the possession of all their former privileges, impowered to chuse a principal, master, or governor, two other governors, or wardens, ten examiners of surgeons, and to have a court of assistants consisting of twenty-one persons. See the article BARBERS.