PARIS DOCTORS IN RIOT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXIX, Issue 7725, 19 February 1909, Page 4

PARIS DOCTORS IN RIOT.

A riot of the most furious character took place- m Paris m the famous Quartier Latin, many well-known doctors with the body of medical students having a. fierce battle with the police, who eventually made many arrests. The cause of the trouble was the new ' preliminary examination open only to candidates' who have completed their full medical course, which has been inaugurated as a test for admission to the full examination for the Fellows' Degree m Medicine. In regard to this the Faculty is oneiily charged with gross favouritism, and Professor Bouchard, who is president of the examining body, has made himself particularly obnoxious to the candidates. The bellicose doctors, many wearing the ribbon of the Legion of Honour, supported by their auxiliaries, the students, attacked the University building from three points simultaneously, sweeping aside the police and forcing an entrance. Their chief weapons were walking-sticks, umbrellas, tomatoes, and very stale eggs. A desperate fight took place m the courtyard, where the invaders encountered' a second line of defence. The police, infuriated by the showers of evil-smelling missiles which were rained upon them, attacked the rioters with a will, using their fists and the flats of their sword-bayonets. Meanwhile a second detachment of rioters carried by assault the stairs and burst into the examination hall, whence the mem- j bers of the examination body, with Professor Bouchard at their head, fled for their lives. Many of the rioters were injured, and a number of them arrested, which further incensed the students, some six hundred of whom about five o'clock demonstrated before the Prefecture of Police shouting, "Assassins, Assassins!" but M. Lepine came out and gave them a good scolding; told them he was ashamed of them, and finally sent them back to the Quartier Latin by tram