▁medicine ▁remained ▁un reg ulated ▁until ▁several ▁dec ades ▁later . ▁ ▁A ▁publication ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 0 ▁British ▁Medical ▁Journal ▁revealed ▁an ▁increase ▁in ▁professional ▁conscious ness ▁from ▁medical ▁pract ition ers ▁in ▁England . ▁Phys icians ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁came ▁to ▁have ▁the ▁features ▁of ▁modern ▁prof essions . ▁ ▁A ▁major ▁one ▁was ▁aut onomy . ▁This ▁was ▁further ▁emphas ized ▁with ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁a ▁cont rolling ▁body ▁of ▁the ▁profession . ▁Compet ition ▁and ▁over c row ding ▁( two ▁or ▁three ▁dec ades ▁after ▁ 1 9 3 0 ) ▁also ▁put ▁pressure ▁on ▁govern ments ▁to ▁establish ▁a ▁system ▁of ▁registration ▁and ▁requirements ▁for ▁those ▁who ▁wished ▁to ▁practice . ▁This ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁Medical ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 8 4 0 . ▁In ▁fact , ▁this ▁council ▁consisted ▁mostly ▁of ▁do ctors . ▁Therefore , ▁they ▁were ▁in ▁control ▁of ▁reg ulating ▁their ▁own ▁profession . ▁ ▁The ▁act ▁required ▁their ▁members ▁to ▁over see ▁medical ▁education , ▁keep ▁track ▁of ▁the ▁numbers ▁of ▁qualified ▁pract ition ers , ▁and ▁reg ulate ▁it ▁for ▁the ▁government . ▁P g ▁ 6 8 8 . ▁It ▁gave ▁the ▁qualified ▁more ▁power ▁and ▁set ▁limitations ▁on ▁the ▁un qual ified . ▁The ▁ex clusion ▁from ▁government ▁service ▁of ▁the ▁un qual ified ▁pract ition ers ▁was ▁the ▁most ▁influ ential ▁policy . ▁ ▁Al ong ▁with ▁the ▁act , ▁the ▁qualified ▁pract ition ers ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁known ▁as ▁the