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[Ric Gillespie]

I'm working on a paper that will trace the history of the castaway of Gardner Island from its discovery by a Gilbertese work party in the spring of 1940 to the current re-analysis of the bone measurements by forensic anthropologist Richard Jantz, PhD.  In examining the Western Pacific High Commission (WPHC) file for the umpteenth time since we discovered and copied it in England in 1998 (see Bones Chronology), I'm struck by the depth of the WPHC effort to NOT thoroughly investigate Gallagher's suspicion that he might possibly have found Amelia Earhart.
Dr. David W. Hoodless examined the skeleton and judged it to be definitely the remains of male.  He estimated the man to be not less than 45 years old standing approximately 5 feet 5 and a half inches in height.  He thought the person was probably not a pure South Sea Islander but more likely a European or mixed-race individual of stocky, muscular build.
I don't doubt for a minute that Hoodless was doing his best but central to the question of how reliable his opinions were are ihs qualifications in forensic medicine.  In 1941, Hoodless was Principal of the Central Medical School in Suva, Fiji where he had been a teacher since 1929.  The Central Medical School did not train doctors.  It trained Native Medical Practitioners (NMPs) who provided basic medical services to populations on outlying islands.
According to his biography "Misi Utu" authored by his daughter Margaret Guthrie, Hoodless took a leave of absence in 1934 and completed his medical training in England at Charing Cross Hospital in 1935. At his death in 1955, the British Medical Journal showed him as "David W. Hoodless Bsc, LMSSA." "Bsc" means Bachelor of Science, but I haven't been able to find "LLMSA."  The British equivalent of an American MD is "MB" (Medicinae Baccalaureus). A surgeon is "ChB" (Baccalaureus Chirurgiae.)  So what was LMSSA?

[Harbert William Davenport]

Licentiate of Medicine & Surgery of The Society of Apothecaries

according to abbreviations.com, just for starters...

[Arthur Rypinski]

to add a bit, I learn that the Society of Apothecaries, under a charter granted by King James, is/was authorized to license doctors in Britain.  The Society does not, however, operate any medical schools.  Rather, they conduct exams, and if the applicant passes the test, they are licensed to practice medicine.   Apparently, people who fail their university medical exams can   (and do) take the Society of Apothecaries test.   Here is a the first page of a 1982 article from the British Journal of Medicine, titled "LMSSA:  A Back Door Entry into Medicine?"

http://www.bmj.com/content/294/6576/890

[Ric Gillespie]

Great work gentlemen.  Thank you.  This is a big help.

[Arthur Rypinski]

A few more details and color related to British medical education:

1) British medical education is somewhat different from the US system.  British primary and secondary education runs thirteen years, rather than twelve in the United States, culminating in the A-level exams for 18 year-olds.   University education, however, is three years instead of four, usually culminating in a bachelor's degree.  I believe that some older universities (Cambridge) call their undergraduate degree "master's" for added confusion.      Medical school begins directly after A-levels, and combines what would be considered in the United States as undergraduate and graduate studies.  Traditionally, the course is/was divided into 2-3 years of pre-clinical study of basic sciences, followed by 2-3 years of clinical studies specifically medical subjects, concluding in a much-feared examination and the award of bachelor of medicine degree, which is the formal qualification legally required to practice medicine in Britain.    The newly minted doctors then became "House Officers" at teaching hospitals for several years (similar to US residency programs) before they were considered fully qualified and employable.   For an account of pre-war British medical education, I would recommend Richard Gordon's presumably semi-autobiographical 1952 comic novel, "Doctor in the House," which later became a movie and a ~1970 BBC series. 

2)  The LMSSA functioned as an alternative to the usual system, and was frequently used by graduates of foreign medical schools who wished to practice in Britain, as well as by people who failed their exams at British universities.  Apparently, there was little scope for retaking a failed exam.   The last Society of Apothecaries exam was given in 1999, and the Society's legal authority to certify doctors was revoked in 2008.  People already holding LMSSAs are allowed to continue to practice medicine.  At least one Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to an LMSSA, Sir Richard Ross.

3)  The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries is a descendant of a medieval guild, splitting off from the Grocers in 1615 or so.  Its modern members are split between physicians and pharmacists. The modern Society continues to offer specialized diplomas in specialized subjects not offered by medical schools, such as midwifery, HIV medicine, medical care in catastrophes.   There is a 17th Century guildhall in Blackfriar's, and along with other London , members get to wear archaic uniforms and participate in various State events, such as royal weddings, coronations, and funerals.

adr