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The Titles of Dr. Jekyll in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

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The Titles of Dr. Jekyll in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

In the novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll held a number of titles, including M.D., D.C.L., LL.D., and F.R.S. These titles indicate that Dr Jekyll was a well educated in man in both medicine and law.

The first title, M.D., stands for doctor of medicine. In the mid 1800's (about the time Jekyll would have been educated), medical students attended medical school for approximately 3-4 years (there was no definite length). Their training was based around "natural philosophy": their studies included anatomy, physiology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, therapeutics, biology, surgery, sociology and philosophy. Along with these subjects, …show more content…

Another title held by Jekyll is D.C.L., or doctor of civil (canon) law. The foundation of this training rests in the beliefs of the British (and American) common law system. The common law system was derived from the Roman Catholic Church, and focuses on the judicial decisions, penalties and damages after an offense was committed. Heavy emphasis is placed on studying previously decided cases. Apparently, this degree no longer exists, or perhaps it has been changed, but I could not find evidence to support either case.

Jekyll also held the title of LL.D. (legum doctor) or doctor of laws. A student would have to study approximately two to four years to obtain this degree. While it was not necessary to hold any degree in law back in England in the 1800's, it was probably more beneficial and a "status builder" if you did go to school to earn a law degree. Edinburgh University was the most popular school for aspiring law students of that time to attend (in fact, Robert Louis Stevenson attended the University). Law students of that time studied introductory courses ( structure of government, organizations of courts of law), domestic relations, contracts with its actions, criminal law, real property, etc. They were required to pass an exam in each of the subjects in order to graduate. After leaving school, each student had to complete an apprenticeship. They also had to take a two part law exam after finishing their

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