In any case, this law remained a dead letter, and hardly four months had elapsed since it had been passed when the Directoire was compelled once again to draw the legislators' attention to the dangers that an uncontrolled medicine presented for citizens: A positive law should compel anyone who claims to practise one of the professions of the art of healing to undergo long studies and examination by a severe jury; science and custom must be respected, but incompetence and imprudence must be contained; public penalties should deter cupidity and suppress crimes that are little short of murder.g