The Medical Act of 1858, at the instigation of the newly established British Medical Association, established the General Medical Council to protect the public by controlling admission to the medical register on the basis of explicit educational and ethical standards to exclude unqualified practitioners from practicing medicine and to ensure that only those orthodox practitioners who had attained the prescribed standards were admitted to the register. Moreover, qualified medical practitioners who fell below the prescribed standards were liable to disciplinary action, including removal from the register if they were found guilty of “infamous conduction in a professional respect,” performing abortions or active euthanasia, having sexual relations with patients, abusing alcohol or drugs, fee splitting, “covering” for medical practice carried out by unregistered persons, convictions in court that would bring dishonor to the profession, abuse of financial opportunities afforded by medical practice, improper denigration of professional colleagues, advertising for the physician’s own financial advantage, and canvassing for patients. American standards for unprofessional conduct of both physicians and pharmacists developed from the British model.