An introductory lecture delivered at King's College, London, at the opening of the medical session, October 1853 / by William Augustus Guy.

  • Guy, William A. (William Augustus), 1810-1885.
Date:
1853
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An introductory lecture delivered at King's College, London, at the opening of the medical session, October 1853 / by William Augustus Guy. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    SUBJECTS OF STUDY To such of our pupils as are now resuming their attendance upon Lectures, and still more, to the remainder of my audience, many of the remarks I am about to make must needs appear trite and commonplace. But I am quite sure that their own recollection of the time when they themselves first sat m a strange lecture-room, within strange walls, surrounde y strange faces, perhaps in a strange city, perhaps, also, far away from relations and friends from whom they had never before been so completely separated, with parting words of affec¬ tionate advice still fresh in their memory, and the confusing • noise of a populous and busy city ringing in their ears,-—their own recollection, I say, of that time of strangeness and isola¬ tion will plead my justification if I address myself mainly (at least in the first part of this Lecture) to those new comers to whom words of kindly welcome must be so grateful, and words of advice and encouragement so necessary. It is true that time and habit are the only effectual cure for those feelings of strangeness and isolation-of utter solitude amid busy crowds—which press so painfully on the freshman ; but it seems by no means impossible to make such a use of the present opportunity as may moderate, though it cannot altogether remove, those feelings. For, mixed up with them, amWidding to their intensity, it is easy to imagine a certain confusion and perplexity springing out of the contemplation of the number and variety of the subjects which the student is ex¬ pected to study, understand, and recollect; and it is but natural that he should feel some misgivings, lest his talents should prove unequal to the acquisition of so large an amount of knowledge. Now, the best way to moderate, if not to remove, such misgivings, is to pass the several subjects of study in review; to consider them one by one; to marshal them in their proper order; to show that the time allotted to them is sufficient; to point out how one study, paves the way for the more easy comprehension of that which is to follow; and to indicate the provisions which have been made to assist the student in his difficulties. This done, there will still be time to offer some remarks on