An appeal to the public and especially to the medical public : from the proceedings of the trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, vacating the chair of materia medica and pharmacy / by John Redman Coxe.

  • Coxe, John Redman, 1773-1864.
Date:
1835
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An appeal to the public and especially to the medical public : from the proceedings of the trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, vacating the chair of materia medica and pharmacy / by John Redman Coxe. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    offer an opinion a9 lo any change which may or not affect its interests; but, as a citizen, and an active member of the Profession, I should view with regret any measures calculated to impair its usefulness or to diminish the high and honour- able standing which it has hitherto maintained. I am ignorant of any specified charges, if such have been urged against you, one of the oldest Professors; but, as far as the intimate acquain- tance with which, for the last eighteen years you have honoured me, entitles one to judge, I do most sincerely assure you that I am not aware of any single fact which can be construed to demonstrate either your ignorance or incapacity in that most useful and highly important branch of medical education, which you have so long and so faithfully taught. In regard to certain opinions said to have been expressed by some of the pupils, who in ordinary cases may be entitled to know some- thing of the respective merits of their teachers, were their judgments entirely unbiassed, yet when this is not the case, there is too much good sense, integrity, and intelligence in the Trustees, the common guardians of the brightest interests of this Institution, to allow any weight to be at- tached to purchased opinions from any quarter. I have the honour to be, Respectfully, your obedient servant. RICH. HARLAN, M. D. Doctor Jno. R. Coxe. My good Friend—I am indeed very sorry to learn that discord has for some months past pre- vailed in the medical school in this city, more especially as regards the Chair of the Materia Medica. Having through life endeavoured to avoid mingling in disputes, I have only generally heard of the unpleasant excitement that hath existed in the classes during the late season ; I therefore feel incompetent to offer any opinion on this particular occasion ; but in justice to your character, I am compelled to observe, that having long known and witnessed your talents, which always excited my admiration and applause, more particularly on the subject of the Materia Medica, I was induced to wonder that any excep- tion could be created against you on that head; and trust, when the mist of prejudice is removed, the Trustees of our justly celebrated University will impartially decide, and be guided by justice when the subject comes before them. In hopes the business will terminate agreeable to your wishes, I am with great respect, Your obliged friend, THOMAS PARKE. Locust St., March 26th, 1832. Philadelphia, March 26th, 1832. Dear Doctor— In answer to your note of yes- terday, received this afternoon, I am willing to express my opinion that you are fully competent to the task of preparing and delivering a highly valuable course of lectures on the Materia Medica. Your extensive reading enables you to give a correct view of the present state of knowledge, and your habits of industry and inquiry will in-] sure to your class a full and accurate account of all the improvements, as they occur, in that in- teresting branch of Medical Science. I am very respectfully, your friend, JOSEPH HARTSHORNE. Dr. J. R. Coxe. Dear Doctor—Thy note of the 25th has been received, and in reply I can with pleasure add my testimony in favour of thy entire competency to perform the duties connected with the chair of Materia Medica in the University of Pennsylva- nia. I may add, also, that I have heard the late Dr. Samuel Powell Griffitts express an opinion favourable to thy abilities as a teacher of Materia Medica. Very respectfully, thy friend, JOHN MOORE. Philadelphia, 3d mo. 26th, 1832. Philadelphia, March 28th, 1832. Dear Sir—I have pleasure in expressing the sentiment, that your attainments in our profession are far beyond a majority of us, and that your talents and learning, which make you valuable as a public teacher, will ever command the re- spect of an unprejudiced medical public. Yours, respectfully, HENRY NEILL. Dr. Jno. R. Coxe. To the Trustees of the University of Pennsyl- vania. Gentlemen—With Professor John Redman Coxe I have had the pleasure of an acquaintance for many years, during a part of which time I recollect to have been associated with him in the medical societies of our city, having thereby, as well as in other ways, been afforded many favour- able opportunities of forming an opinion of his professional qualifications. From the knowledge, then, which I have on this important though delicate subject, I do not hesitate to aver that Professor Coxe is possessed of talents, industry, and much medical erudition. Respectfully, JOSEPH KLAPP. Philadelphia, 28th March, 1832. Philadelphia, 3d mo. 31, 1832. Dear Doctor—If the subjoined will be of any use to thee, it will be a source of lasting satisfac- tion to thy friend, ' N. SHOEMAKER. Dr. Jno. Redman Coxe. Having been a student of medicine at the time when Dr. Jno. Redman Coxe was appointed a Professor in the University of Pennsylvania, I had the pleasure of attending the first course of lectures delivered by him in that ancient and re- spectable institution. A persevering industry in collecting, and ap- parent satisfaction in imparting, medical know- ledge, has been shown conspicuously in his cha- racter from that time to the present, and entitle him to the highest respect as a member of the medical profession. N. SHOEMAKER. Philadelphia, April 3d, 1832. My dear Sir—I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of yesterday, in which you