The medical student's guide, or, Plain instructions as to the best course to be pursued by those entering the medical profession : with notices of the medical schools and examining boards in the United Kingdom / by W. Douglas Hemming.

  • Hemming, William Douglas, 1848-1881.
Date:
1876
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The medical student's guide, or, Plain instructions as to the best course to be pursued by those entering the medical profession : with notices of the medical schools and examining boards in the United Kingdom / by W. Douglas Hemming. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    19/22 (page 17)
    THE MEDICAL STUDENT'S GUIDE. 17 The London Hospital.—Tho Modical Society was founded in 1874, and is in a flourishing condition. Tho meetings are held In the College on alternate Wednesdays during tho winter Bession at 7.30 p.m. Papors on medical and scientiSc subjects are discussed, speoimens exhibited, and cases narrated and commented upon. The Middlesex Hospital.—The Students' Medical Society was founded in 1774, and is established under regulations sanctioned by the governing body of the hospital. Its moetings are hold once a fortnight during the winter session in tho board-room of the hospital. It awards two prizes annually, ono for the best paper of the year, and tho othor for tho exhibition and descrip- tion of morbid speoimens. St. Mary's Hospital.—The Medical Sooiety moets on alternate Wednesday evenings during the winter session at 8 p.m., for the exhibition of pathological specimens, the discussion of clinical cases, and the reading of papers on medical, surgical, and collateral subjects. Both St. Thomas's Hospital and University College have Students' Medical Societies attached, and we believe that their meetings are held weekly during the winter session, though we have no positive information on this point. The only London hospital not possessing a Medical Society in Westminster. Within the last two years a Student's Medical Society has been established at Charing Cross. With regard to tho Provincial Hospital Medical Societies we have no information, but we bolieve that at Birmingham and Manchester, at any rate, such societies exist. At Edinburgh the Koyal Medical Society of Edinburgh, which is a Students' Society, iB a very old established and flourishing institution. It was first formally constituted in in 1737, and possesses a very fine library and reading-room. Of the great advantage of the»e societies to the student there can be no question, and we would adviso every student to take the earliest opportunity of joining and taking an active part in the debates and discussions. Some few years ago an effort was made to unite all the London hospitals into ono society, called the Junior Medical Society of London. It is much to be re- gretted that the scheme failed, and the society died a natural death, as wo believe that such an organisation, if well managed, would prove very beneficial. There is at present much too little known of each other by the students of the different hospitals, and wo should much like to see more cohesion be- tween them. The only organisation including all the hospitals, which can be said to have flourished is the United Hospitals' Athletic Club, and oven from this some of the hospitals seem now to stand aloof, or at any rate take no active part in it. In fact, in the matter of amusement, tho medical students of London, as a body, are rather badly off. Cricket, athletic, boating, and football clubs aro in existence at some of tho hos- pitals, but many of thom but struggle on in a feeble and languishing manner. Football and athletics seem the most flourishing, and in these St. Georgo's, Guy's, University, St. Bartholomew's, and King's aro most conspicuous. Tho Athletio Challenge Shield is in the hands of St. George's. Cricket flourishes but littlo among medical studonts, in spite of tho fact that tho greatest crickotor of tho prosont or any preceding gonoration—Mr. W. G. Graco—is ono of thoir number. Surely this fact should stimulate modical students to chorish crickot, which is the game for Englishmen, par cxcollonoe. Among organisations which deservo the support of medical students we may mention tho London University Riflo Corps. Many of the members of this corps aro students of the London hospitals, and it is greatly dosirod to form an entiro company of medical students. Space will not ponnit of our onlarging on the great benoflts to bo dorivod from participation in such a movement, but we strongly rocommond our roadors to join tho London University Rifles. Mr. W. D. Ilartloy, of Guy'B Hospital, will afford full information. It may bo said that modical studonts havo vory littlo timo for entering into theao amusomontB, and this is no doubt to a oertain extent true. But all work and no play will make Jack a vory dull boy, and therefore it is essential that the lecture theatre and the wards should be exchanged now and then for the oricket field and tho river. We would also hint that the latter are much more healthy places of amusement than the billiard room or tho music hall, where many students spend their afternoons and evenings. To this question of amusement in evenings, howover, we shall return in the next chapter. It will be soen as we havo said, that there is very little co- hesion between the students of the various hospitals. In fact, almost the only bond of union is to be found in The Students' Journal, and here they, as well as their contemporaries of the Provincial, Scotch, and Irish schools can meet on common ground, knowing that in their own organ, they have a fearless advocate for any just demands, a medium for any complaints they may make, and a ruthless opponent of all professional shams and abuses, without regard to person or position. Chapter VII. Residences for the London Student—where, and how to live; Lo- calities; Hours of Work; Recreation- Theatres; Music Halls; Billiards iSrc., Constitutionals ; Early Risina; Late Work, fate. This chapter will be devoted to the consideration of the em- ployment of the student when at home, or at any rate when away from his lectures and hospital work, and out of the way of deans and lecturers. In the first place then, we will say a few words as to the most eligible spots where tho London medical student may pitch his tent. Imprimis, shall it be in London itself, or in the suburban districts ? There is much to be said in favour of each of these situations. If the student settle himself close to his work, he is, of course, able to spend more time at the hospital, and by being so near at hand he sees many cases at chance times which those living some distance off do not see. To set against this advantage there is the drawback of the un- hoalthiness, comparatively speaking, of the heart of London, and the difficulty of getting walks. To the young man who, perhaps, has lived all his life in some country town or village, in the midst of trees, fields, streams, and other beautiful and salubrious surroundings, tho change to the interminable brick and mortar of London is a vory great ono, and frequently has an injurious effect on the health. At the present time, therefore, when the railway, omnibus, and tramway placo what we Londoners call the country, i.e. the suburban districts, within such easy reach of the heart of the City, wo should adviso the student not to take up his abode in tho immediate vicinity of his hospital, but to reside in someone of the rural and salubrious suburbs, which surround the city on all sides. Of courso wo do not expect our advico to be followed in all instances, nor is it possible to give ono set rule which will apply to all. Somo mon cannot Btand a daily journey by 'bus or rail, and others again do not find that their health is any better in tho suburbs than in London itself. Such individuals should therefore remain in town, and may always find suitable lodgings in tho vicinity of thoir hospital. There are also in London many modical mon who take students to reside with thorn, and superintend their studios. Some of thoso gentle- men, who hold hospital and disponsary appointments, and with whom timo spent by pupils will count as part of tho curriculum to the extont of a year or eighteen months, aro connected with Mr. Oooko's preparatory medical school in Stamford-streot. Gthors aro locturors or profossors in ono or othor of the modical schools. Somo of tho modical colleges, indood, notably Bartholomew's and King's, have rooms on thoir own premises for tho residence of studonts, and thono aro cortainly much to bo recomniendod. Somo mon, howovor, robol against what they aro ploased to con- sider tho restraint of this oollogiato systom and insist on being