Address to the Edinburgh medical graduates, August 2, 1869 / by John H. Balfour.

  • Balfour, John H.
Date:
1869
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Address to the Edinburgh medical graduates, August 2, 1869 / by John H. Balfour. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    his knowledge of medicine as a handmaid to his missionary labours, —to heal diseases and to preach the Gospel. He has submitted a valuable thesis, illustrated by a- large number of microscopical preparations, which bear evidence of his ability, skill, and persever¬ ance. His original observations entitle him to the medal. Besides these, the thesis of Dr Lightfoot on Carbolic Acid chemically con¬ sidered was thought worthy of competition for a medal, and has been marked with two stars ; while the theses of Dr James Ormiston Affleck and of Dr C. Currie Bitchie have been commended, and marked each with one star. The Medical Faculty have been called upon this year to make the award of the Ettles Medical Scholarship. This scholarship was founded in 1868 by Miss Mary Ettles, of Inverness (chiefly at the suggestion of Professor Syme), as a memorial of her late brother, John Ettles, Esquire, merchant, Havannah. It consists of the annual proceeds of the sum of £1000 mortified for the purpose. In the deed of foundation it is stated that the scholarship shall be annually awarded to the graduate in medicine of the University of Edinburgh whom the Medical Faculty may consider the most distinguished amongst the graduates of that year. It is open to all the graduates, whether M.D. or M.B. In determining the prize for the first time, the Medical Faculty have encountered no small difficulty, on account of having on their list many distin¬ guished graduates who were nearly equal in merit. After a careful comparison of the results of the examinations which they have undergone for the degree of M.B., the Faculty have re¬ commended the Senatus to confer the scholarship this year on Dr Henry Alleyne Nicholson, who took the degrees of M.B. and C.M. at this University with honours in 1867, who is also a Doctor of Science of Edinburgh, and gained a gold medal in 1867 for a thesis on the Geology of Cumberland and Westmoreland, which was afterwards published in an enlarged form. The Senatus have adopted the recommendation of the Medical Faculty, and the Vice-Chancellor will now present to Dr Nicholson the certificate from the Dean of the Medical Faculty, which entitles him to draw the free annual proceeds of the fund for the session 1868-69. We this day certify your fitness for the duties of the medical profession in all its branches. We send you forth as men who have received a liberal education, who are capable of mingling in Ifterary and scientific society, and at the same time are well qualified to promote the honour and dignity of the medical pro¬ fession, and alleviate the sufferings of humanity. Never forget that you have gained not only a license to practise medicine and surgery, but you have been invested with a high University honour which implies something more than the possession of an ordinary diploma. The distinction of a University degree is founded in no small measure on the possession of literary and scientific knowledge. Candidates for graduation must not think that the mere routine