Inaugural address delivered at the opening of the Medical Department of Lind University / by N.S. Davis.

  • Davis, N. S. (Nathan Smith), 1817-1904.
Date:
1859
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Inaugural address delivered at the opening of the Medical Department of Lind University / by N.S. Davis. 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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    its entire aspect. The new departments that have been devel- oped, exceed in extent, and equal in importance, the rudimen- tary branches forming the original scheme of medical education. They embrace what may be correctly designated the higher and scientific branches of education. To include them with the original courses, in lectures of four months' duration, is wholly impossible. After speaking of the crowded state of the profession, and its imperfect education, the same committee add : The profession look to the schools to reform this evil; and they anticipate longer courses, new branches added, higher requisites for graduation, and an adequate preliminary educa- tion, as the means by which it is to be accomplished. Elaborate and able reports from the standing committee on medical education were made to the Association, at its annual meetings in 1853, by Dr. Worthington Hooker, of Connecticut; in 1854, by Dr. G. L. Cabell, of Virginia; in 1857, by Dr. W. II. Anderson, of Alabama. In each of these reports the defec- tive condition of our medical college courses of instruction was as fully acknowledged as in any that we have already noticed. The last report which has been made to the Association on this subject, emanated from a special committee, of which Dr. James E. Wood, of New York, was chairman. The committee was appointed at the annual meeting of the Association in Nashville, May, 1857, and was instructed to report to the next annual meeting a definite plan of medical college organization and instruction. At the succeeding meeting in the city of Washington, May, 1858, Dr. J. E. Wood presented his report, which recognized the inadequacy of the prevailing system of medical college instruction, in the following explicit language, viz : The great advancement of medical science during the last few years has materially changed the character of the curriculum of medical studies. The more common branches, as anatomy, chemistry, practical medicine, surgery, obstetrics^ and materia medica, have been indefinitely enlarged, and now require for their complete elucidation far more time, and more patient and painstaking demonstration. But, in addition to the vast improvements, and their consequent expansion, other