MADRAS MEDICAL COLLEGE.
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Preliminary Scientific Examination. The other two are qualifying for the L.M.S.
Degree.
5. Second Department.—The Second Department consisted of 53 Apprentices,
five Female students and seven Private students, or 65 in all. Of these, there were
21 students of third year, the same number of the second year, and 23 of the first.
During the year, the First Examinations (Final and Primary) under G.O., 23rd
August 1882, No. 228, were held by an independent Board of Examiners appointed
by Government. Nineteen of the third year's students presented themselves for
the Final Examination, and all, except four, passed for the grade of Apothecary.
The Acting Principal speaks well of the qualifications of these students and their
character. Twenty of the second year's students, including four Female pupils,
underwent the Primary Examination. Of these, 12 passed, one being a lady
student. In regard to the failures, they are ascribed by the Acting Principal
in his covering letter to the novelty of the examination and to the disadvantages
under which the students labored of having to study such advanced subjects as
Medicine, Clinical Medicine, Surgery and Clinical Surgery, owing to an alleged
defect in the curriculum which prescribes a more extended course of study than
that covered by the scheme of examination. The question of revising the cur-
riculum is under consideration, and will be separately disposed of and reported to
Government, if necessary. It involves two important changes, viz., 1 st, the
elimination of the advanced subjects above referred to from the first (two
years') course and confining them to the second course ; 2 nd, the extension of the
College course from three to four years. The College Council are in favor of these
changes, and the main question for settlement in this connection appears to be
whether the first year now devoted by Civil Hospital Apprentices to learning the
routine of practical work in Government or Local Fund Hospitals and Dispen-
saries may, instead, be spent, with advantage, in attendance at the Medical College
and General Hospital. There would seem to be probably better opportunities
of giving practical training in routine matters at Madras than elsewhere. The
subject, however, requires further investigation.
Regarding the first year's students of this department, it is simply remarked
that they are favorably reported on by the Professors. The abolition of the
College examinations has, apparently, left no means of gauging the progress of the
pupils in this class at the end of the year ; but the class examinations held by the
Professors during the Session in the proportion of one to every three meetings,
doubtless suffice to test the intelligence, industry and progress of the pupils.
6. Junior or Third Department.—There were 55 students in this department.
Of these, 14 were third year pupils who appeared for the Final Examination for
the Hospital Assistant Grade. Ten of them passed.
No mention is made of the second and first year classes, but it is reported of
the pupils, as a whole, that their teachers entertain a favorable opinion of their
industry and behaviour and that their progress has been fairly satisfactory. It has
already been noted in reviewing the Board of Examiners' report that the success
obtained by this class of students was more satisfactory in the school at
R á y a - p u r a m , a s w a s e x p e c t e d , w h e n t h e t r a n s f e r o f t h e s e c l a s s e s t o R á y a p u r a m w a s
recommended to Government.
7. Chemist and Druggist Class.—
T h e r w e r e o n l y s e v e n p u p i l s i n t h i s c l a s s . F o u r
of these showed fair ability and good progress in Materia Medica, but of the three
who appeared before the Board of Examiners, only one passed. This poor result
contrasts strongly with the general success of the College in other departments.
8. Lady Students.—The progress made by the Lady Students may, on the whole,
be considered satisfactory. Miss D'Abreu from Calcutta has passed the Prelimi-
nary Scientific Examination and is qualifying for the M.B. Degree. Misses Hayes
and Abala Dás are in the class qualifying for the L.M.S. Degree. Four other
ladies are qualifying for the College Diploma. The failure of three of these is to be
regretted ; but the Acting Principal thinks it is due rather to the over-crowding
of subjects into the second year of study, to remedy which he has suggested a
change of curriculum, than to any defects in the candidates themselves. They are
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