The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-03 00:00:00

BRITISH

EDINBURGH, JULY 30

The proceedings commenced at eight o'clock this morn-
ing with a public breakfast in the Royal Hotel. At half-
past nine the newly-elected council met for the transac-
tion of business. At 10 o'clock the general meeting was
opened in the natural philosophy class room, which, as on
the previous day, was quite full. Various routine and minor
matters were quickly disposed of. Mr. Newnham, the late
treasurer of the Medical Benevolent Fund, was unani-
mously elected an honorary member on the motion of Mr.
B. EnDISON, of Nottingham, seconded by Mr. HATTON
of Manchester.

the sources of fallacy arising from the shameful adulteration
of many drugs, and glanced at the wonderful uses of
anmsthesea as an illustration of progress in our knowledge
of the useful application of some the most potent articles of
the Materia Medica. He attributed the present low con-
dition of therapeutics simply to the want of cultivators.
The truth was that the extraordinary interest excited for
some time past by the science of pathology had attracted to
that branch of the practice of physic almost every original
inquirer of note who had appeared in the ranks of medical
practice for fully 40 years. Pathology 40 years ago was in
a deplorably backward state, but now it stood out prominent,
with the dignity of a systematic and favoured science; and
it was well that things had so fallen out, inasmuch as the
thorough cultivation of pathology was an essential prelimi-
nary to the thorough cultivation of therapeutics; and what
might they not hope for therapeutics should the time arrive
when the same engrossing ardour which had been long applied
to pathological researches should be turned in the direction
of therapeutic physiology and practice. As yet, however,
this transfer had not begun to take place; but, on the con-
trary, great discouragement had been held out in this country
from the highest quarters to the cultivation of therapeutics.
Ever since the foundation of medical schools in the Univer-
sities of Scotland, therapeutics, as the principal branch of
the Materia Medica, had occupied a conspicuous place in
medical tuition; and in this University, in which the course
of instruction in Materia Medico had invariably been a six
months' course, one should think that the department of
therapeutics must occupy about two-thirds of it. In the
hands of Cullen the chair of Materia Medica became little
else than a chair of therapeutics. About thirty-five years
ago, the Edinburgh College of Surgeons for the first time
added Materia Medico to the requirements for its diploma,
and the example was afterwards followed by the Loudon
colleges. But snore recently tile London boards of educa-
tion resolved on a sudden that they had hitherto attached
too much consequence to this department, and declared by
their regulations that a three months' course iu summer
was sufficient fur the teaching of Materia Medica—
equivalent to about one-sixteenth of the whole medical
curriculum. It was simply ridiculous to talk of teaching
a subject so comprehensive in the space of three months.
But to add to the discouragements thereby given to
therapeutics, it must also be confessed that it was a branch
of medical science peculiarly difficult to cultivate. After
adverting to the numerous difficulties of the pharmacopceist
Professor Christison went on to say that the difficulties
which arose iu the way of therapeutics from the condition
of its accessory branches of knowledge, were as nothing
from those inseparable from the observation of the essential
phenomena of therapeutic action itself, and from the fact
that the results had to be contributed by a multitude of un-
connected observers, differing in accuracy of observation,
soundness of judgment, mental culture, in prejudices to be
overcome, and in fidelity and conscientiousness to record.
The wonder, after all, rather was that so much had been
done to elevate therapeutics to the rank of a medical science;
and, had time permitted, he might have consoled them with
a retrospect of much that had been accomplished, in spite of
many and great impediments. In conclusion, he expressed
his belief that important discoveries awaited him who would
now enter expressly on therapeutic inquiry, uninfluenced
by the seductions of pathology, by the prejudices of educe•
tional boards, or by the inherent difficulties of the invest'
gation.