Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1823-05-01

VI Il
path will be rough and cherries: WITH
it his march will be direct and plea
SAINT, g. every step he advances will pre-.
sent new and agreeable objects to en-
gage the mind. 1t is 10 effect, the on
" star that will enlighten his progress
the only staff that will conduct him
to success,-And it. 10 great m'sfor.
tune. as we'll as error in the plan of edo
ucaticn, the term of pupilage 10 go
short. and that young men are hurried
through it, as if it were tedious, or OF
no Importance and as If they expected
TO succeed in life as we'll without an
education as with one. As if harvest
Nigh. be expected when the seed have
not been sown As if palace could
be erected when the materials have
been unprepared. We earnestly pro.
test against the plans of our Medical
schools granting licences to those, Who
without having seen the walls of col.
lege. are hurried through the term of
three years. study, and who in that PEI
riod have hardly been made acquaint-
ed with smedical language, or the
names Of diseases, for which they will
soon be called on to prescribe. Is it
right that such should be entrusted
with the care of the minds and bodies
of others, who can scarcely be said to
be acquainted with their own? The
term of study in New York, is four
years before an ordinary licence can
be granted. In England it is more.
In Italy it is five, which is little enough,
to be sure, unless a student shall pre-
viously have received a liberal educa-
ton. The plan which has been recon-
mended in France is good one, and
we wish it might be adopted in this
! country. AFTER studying three years
and attending lectures upon the various
subjects connected with medicine. and
sustaining three examinations in diffe.
rent languages, to the satisfaction OF
his teachers, the pupil becomes can
didatc for the degree of bachelor OF me
dicine. After the fourth year is pas
sed in the same way, and two more ex-
aminations, he may obtain tho degree
of doctor Of medicine. And after de-
voting his fifth year to revision and
correction OF all his studies, and impro-
wing him self by attending on the prac-
tice of the pest hospitals, he is permit.
ted to commence the practice OF his
profession"
But what shall we say when the
druggist assumes the province of ply
sicianp
"The spectacle" says living and
interesting writer the spectacle is at
once ladicrous and deplorable, to wit
ness what is daily practised in many of
our apothecaries' shops. A man comes
in, and addressing himself to one OF
the establishment, says, doctor, I'm
sick, or my child has certain COM
plant, and l wish you to give me
something TO euro it. The doctor,
willing 20 act in conformity to the
profession, and title thus gratuitously
conferred, and too prompt in bis zeal
to serve his customer to admit OF any
scruplss or delay in the choice of means,
Immediately puts up the desired RENE.
dy: and here the matter between the
buyer and seller commonly ends but
not so satisfactorily between the pa
tient and the remedy. But of conse>
ouences wa are not often informed, for
if the child is injured Or deprived OF
life, the parent, on reflection, is likely
to find the fault to be quite as much
his own, as his doctors and instead oil
honestly admonishing his neighbor to
avoid the error into which he had tai
len. keeps his own secret, and thus per-
mits the mischief to 60 on"
This is an every day scene. The
physician sends prescription to an a
pothscary, and among other articles,
mentions simple syrup, quaint sut.
The prescription is returned with tne
sad assurance that the apothecary has
no quaint s96, but will endeavor to
procure soue.--Not long since we fur
nished patient with recipe. written
in medical language, 80 that ne who
runs might read and with the signs uni
formly adopted to express weights and
measures among apothecaries. The
attendant to whom the recipe was pre-
sentsd, said he did not qui'e understand
accidentally. one ofthe faculty was
present, to whom he thought he might
safely refer fer correct and positive IN
structiop, but risum teneatis! his only
answer was shake of the head, as 1t
he would have said, non me recordo.
Another circumstance, we regret to
notice is, that physicians are often EN-.
ployed for considerations totally dis.
connected with their medical qualifica
tions-for their political or religious
q Cana hana khAV