The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-10-22
Medical Department OF the New York
UnlVersltY.


Medical Department OF the New York
University.
INTRODUCTORY LECTURE OF PROFESSOR DRAPER
TO THE COURSE OF 1851 AND '52.
The and beautiful Medical College in Fourteenth
street opened last evening with an introductory
lecture by Professor John Wliam Draper President of
the Faculty. The large and spacious lecture
crowded, at ga early hour by brilliant assembage of
ladies' and gentlemen
AT half past seven the Professors took their seats when
Professor Draper delivered the address wh ich was
listened to with attention and received brou ghout
with demonstrations CT delight by the audience. We
annex a full report Of the lecture -
THE INTRODUCTORY LECTURE
0ENTLsMEN-Permit me, for my colleagues and nv.
felf to congratulate you the your
college duties and to wi you all pleasant and profit
able session. glad to many cheerful faces Of
old friends alumni Of the Univerry, and to welcome
you to this and commodious building Your
Thoughts naturally back to old home, where we
have spent SO many happy days. There your medical
career began, and there college Of pros
perity. You half willing to believe that after all it
was not 80 very gloomy and that the drowsiness you
perepced at q lecture not much from any i'm
perfection In ventilation from your injulgences
at dinner. You have very critical recollection of the
rooms in which you examined for degree and do
as much. My melancholy friends let try to recon
Gle you to former peceptors have been doing
You krow IL Is almost law o. nature-birds change
their feathers Holsters cast their shells cattle shed their
coats some insects do the thing clevery that they
perform the miracle of creeping bodily out of their
skins. On May day Gil the people in this city swap
houses with each other ard they are persuaded that
they all gain by the change 1t Is Of the uu-
mistaiabe signs that man is doing well in the world
h.. III
mes The trees in the forest Is they increase in size
burst open their bark and 1t is continually dropping
the ground. Why then should be any exception to
the rule We had gradually 80 increased that there was
necessity for the change. We have been prosperous
and so we followed the universal instinct We thought
we ought TO have the most convenient and best arranged
college odfce that could be built. Not that pretend
cd to compete with the external splendors of the great
national eaifces municipal structures Of this me-
trtPcs Tor we looked upon college q mlchins to
WORK In certain way, and to do certain duty. And
so, contemplating great changes in system Of in
srueiion we have spared pains to adapt eihce
for those purposes We have as you see resorted TO
the most improved for facilitating anatomi.
cal studies, both practical and descriptive, in
the general and private dissecting rooms, and
the theatre. In the chemical dspartm, Mt, our
Arrangements are complete be found anywhere
Care has been taken to make such provision Tor the
various clnques with view 10 the comfort Of the pa
tic mt, that shall be able to introduce great many
cases insdnissiblo heretofore In the large museums
Instruction. and more than all close attention has
given to TIE internal arrangement Of the building
70 make II at once study and home for students
For after all isinpofsibe to sppy self properly to
mental e1erche unless physical conditions are favorable
poems whilst he was standing ON one poems
tbey must have been We have the authority Of one Of
The best writers Of our times that cannot compose
agood novel except he bavea coed study and above all
very easy arm chair To give full chance for it's ope
rauops the mind must 30 TO speak be isolated from the
tody-a cfsmped position-numbed muscles-or bodily
Do
suIpote that man lsboripg tunder collie could write
sso sonnet or can you expect any great intellectual
sehievemeIt II the mind II incesssnty withdrawn from
tbs steady train Of thought In which II engaged tits
oonnon observation that compo now thrown
tfosdcsst irtm the press without making much
ton which twenty years ago. would have given INFINITE
reputation TO their authors am persuaded that this
,rdd.n and general advance Of literature H. to be
hfbuied to- any sudden and general expansion Of the
miId t man but TO the introduction q metallic pens,
which prevent the necessity Of dstracing the mind in
~ hiebcst light, with whiting and penknife Even
the Mt chanicsl act a p.nanshp IL unfsvorpbls to lite
rsry excellence Paradise Lost would never have been
produced lite author had written IL with his hands
and the corr,spondence Of Napoleon the most youmi
hous and ttmsrkable literary Mt Of this century
s,hs nave been phytieal mposseiity had not it,
Lecturer will give drowsy discourse, and his audi
snoe WI ell go TO sleep, in an IN ventilated room.
when We come TO study the influence the atmosphere
upon tlefytem. Our public buildings too on, con
Htrettd without in these respects; but we have
d IN this instance 70 make provision your comfort
both IN our lecture ruoiss aud in the
lou We nave uteh a. faid before, to axe home
iryou lhAve NO doubt that the amount Of informasn
oceIt obtains the progress lac makes depends in
able eNtert on the comforts aud conveniences
Gu NE college building One who had been unfortunate
N h's ssmnations ssid 20 years after, "sr
never shoud have been rejected II 1t had not been for
we narrow seats CT the anatomical THEATRE student,
en- opght TO have college building 70 &c him just much
rs ne ought 10 have pair Of boots 10 az him he
not Eetblong and II had 60 do IL again would
paJ particular attention to that matter and be- deter
mined where TO much By the house and s appur-
ttnabces ne By The advertisements" hope friends
ytu VII pftht by hia expert, nee In hus welcoming
hte Is to me an sgreesble duy to introduce you
TO Jour new TEACHERS who for the FIRST tiuae
tbths Us tek for them what I know yCu freely
accou-s hearty recet tiBn The success II public in
siuttor q, ponds as rgch upon his audience upon
nctl ing more chperiDg than End ones
III NET hat way Professors lost and Clymer devote
hehhtsts 10 yout Improvement aud the are entitled
10 G. roal ptea In charge OF Of the most i'm
poitsIt branches tAat can errage your they
VII uJ labor for yosr e6t and II Il for yea
e 70 eprortSniiy q Eohtng BY their Instructions
mo mtkng then tep tina. all their exertions are aVsre
tie"u by ycu. With all these Advantage trust gen
hmth trtt fhcse Of you who are nos beginning your
,uot VII not rest Satisfied with AGA uiripg ony that
.i' VII q sDowtoEe which u adisptnssbly necessary
!, Ituf Fnduatins With credit bot Ginning higher than
VIA CD iesvtr % cultivst philosophical taste u
~ CROUCH fr aa accomplished phytcisn
70 le tkuful in the detection Of disease. ANA
1tS} 70 triy rmt1y; his mental pursuits
Fpid to tiherlni from those OF other men AID
az Gus q reazaton given 70 pleasures akin TO his pto
f'ith We zee the world from special pont ~ view,
bu cur udite cannot fail G, give peculiar tnoture 90
owl tiartcter 1be world Of Organization s that With
Which We deal All animated nature presents itsth u
VI Is u4e subject a our philosophical msdtst0ns We