The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-12

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McoSmick, J, c., Pa Yat's Biwaid, N. Y.
Subsequent to the comforting of the degrees.
Samuel Henry Dickson, NJ. D., the Professor of
the Practice Of Medicine in the institution, and
Dean OF the Faculty, delivered the vsledictory
address to the members of the graduating
class. Professor Dickson ssld:-
Gentlemen Gradual est is not always that
an official duty gives pleasure in the perform
ance; on the present OCCASION, however. 1t Is
mos agreeable 10 me to offer you, on the part
OF my colleagues and my own, our sincere con-
gratulations. II is much to have attained sue.
cess such as yours, TO have reached the object
OF 80 much toll, so much privation, so much
discomfort to have become once m ore free to
thrown off The tram mels of dictation and daily
imprisonment. Old as am, have not forgot
ten nimmensurab BILE annoy noes bodily and men.
tai, TO which you have so long submitted with
sucn cheerIni patience, now, l hope, album
II is disputed point still unsettled which OF
ali the modern inventions OF civilized life de.
serves to rank the highest. For my own part
have never hesitated to place at the culminat-
Ing point the lucifer match. 1 remem Ger, rs
none OF you cen do. the tinder box, the flint
end steel, the platina sponge, the phosphorus
When commeqced the. studies which
u ~--.-s Engage us, Laennec nau JusY leaned
hls ear against q qutre OF paper rolled together
And the kaleidoscope has now grown into an in
etrument which discourses eloquent music 10
indeed recently, we have ophthalmoso0pes and
larypgoscopes, and oLoscopes, ana endoscopes,
with which we watch the obscure cnanges
which iodicate disease. Most curious OF All Is
the sphygmograph of Marcy, delioalely teie.
graphing to us the movements OF tue heart
Itself; its eager throbbngs; Its keen and sharp
convulsive contractions and its slow and
feeble undulRtlons, thus making clear the
formerly doubtful indications OF It's pathoiogl'
cal states.
The microscope long known 1t Is true. bat
only of late rendered satisfactory IN It's appl-
cation to our needs now yields us results not
only wonderful but truly instructive, snd, as
sisted by the photograph. provides us win pic
lures OF minute structure most interesting Tor
us to observe and know. Are you ready to ex-
claim that this is all trite and familiar 10 you?
Enjoy Il, then, employ " diilgenty, ana tnank
Ing and facile sources OF scientific acquisition.
Nature concentrates her powers or evil and
disperses them, still retaining their strength.
The scrid acid juice OF the gnat and the ant
the deadly bite Of the telse fly, the sting OF the
wasp and bee. and the venom OF the cobra ana
the crotaIus are all comprised In small CO om,
pass. All her contagious Vlruses nave Dtu
defiance to our powers of detection; and the
aerial poisons that spread abroad the pesti-
lence (which walketh In darkness ana de-
sibie. Savages have acquired the skill to boil
down or evaporate vegetable extracts Tor tru-
culent purposes ana even rne hss @ Is ,.
the poisoned arrow. .,,,
Alchemsts and chemists OF the Middle Ages
lahore with the same hendish views, and we
read mythical stories OF their incredible sue
cess in the preparation OF the aqua Tofana and
of She 'cursed hebenon' being poured into the
ear of the royal Dane by his incestuous Dro'
tHer. But tleHe uellCAto aLO III 6oOy ahCol
AZ not LOST; and my physiological friend and
colleague Tells me that, after careful research
he can fpd on record ous a % single instance o. 2;
this way was done when prussic acid was dis
covered-far too much for the interests of hu
manity when strychnine and nicotine were
added TO the list.
Here, again, we meet analogous oompeusa'
tion, whicn 1t will be difficult for you to appre.
ciate adequately. In 1917, when was sitting
on the hard benches in Ninth street. listening
to the eloquent projections OF a Wistar. .
81 Chairman. mOrDOtn0
rated ftOm the crude juice OF the poppy. Itself
the kindest boon ever deigaed by Heaven to
numbered with cinchona IN powder and infu-
sion, and decoction and tinclure, and extract
for four years of practice in maiarial country
before chemistry, on which all arts and sciences
depend for their development aud progress
presented us with the Invaluable alkaloiC
1uinie, Without which, as Sydenham mos
truly and pithily said OF opium, modern medl
cine would be lame and crippled; ,..,. =.
difficnlIy with which our patients wereinduceC
20 swallow the huge ligneons masses, the nau
seous draughte, inc boluses, still more dfficul
10 retain, but indispensable TO a cure anC
then Won will be ready 60 believe the stories O
the old books, nay, OF books not very old, fo
you will find several OF them In Goods works
concerning fevers of ten, twenty, and ever
forty years duration. Without the analyst
which resulted in the procurement ef this anC
the similar elkalotds now In constant use, W,
phould not have been prepared 10 avail our
selyes OF the latest theraDeuiical improvement
the method of bypodermtc medication.
You have doubtless beard me affirm. what
believe tolbe rue that since Jenners discovery
poihipg has been done more Important in tn
interests Of afflicted humanity 1t affords
elorious triumph over toe greatest of physica
evils-pGifa. 1t gives us, too, an equal triumph
over the sne ering skeptic, who has been 81
long accustomed TO express his dissent as b
the efficacy OF our Temedies-the relation @
cause and effeot--the argument post hoe prOpte
hOo--on sccount OF the lapse OF lime oetwee
the administration and the result. Now. W
have these connected as closely as the Il ash c
the powder and the stroke OF the bullet nc
much less clearly than the roar OF the thunde
ana The destructive sweep OF the hgntnln