Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-11-10


antees required by the Board from the
Faculty rendered public loss an impossible
contingency.
The faculty took possession of the square
with a small house upon it, and at once ap-
pealed 10 the public for aid. The city of
Louisville had, at a cost of many thous-
ands, built and furnished the Medical Col
lege there. The citizens of Lexington,
village compared with Nashville, had given
thousands to build the Pennsylvania Medi-
cal School. Maryland, Virginia, South Car
DINA, Louisiana and other States had
erected and furnished handsome schools
within their borders. In 1850, Tennessee
sent abroad annually from two to three
hundred medical students. It was not I'M
reasonable therefore that the faculty should
solicit public aid, for at the time there was
no medical school in Tennessee and none
projected. Their success was but small,
only about three thousand dollars being
contributed. Nothing daunted, but trust
ing to the success of their endeavOrs to
supply a great public want, they pledged
their individual property to the mechanics
and put up the house. / remember as if
bnt yesterday the sneers and jokes of the
do-nothings and knoW-everythings of the
day. A counting room, an office, would con-
! tain 1.-THE classthes unknown doctors could
| get together. Nashville was little city and
none but self-cOnceited fools would under
take the impossibiity of rivalling Philadel-
phia, Louisville and New Orleans with
their renowned and popular schools. The
! six doctors went on, however. In six years
| Nashville had the second school in Ameri-
ca, and ranked as a leading medical centre.
| The buildings and splendid Museum being
in great part donation to the public by
] the six founders. As far as we know, there
/ is no parallel to this in the history of such
! institutions. What has our Municipal gov
eminent, the representative of the descen-
/ dants of the Robertsons and Craigheads,
| done for an institution which, while bring
/ ing multiplied thousands into circulation
/ here, and making the city's name an en-
deared household word from the Ohio river
to the Mexican frontier, had to compete
! with able rivals literally sustained by Mem
phis, Mobile, Louisville, Atlanta and great
States besides? Not so much as cup OF
cold water.
Let me urgently entreat the able business
men now SO influential in the councils OF
|
matters connected with our educational
interests with the solicitude and attention
| which their magnitude demand; to study
carefullyth steps taken by other cities at
the present time, and so shape our NUM-
cipal legislation as to give us thousand
University students annually from abroad
The immense additional wealth caused by
the influx CT such a vast assemblage oil
prominent residents may now be secured tc
Nashville if her city government will co
operate with her educators.
From 1850 to 1860 was the brilliant pc
riod of our medical school. From 1861 tC
1871 has been period of watchfulness ant
tenacity. A great internal revolution ha:
taken place. The face of the earth ha:
changed. The field which supplies our stu
dents has been impoverished. Railroad
bring the attractive and wealthy cities O
the east to our very doors, and many 0
our young men cannot resist the tempta
ton of going abroad, and letting their owl
institutions languish for want of that pat
ronage which is but little needed by tn
wealthy corporations receiving it. Conse
quent upon low tuition fees in Michigan
Illinois, and other contiguous States, whic
drew away Kentucky students, the Trustee
!, of the Louisville University the creation
Of the city government, were compelled {
reduce their tuition fees in order to retail
their own students. Thus the entire aspeC
of medical education has been changed
Very large classes of students will be re
quired in order that very moderate pay ma
! be enjoyed by the faculty. the professor
: here have not, for period of ten years, re
J ceived for their labors per annum half tn
: amount paid an ordinary clerk in a bushes
house. Yet they give the service for which
from 1854 to 1860, they were receiving fror
: two to three thousand dollars yearly. 1t
very clear, then, that no men now or here
after occupying these chairs can be expecte
: to initiate the pluck and spirit of the origins
= founders of the school. And yet an indi:
d. pensable auxiliary to the school is needel
} and must be furnished, or else Tennessee
1 viii not only lose her distant medical pal
5 ronage,b but viii become as prev
: ously to 1850, largely tributary t
t Louisville and other cities outside he
. limits. A tribute it is with a vengeance
Some two hundred thousand dollars a yea
: In five years a good million. An amour
i not unworthy the attention of the Caution
l political economist.
Q This absolutely needed auxiliary is
1 large and well arranged hospital III
State of Tennessee Snce met this want b
e leasing to the University Medical Factult
;, the spacious grounds and buildings of IL
E old Insane Asylum for q period of tie
: years. In September, 1862, while occupe
: by the Federal Government, this was d
stroyed by fire. For some four years pa
i the Faculty have from their own purse
i paid'the rent of st. Vincent's Hospital, mol
: ing that steps would be taken by city
Il State, or both, to remedy this great los
: This can be d3ne upon the principle
d combination, so often delivsranee frc.
r poverty and impotence. 1t NAV be truf
j fully said that in all christ1ndom, no ci
II of near the size Of Nashville exists witho1
! this uniYersS.ii Christian charity now so mu,
:, = ! nsore needed than ever. Yet Il
l. very events of the last ten years which ha
E. increased the need have equally diminish
e the ability, The GREAT Medical School
is Nashville viii cease to exist without a he
]. pital. Her fifteen hundred alumni nc
II zealously working to recruit her classt
10 have been assured that the want shall
a supplied. The city of Nashville, witho
r any reference to her medical school, need