Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-07-11

foremost begins by floating head down
wards, and can rarely be resuscitated. Be-
gin by being a medical artisan, and an
artisan You will be ever afterwards. Per-
formed as a trade it must soon>be manual
and degraded. If you would find your vo-
cation elevating at the start, harness well
your science to your art; otherwise emil
nence will be ever out of your reach. As a
rule, eminent men have made some mark
before they were thirty-five years old work
ing at that they knew wOuld not pay. Not
the strength, not the brilliancy, but the
habits of the man-these are the betting
points Habits. which are not clothes to
be put on or off. but which become structu-
raj, and which, regardless of aspirations,
mark the future winner IN the race.
The first condition of success in the
science of medicine is the habit of obSerrd-
lion. Heretofore your class rank has de-
pended upon the power of your memories.
| What and how to observe should now be
your fyst lesson. If then you would live to
| promote your science and your art. especial
| ~ if you aspire TO the exalted position of a
discoverer. cultivate observation, to obser-
walton add accuracy, to accuracy add logi-
cal and scientific method.
Avoid superstition, cultivate criticism.
| Whatever iorbids criticism. Is superstition I;
and in science. superstition is seryilility,
imbecillty, crime Still, criticism must be
restrained and limited as to kind. There is
a criticism which is destructive, criticism
which Is analytical. Analytical criticism is
| philosophical, reverent, truth-Seeking. In
science accept nothing on mere authority,
for in science there is no such term as faith.
Science can be guilty of no such thing as
impertinence in matters pertaining to
science. Before commencing a series of ex-
tended labors upon any subject, begin by a
critical examination from the bOttOm-mOst
stone upwards, 50 that. if you add one
single stone, that stone may be placed upon
foundation that shall sand. Before I'M
dertaking a critical examination of this sort
You will DO well to run through all that is
written on the subject. or You may publish
a startling discovery which shall lack fresh
ness
DR.. Howard then proceeded to state and
discuss at large, variety Of subjects for in
dividual research. among which were the
following -
|. The spontaneous origin OF infectious
and contagious feverS. Can such ieyers
originate?
>. What are the inter-relations Of cancer
and tubercle?
,: The local origin Of cancer and the
modes of origin.
/. What Is the essential pathology of
rheumatism?
5. The signs Of death.
6. The vital property of the blood
:. Diseases of the nervous system.
= Phthisis Is II contagious? l. 1t inlec-
tious? Is it iucurable?
.. The reSidua of the oNcretions.
Tho .r.oa tar ,.r.,..a..l.l tvi+h many r.ra.-
teal rules and maxims, discussing the rca
tons of the physician to the patient, to
brother physicians, and To humanity. His
remarks were intersper>ed largely with
anecdote and erudite quotation. lie then
addressed the graduating class IN Il .1w
words OF atiectionate farewell, in conclusion
offering them A. a caSS-mntto, the follow
Ing - Fortiter. tidelter, iciicter.
President Buckham announced that after
the close of the exercises, meeting would
be held for the purpose of forming an asSo-
citation Of Medical Alumni, to which not
only those were invited who had received
their medical diploma from this institution,
but also those. who, having received their
academic diploma here, had obtained their
medical certificate cl-cwere. The exercises
then closed with the benediction by tine Rev.
DR.. Cummings.
The address was attentively listened to,
but the audience was comparatively small
~ this is the first time these exercises have
been made a feature of Commencement
Weck.-under the acknowledgement, they
occurred in June. and Commencement was
not till Augu>t-prohahiy many were not
expecting such and scarcely pains enough
was taken in advertising the change, to Sc
cure large audience. There was also no
music fany sort. which often serves to az
tract