National Republican., 1873-10-08
COLUMBIAN UNIVERSITY.
THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT

tcai Dtptomns.
The following Ia the opening lecture Of the
nfty-secoud course, delivered by Dr.. W. W.
Johnston before the medical department Of Co
umbisn college, Monday evening.
TIE LEcruRR.
Tho thoughts OF the Introductory evening are
always pleasant. They come TO MS after rest,
aud are mingled with words Of welcome and
Bat there grG%s ,.n.oS Of
and the common participation IN the enthusiasm
OF tho evening is but q prelude TO the work
a w' ssnF s%n mUs 1t
well to regard the basis upon which they rest.
and 10 review the mutual demands which arise
In the creation OF the relationship OF teacner snd
pupil. itas answers % the questions, "ws., wa,
are the requirements OF the teecheri and What
are the requirements OF tne ssuasns ,, ~ .his mo-
trust that something may be said which you
S supes ssaG G y,,n yUnr and tolls o. he
journey
wnlr Is REQumEp or ruE TEACHERS or xEpr-
The requirements Of medical school may be
placed too high or too low, according 70 the op-
posing misconceptions Of ia PURPOSES But
ing % iundamentai propagation can be msintsined,
The medical school ranges itself among the In
s,ltutions for the higher education - training
SSsh 10 par = q teach how
hest may he obtained. Here method OF thought
Is created aud practiced; previous faults IN men.
observation and reasoning are cultivated. The
school Of medicine narrows, 70 be sure, tue cir
S,s o. study 50 Is q neae n n5sa s,n n
more than partial knowledge OF the science Of
medicine.
Of a medical school, but let any one who doubts
the statement ask Of himself the sources Of his
learning. knowledge comes but slowly even TO
psns G' nSSg st i e slss
the passion which sees no barrier, the next TO
drill energy into order and to discipline the FAC
The time spent In the lecture-room s a. the best
No short that he spends his days III there who
learns no lessons which shall l,st % nm ~ IN me
sbllity OF Influencing life Is thus thrown upon
the individual teacher and Il remains with him
s1a ss % e. cr .ns IF SoanS. 81: RHS
through years Of increasing aotlvity. He who
has observed with care and turned back the
reaching his conclusion may well expect that
those who looked to him a counsellor will
choose to initiate methods which commend
The converse is equally true thai vices Of OBJ
scrvaton and opinion may be laid at the door Of
the careless lecturer. Incomplete .cc.mula.'on
OF data, with hhsty and erroneous deduction In
the lecture-room, will be sure TO breed progeny
OF harm and pcryert the mind forever from
seesoa ,nSdps"sse Of tas eest natar. .Ss. g PERM
good, even when the individual II free to think
The duty OF his place demands Of the teacher
the same care In the perfection Of his poweS
which he admires In others. Having nrst aroused
be akin to passion, he should cal TO them 10
contemplate the ideal Of method and inclte them
by example and unbounded sympathy 70 accom-
tion.
The effect Of the school In moulding the plastic
tendencies into symmetrical methods, and the
rIn nf Fna af n
student upon the perfections or imperfections Of
his teachers, are shown In the acknowledged
Ss sns gs ss1
early activities have put forth under the benign
influence Of superior science. How much Of
ms genius Of FsrsdsyY To . pupil Of vircsow
would We ascrlhe any other methods than those
OF minute observations and philosopnic concu-
apeuiic mysticism in one who had heard the bed
side Instruction Of Niemeyeff What close study
Of the secrets Of life and far-seeing speculation
follower OF Beale or OF Robin7 It Ia more dim.
cult to pMticularize when We revert to the
hereditary effects Of faulty teaching. But there
voted student OF professor In great university
who counseled his ardent hearers TO have moth,
rtethescope, the microscope, the opthaimoscope
What blind wandering in dark ignorance woult
there still be hut for the disobedlence Of suol
iniunctions, which have been given BY NOR
A man Is justly known BY the doctrines Of hi
school, and as well by It's standard and its meth
wrong lines Of thought with the promise Of Grop
Ing In dim labyrnths OF error for life time, Q
o. the 6risn, an,cips,ioIs Of conquest made I
hope that In our college thought may pursue
definite course; that system and regularity o
~scn y sso%
you may gain other triumphs. Although goo,
WHICH, G of neesp S sa school n me @sdens &c
erts IN training the mind for Z life work o
thought, II Is not intended TO kssert that the
themes when the only desired result Is the per
lection IN Intellectual prowess.
The school Is, indeed, medium for impartin,
Ideas, and for giving an amount Of compactet
knowledgc which could not otherwise be Oh
tained. In each annual round Of labor sre pre-
scnted the fundamental principles Of the .cienc'
nected arts OF medicine and surgery. Unlike tn
learning OF tho other sciences, our studies Ar
o ssrs sss
fore with each year nuctuations Of opinion an
statement, aud sometimes, happily, the slough
acquisition Of fresher life. To-day can never b
us yesterday, nor can the modern school Of med
'ne nd ory II
the strata OF the ages, where, amid much rub
bish, he can trace the story OF tho successiv,
eyolutlons o. fossil forms into the more compiler
science OF the present. But while such study Il
Our duty to the student requires thai We shouit
SGT n Ss sss x sass n
those new beauties which keener senses an,
greater Intelligence are constantly disclosing.
versant with the tendencies Of the times. Tn
day has passed when men can ignore the stat
Of the worid's atmosphere, or can be satisne,
The teacher especially loses all worth II he lAgl
He must know the thous hts which are movfn
the world, and causing the mos, stable thing. 9
responsibility, for he must weigh well ali jude
ments which the startling opinions OF the ds
call from him. His knowledge Of mans structur
and functions, his constant association Wit
man In regions where death and life so closel
touch, demand Of hin expressions Of opinion oi
liefs, dear TO the soul, and anirmed BY centurie
OF speculation. And while careful to sustain
positions which he deemed unsssailable he ma
Keep In mind as guard against too arden
conservatism that new ideas have always me
with the same opposition which he now wit
nesses, THAT many were true did not diminis
the violence OF opposition, nay even the ranco
of persecution. lie may recall that for cata
iogueing the stars HippaIchus was declared u
tized as heretic for inquiring into the oelestia
motion; that Newton was deemed an atheist be
csase gravltaflon did not mean God; that mer
have incurred abuse and hatred for quesfloninI
the truth Of prevailing belief.
While science Is constantly disslpating error
u must not be overlooked that there is danger II
confounding truths which are well supported b.
observed facts with bypotheses which are en-
trely out Of the region Of fact. The conception
that matter comports itself In obedience 70 law
Ia transmitted In the minds OF some into th,
idea that laws are active forces which exis
apart from the phenomena which they ar
thought to produce. The phrase, "the univers
exists In obedience to law, implies q relation
ship which does not exist. law Ia merely tn,
statement Of the general fact that certain phe
nomsna occur In constant and determined order
To say that irritation OF the foot Of decspltate,
frog will produce active movements Of all th,
limos sin obedience TO the law Of Tenex action
means that under the given conditions of splna
cord, connected with the periphery by nerves
irritation Of The extremity Of nerve viii excit
movements In all parts connected with tn
spinal centre.
We infer from tho phenomenon In question
hat the irritation Is carried TO the centre By ont
KIND OF nerve, and that an influence II thers
generated and conveyed or reflected 70 dlstan
points by another kind OF nerve. Renex actlof
isa theoretlc conception which explains no IN
known problem; IL merely presents pictured
uea OF tue same occurrence under certain given
conditions, The law itself contrasts nothing
uoos nothing To use the words OF DR.. CArpen-
icii A law Of nature Is the expression Of the
orderly sequence which we observe In the phe-
mOlheha OF the universe" The task OF science
70 arrange such sequences under as few gen.
.ta statements Us possible, but no matter how
% ,aI nlan may carry the idea Of law towards CON-