National Republican., 1873-10-08

eeriitude which lies at the end Of all scientific
In presence Of these two currents in the intel.
lectual movement Of the age-the one towards
the denial Of any power which Is not coLnlzable
By man, the other by Q deeper feeling OF divine
control and mistrust OF science as an enemy I9
mans faith In 0od-the teacher mas 20 gusrd
against weakening the Influence Of what he says
on disputed points BY woundins the suseep'loni-
i, hsa ~ otten been said that there Is no more
valuable quality In q teacher than the ablllty 10
separate the known and the proved from me hy-
potheticai and provisional. For lack OF ihis We
conditions which have no demonstrated ex.
istence. Thus the germ theory OF disease IS ca
papie Of explaining multitude OF phenomens,
but the student will err In looking upon vlfulent
germs as physically existing beyond all fear Of
doubt or dental. The fascinatlens OF useful
theories should be carefully distinguished from
the well-supported assertions OF facts.
In problems, therefore, where religious ieneis
are thought TO be involved, such as the relation
between the brain and mind, unless the lecturer
= o. Tue sSsSe ~ ,sutn Tu 'he
should, with care, place him In the area OF n.y.
Perfect csndor in the statement Of an adver.
sarys position, with the nrm determination TO
accept truth, no matter from what source u
comes, are equally necessary In medical school
Aud before reaching out to belahor herctics ou',
side OF the fold 10 would be well " we devoted
ourselves TO detecting and Kidding our teachings
Of the many errors which time has made us heir
to. No one can assert that one half OF the ther.
rigid examination and experiment. And while
men are running hither aud thitber searching
for new remedies for the suffering feslI, the old
remedies rest In undstuTbed possession OF honors
which they In general have most undessrvcdly
De assured that this Is the urgent work OF us
nov. Of you In the future, to rid medical science
to be borne, which weigh truth down aud hinder
Its night towards realms Of uusullied purity.
RsouIRnsSrs or THE STUDENT or MEDICINE.
Having thus laid the stamp upon our endea-
vor a teachers Of medicine, ! may with pro-
ptie,y sllnde 70 some Of the requirements OF me
student who enters upon q course OF study, de-
signed to at him for the practice OF the medical
profession. What qualifications should he pos
sess and In what spirit Is he TO work, are two
questions which concern him deeply.
To the nrst the answer may be given that the
essential requisite Is one Of mnd-that Is, the
medical student should have certain medical
qualities, which are the result OF careful train.
ing. II IL Ia admitted that the development OF
the powers Of the mind should vary with the pur-
poses to which the life Of the individual Is TO be
faculties by which we observe phenomena aud
compare these with phenomena already OBJ
served, should be cultivated In those who intend
comparison are the means OF acquiring knowl-
me mode BY which the individual mind gains
. mastery over It's own ignorance Is the same as
world Of darfened superstition. II Is impossi-
BILE for one to enter into the comprehension OF a
science without previous development Of the
been discovered which constitute the science In
question. In this development from the simple
gaze upon nature, mingled with fear. by the
them with accuracy for future comparison, the
mind assumes the successive states which char
acterized the minds OF men In their recession
from the dim past to the enlightened present;
a n nvO Olnn mt he n nd
enectually brought about Is the problem Of edu-
cation, and how IL this result attained IN our
modern preparatory schools Is the topic OF
argument at the present time.
Leaving out Of consideration all studies aud
professions but our own, y Is quite evident to a
large number OF persons that the system OF pre-
ercise the faculties OF observation and compari-
son. The preparation OF the student Is the worst
possible for the study. II not only does not reach
the end desired, but It distorts youthful tenden.
cies and checks all the natural craving, which, u
u1hindered, would be to some extent self-edu-
eating. Every expansion OF fresh and vigorous
desires Is met by represslye measures, which
stunt the mind, until when freedom comes In
maturity the ability to grow has gone without
the limit Of growth having been reached. Heal
what the president of great college, president
Barnard, OF Columbian College, New York; and
. devoted friend to the cause OF education, has
said:
"They bury the promising young bulls deep II
musty mold. formed OF the decay Of centuries
under the delusion that out OF such debris they
may gather some wholesome nourishment, whet
We know all that they want Is the light and tn,
warmth OF the sun to stimulate them and tn,
free air OF heaven In which TO unfold themselves
What heartlcss cruelty pursues the little chill,
martyr every day, and all the day long, ut HON,
OF a. school alike-in this place hidden to mint
his book and not to look out OF the window, II
that told to hold his tongue and 10 remembe
| that children must not ask questions A las
from whalebone, switch upon the tender litti'
nugcrs too eagerly outstretched, could not stin
| mora EeRnlV n with "A n
wrong than such q rebuke, coming across the n
less esgerly-extended tcntacss Of the dawnin
and inquiring intellect Is this not painful
The minds Of the young arc, indeed, stowe
with much that gives pleasure TO themselves
but there are greater pleasures which they neve
know, and for all time they rest In a condition
OF feebleness as regards the world OF nature an
the problems OF their own existence. A DO!
can often parse q latin sentence before he Know
the names Of the natural objects around him
He can give the principal events OF Roman his
tory, but he can tell nothing Of the daily event
In his own body. lie can argue details Of tn
sovernment, the WORK, the art and and literature m
utter ignorance Of things which he secs ever
day. Dead languages, extinct systems OF moral
and religion, exploded theories OF nature aD
| soclety-such Ia the food upon which his min
realities.
mind with facts, which have their hold only /
the retentive power Of the memory, seeing tina
no daily experience makes them subjects o
observation. When the nervous masses are mo,
receptive they gain Impressions which can rarel
be utilized in future spontaneous nervous actioI
inasmuch a. they are entirely outside OF the At
tual relations Of the individual.
The so-called classical education, which IL un
yersally dominant In the preparatory school
does not accustom the mind to deal with sui
Jects OF daily experience, does not cultivate tn
power OF observation and compensation, an
viduAl TO deal with the questions OF medic,
science and art.
il is true that in our universities and college
| no great reform has been worked In recent year
The sJstem OF elective studies enables the stu
dent to devote his energies to the sciences, bu
the evil Is only half remedied. The tastes ale y
morbid from early indulgence In non-nutritiou
diet that the inclination for better ihngs is fol
ever lost. And then, when the time for th
choice comes the mind has gained such bia
that the pursuit Of the natural sciences Is q tot
some Ploddlng on an unknown road.
AT Harvard university In lsT2-I3 there were 81
elections In the ancient languages to ia In matt
smstics, ~ ~ In natural natural history, 100 IN physlc.
languages there are 80 In modern languages, .
10 physics and chemistry. 2s In natural histor]
The average number Of students In the Iitei
ary or classical course was l00t, SO In the scieI
tinc course. Why such selections are mad
when so few will choose pursuits where purel
ton which 1t may be dflcut to answer. Tn
fault mtnt be In the lll-judged selection Of earl
studies with consequent perverted tendencies
The remedy lies In making that obligatory whlc
Ia now elective, and In demanding that stu
dent shall know less OF Virgil, and Cicero, an
xenophon, and more OF the plants and animal
| which he sees, of the earth on which he lives
and OF the structure and functions Of his ow
body. II Is an Instructive commentary upon ou
colleges for men that great college for wome
has placed botany on the entrance TO the c0eg
course rs an obligatory study, while physica
geography Is taught In the preparatory schoo
and every opportunity Is offered for the study o
the natural science. "What Is aimed at In 'hi
school, says the catalogue, 'ls to arouse th
ton, TO nx attention upon resemblances and dii
ferences, and thus to teach the student to teac
herself"
When the question arises as to the relatly
value OF preparatory systems Of study, 10 nttln
the mind for this or that professional work, a
opinion Is worth most not from the giyer OF edu
| cation, but from the receiver OF 1t. How can IN
one know our needs as well as we know ther
ourselves. Our own experience, often bite
one, furnishes the text for our reproaches. You
every student here, will ere long Join In the CT
| against the wrong OF leading men to the study o
| an advanced science with minds unprepared 4
deal with scientific methods.
There Is nothing In the recital OF these griey
| ances 10 cause encouragement to any here. IN,
consciousness Of the want will only come witt
growing knowledge. II Is only the ignorant VIII
| rest In quiet satisfaction with the thing
| that are, and who believe that what am IL bet
| the want OF training at every turn, and ma
often detect faults Of accuracy so common eyei
| among learned men. You remember the lexco
grapher who defined crab as q little red nsli
| which walks backward, as well US Cuver,
| comment that the definition was correct, eNCep