National Republican., 1873-03-07
GEORGETOWN COLLEGE.
THE TwEyTY.FOrRTH COMMENCEMENT.
! The Medical Depnrtmcnt-The Confcrring
Of Dearess-Address to tho Graduating
Cinss-InterestlnR Exercises Mt the
Opera House Yesterday.

OF Dearess-Address to tho Graduating
Clnss-InterestlnR Exercises Mt the
Opera House Yesterday.
The twcnty-fourth annual commencement OF
the medical department Of the University Of
Georgetown took place yesterday afternoon at
Walls opera house. At one O'Clock the grad
mates, with the faculty, marched on the stage
and took the respective seats assigned them,
the curtain rose and the exercises began. The
auditorium was filed to overnowlng with the
friends Of the graduates, the major portion
being ladies'. After the performance Of several
airs the following programme was carried out:
Reading Of the act Of Congress authorizing
Georgetown college to confer the degree Of
Doctor Of Medicine, by Prof Noble Young, NJ.
D.; Star Spangled Banner, national air;
cosTERRrSa OF pEoRREs
by Rev. John Early, s. j., president Of George
town college, to the following graduates: John
VI. Ashneld, Intermittent fever, Ohio; Benjamin
N. Bcall, cerebro-spinal meningitis, Washington,
y. C.i Charles Blttinger, carcinoma, Washing.
surgery, Missouri; VIM. y. Byrns, pneumonltls,
Massachusetts; Edward Cranch, Ph. b., respira-
ron, ONO; Harry y. Douglass, yellow fever,
medicine, Washington. i. O; John !. D1nphy, "
physiological thefapensis, New York; Charles
Gentscn, progress Of surgery and medicine,
sion, Pennsylvania; J.wIlllAmson Joyce, masm,
chicago; Geo; NJ; kober, urinology, Pennsylya-
MIA; James d. Lawrence, urinary pathology,
Georgetown, d. c.; W. II. II, Minnlck, epidemic
| innuenzl, Pennsylvania; =, J. Murphy, action OF
medicines, Massachusetts; c. v. Petteys, circula-
the action Of mercury, New YORK; David schiei.
/ mer, yariola, Washington, ID. C.; BENJAMIN
smith, spermatorrhea, Kentucky; John 7. STRAIT
sopics 0p % Mssiarbnsctts, ~ ruTneT w, ToFrey, mar
| MIA, New York.
ERADICATE IN PHARMACY.
Thomas X Downing, opium and Its alkalo lds,
As each graduate received his degree he was
greeted with applause, and also presented with
/ numerous bouquets Of nowers.
wedding march, Midsummer Nights Dream, +"
| MendClssChn- -Bartholdy.
Prof, louis Mackall, jr., N. D., was introduced
! and delivered the
ADDRESS TO aRADrlrtSa CLASS,
uENrLRAEG What more Ia wanting to make
this occasion forever memorable to yous In
splrlng and melodious music; vast profusion OF
n0wers, whose beauty IA only ercelled by the
bright eyes and sweet smiles that are every
where greeting you; the presence OF friends and
Sea.iNss, l,n @ whose hear,s are beating in unison
hon0rs from the hAnda Of the president OF one
! OF the most venerable and highly respected uni
.crsities IN the land, all conspire to make this
tue one eventual day OF your lives. know that
ltA influence will 90 out with you and be felt long
after the time and occasion shall have passed
away: Anl when, now and then, as they must
lies stern realities shall Oyershadow you with
somhre hue, then the remembrance OF this day
Will aid In dlspelling the gloom aud will chase
me shadows away; And am sure that nothing
| that can say viii add to the impressiyeness Of
this scene. Stlll, on ths the birthday of your
i professional life, you have right to expect to
hear from some one Of US, who are, In sense,
your suretles, words OF congratulation that YOU
have safely crossed the narrow but unceTtaln
! sea which divides medical students from doctors
Of medicine; words Of encouragement to cheer
you on In your professional journey; words OF
soberness and seriousness TO impress you with
! the greatness OF the responsibility and ohliRa-
tlon that aye now resting on you; worls Of warn
ing lest Tits rich and honorable Inheritance,
which has just been conferred upon you Should
not be perfected to fruition.
The few moments which should be allotted to
an address OF this sort might well be spent In
congratulations, for the possession OF that
| diploma implies that You have overcome DIM
culties OF no ordinary character, and that the
WORK whica you have accomplished Is pregnant
| both with importance and promise. II implies
three long years Of study-close, unTemlttlnV
earnest study; carly and late, whether the spirit
was wiling or not willtng-Whether the mind
was weary or not, this work had 10 20 on Nor
was this all For two winters, day by DAY. you
nave had 10 riyct your attention upon, and TO
take IN as u were, Ane upon line OF four or lye
dry lectures. The principles OF anatomy, phys-
olo9y, chemistry, matoria medica, surgery, med-
cal Jurisprudence, the practice OF medicine, and
Othcr branches had all to he so impressed upon
your memories as TO enable you to pass q cred
table examination on each and every one Of
them. You have had to master subject than
which there are none more vast or more COM
| pleN-to comprehend and acquire In the short
space Of three years an immense body OF facts
which have been accumulating for more than
| three thousand years.
This, and much more than all this, surely en-.
titles you TO our warmest aud sincereHt cOngrat-
| uiatlOns surely entities you to dwell with COM
placency and satisfaction upon the evidence
| which you hold In your hands Of your own dlli-
gence aud perseverance. Aud Il might be
thought that you are also entitled on this day to
| dwell solely on what has been already accom-
plshed; that you might be let alone In ibe pleas
ant illusion that "tO-inorrow shall be as this day
and much more abundautly;" that you might be
| spared any reference TO the future, especially
any alluson to further effort to a renewal of the
| hard work from which you have so recently de-
sisted, And have no doubt but that you will
| thlnk 1t heartess thing In me now, In the very
zenith OF your Joy, to hint that It Is possible that
thls bright and sunny picture could have any re-
verse side. But so 1t Is and the stern voice OF
mns, ug Ts no, INC ~ you mat even on ths day you
Injunction Is as Imperative In medicine as In re-
liglun, forgetting the things which are behind,
the marx Of the prize Of your high calng;" that,
unless like her who for all time aud 70 ali gene
ratiOns, shall typlfy wOman's cOnstancy aud
wSsms4s ..LsaR devotion, you are ready 70 exclalm,
but death part thee anu me;" then, although you
nave already crossed the border line which sep
arates US, YOU had better go back like the gentle
but irresolute orphat, TO your kindred and 10
your people. must reiterate II that unless you
| look upon the work and study OF the past three
years as but prelude to and preparation for
further effort and sterner cOnhlcts, you had
better never have undertaken the study OF medl-
cine. For, II you pass out OF this place deuded
WIN the Idea that the time for study is over,
that you can trust TO and rest upon these lAures
alone, then there Is In store for you nothing but
certain failure aud the bitteTest disappointment
Gentlemen, you are now about to be intrusted
win all that men hold most sacred and most
preciOus-their lives, their confidence and their
dearest lnterests. In accepting this high trust,
you nave obligated yourselves TO lead life OF a
great self-dcnial, OF Incessant mental and physl-
and honor.
In the practice OF your profession you will
nnd that selt,a6negatlon Is not only the nrst,
but the most dincult lesson which you will have
TO acquire. For until you are tried you cannot
appreciate the weakness and aelnshness OF hn-
man nature. Indeed 1t win require little less
than that inspiration which coIneth only from
above to enable you TO Withstand the yearnlngs
OF your own wearied bodies for ease and rest;
the warm appeals OF friends; the allurements OF
nature when she woos you with her sunnlest
smiles; to enable you TO Withstand the winters
blasts, and the fierce rays OF the summers sun;
10 surrender without mnrmur the pleasant sur
roundlngs OF your own homes for the discOIn-
forts OF the lOwllest hAbltation.
But seli-denial Ia not the only requisite neces-
sary TO nt you for this high trust, You must
habit Of persistent work. Ali gentleman, what
an active busy thing Is the doctors life. Look
around you; scrntinlze the lives OF those who
What are the striking characteristics OF these
mem Great energy and great industry. Indeed
the toll OF the physlclans le Is so great that no
parallel. Once ] thought found q nt comparl-
son a. passed noisy mill that was startling
the midnight hour with Its busy hum. But once
again, on qulet Sabbath eve passed the spot:
ihe busy hum was hush and still,
And US sweet repose was resting the quiet mill,
And !! m no longer typed the physlcians ever
But, though sef-denlal and great industry are
indispensable TO enable you 10 acquire q large
practice, yet both combined can never make
you, what hope each one OF you will become, |
successful, scientific and learned physlcians The
attainment OF this great height can only be
reached by adding mental discipline to bodily
activity by being the masters and not the slaves
0f your appetites by the possession Of the happy
faculty OF combining In equal proportions, the |
sHdritT in HOi0 with the JOTtiteT In re- by being
In heart as well as In manners, gentlemen; by |
setting up for yourselves high moral standard |
and living up TO IT,
can readily imagine that this picture Ia q dis |
cOuTa2inR one, and well may you aAk how can |
we overcome all these dificultes7 How can we |
live life so unlnylting and so full Of sacHnces9
There n one thing, and hut one thing which can |
be snficient for you. Without II, all through |
life, this picture will present the same dTeaTy |
and wntTy aspect. With II, In q little while the
dlnicultles viii vanish, the clouds will lift, and |
the sunshine will reveal TO you the noblest her |
ltage that God ever gave to man. This one |
thing Is an earnest, devoted and ardent love for |
your profession.