The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-12-18
THE PRESS.
THURSDAY MORNING, DEC. IS. 1873
The College Crop Of 1873.

The Commissioner of the Bureau of Edu
cation at Washington has recently issued
circular giving summary of the degrees con-
ferred by colleges of various grades during the
year 1878. The grand total of titled and fin
ished scholars amounts to 4,493 degrees in
course and 376 honorary. Of these 1866
were conferred on Bachelors of Arts, 1876 on
Masters of Arts, 504 on Bachelors Of Law
and SOB on Bachelors of Medicine. In addition
to these large and regular classes 1856 Bache-
Tors, under various names were born into the
scientific world besides three Sisters OF Arts.
Time was when the titles conferred upon
scholars and graduates by colleges were con-
fined to two regular and two honorary de-
grees. But the introduction OF scientific de-
partments into colleges has SO "watered' the
stock that a large number of new designa-
lions for various ranks and professions have
recently been introduced; and IN order that
our readers may not be puzzled when they
find curious authorizations following the
names of persons, somewhat resembling the
nomenclature of chemistry, we give a
number of the titles by which to desig-
nate our future savants. The harsh
combination of ''Nor. Gr." signifies normal
graduate; L. A. NJ, stands for Master of
English literature, of which unfortunately,
the number Is limited to seven; A. L. are the
initials Of laureates of art; Phi. B. and Phi. D.
are affixed respectively to bachelors and doc
tors of philosophy, while Sc. NJ. means mas
tiers of science, and Sc. D. is attached to doc
tors of science, or rather to the one doctor OF
that kind who graduated in 1873. An. Oh.
Is for analytical chemists; Agr. B. stands for
bachelors of agriculture, and B. G. E. and B
II. E, are the nomenclatures applied to bach
elors of civil engineering and mining engineer
ing, respectively. Mus. B. and Mus. d. rep
resent The degrees of music; but medicine car
ries off the palm for the number and variety
of the accomplishments presented by scien-
tifc authorizations. In addition to the old IT,
tie of M. D., we find Phar. Oh. for pharma-
certical chemists, Phar. M. and Pbar. b. for
master and bachelor ofpharmacy, and M. B.
for bachelor of medicine. Following the doc
tors in this long list Accomplishments come
the lawyers, suggesting the necessity Of wills
and settlement OF estates when the physicians
have finished their work. In this profession.
L. L. B. stands for bachelor of laws.
1t is not our purpose to disparage the col
lege crop of 1873, but we may venture the
remark that the large increase of graduates
with these new titles bodies no good to lib
eral culture. These new degrees are mani
testify devised for young men who shrink from
the rigors of a full course of study and who
do not receive sufficient culture in the two
years they are in college to rise above the
vulgar regard for title which is SO dear to
the heart Of every quack.
1t might be supposed that the colleges have
already created titles enough to properly la
bel and brand the goods they turn out, but
we are promised by one college department
Of journalism, where editors and reporters
will be turned ont to suit the requirements OF
modern journalism with titles to note their
supposed qualifications. For instance, we
shall have Ms. Ed. for new editor, Sens r.
for sensational reporter, Ing. Ed for the
young men who attend poor lectures and
write them up at first-class, while B. F. and
NJ, F. representing bachelors and masters of
fiction will be largely found in Democratic
sanctums. tt. Fab. may stand for the fabri-
Gator of kilograms, who on occasions like
that of the recent Spanish trouble could i'm
agne that he were writing from Madrid while
In Washington, aud had facts when he was
not the possessor of a well defined rumor.