Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-02-28
UNIVERSITY OF NASHVILLE.
meaical Department commencement

/
Medical Department. commencement
=. A large audience, composed Of ladies an
J gentlemen, assembled at the Opera Hous
last night to witness the commencement ez
} ercises of the Medical Department of th
University of NJ shyille.
The exercises were opened with praye
by the Rev. DR.. Maddin, followed wit
music by the Rock City Band.
che valedictory address on the part {
the class was then delivered by DIR. x. Z
Haynie, which did honor to the speaker
and reflected credit upon the class of whic
he was the spokesman.
After music again by the band, DIR. w
T. Briggs on behalf of the Faculty deliver
ed the charge to the students, which wa
beautiful in diction and eloquent in Ian
gusge. He commenced by remarking 4
the graduates that it was pleasant duty t
address them on such an oc
casion and complimented then
upon the arrival of that hour to which thel
had been anxiously looking forward. HI
said their gentlemanly behavior and atten
tion to studies had been watched by th(
faculty, and they could bear testimony Il
the energy and zeal evinced By each o.
them in their efforts to succeed. You have
nobly fought the good fight, said the Pro-
lessor, and here tonight under the broad
charter Of our institution we are here to
award you the bright crown and welcome
you to the brotherhood of physicians, and
bid you God speed as you go to the field
where the great wrestle for glory aud re-
nown. The emotions which impress you
This evening are doubtless those of exulta-
| tion and gladness. at the commencement
of your career you left home and friends,
denied yourselves many pleasures, and
have since that time and for three years
past laboyed diligently, and have honestly
and fairly won your degrees. In few
hours you will be on your return to your
homes, and who more than the faithful
student can appreciate that homeward
trip, where soon you will receive the
welcome of glad father, the
kisses of a cherished mother, the mingled
smile and tear of a beloved sister, the bois-
ferrous gee of jolly little brothers, and per-
haps to feel the indescribable influence of
those sunbeams of the soul, the warm
bushes of a sweetheart. And when loves
tempests have subsidized into the calm of
quiet joy, you can spread before that inter-
esting assembly around the hearth your
diploma as evidence that you are de jetre ct
de .fGcto doctors of medicine, and
commissioned by these instru-
ments to commence the great business of
your lives.
The profession of which from this night
you are to become active menu ers, is an
old, noble and a glorious one. Man, the
most perfect of the creation, most fearfully
and wonderfully made, is its study; that
delicate and intricate piece of machinery
its constant subject for analysis and
theme for contemplation. While others
may study the sciences, you are to study,
understand and to deal with the master of
aIsciences. Ourprofession is'almost as old
as time itself. 1t dates with Eden's mis-
fortunes. Rude and Uncertain as it was
continued for long ages, it was considered
divine art and praeticed by the gods them
selves. The ancient Greeks attributed the
of medicine to Apollo.
What grand conception of the great
ness, beauty and dignity of the subject in
associating the healing art with Apollo, the |
source of heat and light, the patron of
learning and the fine arts. Legendary his |
tory informs US that Esculapius was the |
son Of Appollo, and his father sent him to |
heal the mortal woes Of the world. That |
the mission Of his son and disciple might |
be sure of success Apollo shot ahead of |
him his bright beams to light bis path and |
guide him on his way. So great
was the success of -Esculapsis that Jupiter
became alarmed and slew him with his
bolts of thunder, lest men becoming pos
Sessed of the means of triumphiDg over
death, should cease to pay homage to the
gods. This mythical description of worldly
comes to Us clothed in beautiful
iiction from the old Greeks.
The cradle of medicine was surrounded
~ fables and allegories. Its growth con-
inued to be slow and irregular for ages;
III true science, in fact, is of slow growth.
{ is like the majestic oak which has stood
he storms of q thousand winters. The
alse sciences are like the mushroom
they spring up in single
light. Yesterday you saw them
lot; TO morrow you may lock |
or them in vain. They are like the meteor,
Which flashes for moment, and then is
uried in the gloom of everlasting dark
ess. True science is like a star which
nay be obscUTed by passing cloud, but
7hich will continue to shine forever in the
Imam6nL OF heaven.
The Doctor then discussed the mission
( medicine and afterwards its achieve
lants. He said: 1t has relieved pain and
1fiering, it has controlled disease in many
lstaDces and restored to health forms that
ere just in the shadow of death. 1t has
wen sight to the blind, removed lameness
ON the halt, procured comeliness to the
1t has has also banished many
/ the epidemics, once the terror of man
ind, from the face of the earth. It has
)bbed others OF their power to do harm. {
has increased the average duration of a
uman life, and added little to the span
hich marks its brevity. But the chief I
DRY of modern medicine is the proven I
on of disease, healing the begin
ings, drying up fountains instead of wait
9 to drain rivers, striking successfully at L
le causes instead of struggling unequally '
it'll their effects. Preventive medicines
oppose to deal with man in his conditions, /
Id with the same objects in view as the I
gnal service deals with the weather.
We have only given in the above brief c
-nopis of the distinguished Professors re- e
arks. He afterwards spoke of the respon-
bilities that graduates of medicine would d
sumo, and how they should prepare v
emselves ID meet those responsibilities. a
e spoke ofthe requisites fer success in the
and the rewards that would fol- o
", and concluded in the following beau le
ul and eloquent strain:
You are now about to leave US to enter q
ION the active duties of your profession. I
efore you is toIlsome road, beset with a
any difficulties. Choose the star of hon.
able medicine as your guide. It is the v
lly one that will lead you pure and unde- y
ed through your professional life. Fol-
W that star closely, it will be a lamp to II
'ur feet and light to your path. Aim a
81! The loftier you aim the more vigor- D
# will be your flight and the higher your G
cent in the honors of your profession. q
stem to no such word as fail. Croakers
ay remind you that the profession is a
divided, but there is ample room for the de-
ted and faithful. Never shrink
IN honorable competition. Hon
J won are always estimated
the magnitude Of the difficulties over U
me in order to win them. Spend no 7,
ne, not even moment in idienesS. The p
lat Rush when of your age used to say, 80
lilo / haUa nothing To lO I will dicsppt az