National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-03-17
address 70 THE STUDENTS By PROF. HEDRICK
]. 1ABER JOHNSON TO THE ALUMNI,
VaIedfCtOFV OF Mr.. ]. N. Green-AdVice
and Information for the New Doc.
tOrs-Parting Words of Class
mates Thanks to the
FaeuIty-A Goodbye
to College.

brilliant and thoroughly successful affair, Ions
before the curtain rose the front of the stage wal
loaded with beautiful boquets for the successful
graduates. The theatre Waswell filled with mos
intelligent and appreciative audience ofthe friend
Of the class and of the and look
ers-On. DOnch's band discOursed most excellent
music, and all went merry marriage bell
The exercises were opened by the reading Of the
act Of Congress authorizing Georgetown Univer
sty TO confer the degree Of Doctor Of Medicine BY
Prot. Noble Young, NJ. D., followed by Strauss
Rev. P. +. Healey, president Of the University
conferred the degree of Doctor OF Medicine upon
MyrOn BORrdman, OF New York; John NJ. Green
Of District of Columbia; L. A. Harvey, of Ohio
:. Stephenson, OF District of Columbia, and J
Harry Thompson, il. OF District Of Columbia, II
short CEtemp pore address full Of wise philosOBhy
and sound advice, in his usual sage and fatherly
manner.
Professor Benjamin ). Hedrck was introduced
and said:
ADDRESS TO THE GRADUATES.
G.s.tL'.ae'. II tie Graduating Class:
Ny. brethren Of the faculty have imposed upon
he the honorable task OF welcoming you among
cur ancient fraternity. 1t is Occas sion for re-
lOlcing and congratulatiOn. We extend 10 You a
hearty greeting. These friends here assembled
do the same in a more expressive manner than
any language l can employ. The faculty
are glad OF the opportunity OF giving this public
Endorsement OF your fitness 10 begin the practice
Of the noble and labOrious profession Of medicine.
Our venerable institution Of learning now enrOlls
you among her hOnCred children, and will rejoice
in your success and grieVe at any misfortune that
may Uvertake you. She will, SO far as possible
encourage you in all your efforts for nigh and
honorable achievement.
thai awaits you. You know also the importance
Of the work in which you are engaged. 1t has
commanded the respect Of the wise and good OF
all ages. Our science ranks among the Oldest. II
il is not the Oldest cultivated by our Ith8s
claimed the thought and labor Of probably one
fourth Of the educated talent Of the world. Its
MO hn hnnT 70 fOr lies
mainly in the peculiar difficulties attending it..
The poet, IL has been said is born; the orator is
made. The physician must grow. He is the re-
sultant growth Of the centuries, though he ap-
pears only to-day. The preparatory ed
ucatiou must equal that Of any CT the learned
professions, and the number OF branches required
lar exceeds that Of any other. The general ad-
yRncenent Of
THE SCIENCE OF MEDICINE
depends upon the development of so many kindred
arts and Eclences that it has been hindered and
delayed at every point Two OF the sciences chem,
advances thst only the most diligent student can
keep up with their march. Chemistry has always
had close connection with medicine but, unfOr-
Tunately until within the last hundred years il
was itself mere disconnected mass Of facts, and
little able TO render assistance to other sciences.
The chemists all over the world celebrated their
centennial during the year Just past. In reviewing
this period, any one will be impressed with the
great number Of preparations which have been
given to medicine by chemistry. These, when
taken with the new facts ascertained by the phys
iOlOgists, constitute the latest and most important
advances in the medical art. A few years ago
carbOic and salicylic acids the hydTate of choral
the hydrates and nitrates Of methyl and amyl
were terms wholly unknown to the materia med
lea. Now they are used everywhere, and in the
hands Of the educated physician become most i'm
POTtant agents. There are now some two hun
dred alcalOids in use in medicine. Most OF
these have been contributed by the labUrs Of
the chemists, and when thoroughly proved by the
skill Of the practitioner have been incorporated
in the materia medica. At various times in ths
past the chemist and the doctor were at variance.
Now they are becoming as one: This is for the
l need not say how much is expected Of you,
nor what efforts 1t will require on your part to
attain it. The burdens which duty and your own
an bitten to succeed impose upon you will quickly
inform you.
The several members Of the faculty have Iabored
10 give you such an OUTFIT Of mental culture as
viii enable you 10 meet, on equal ground, the
young men who go forth from other Institutions
Let there be only such rivalry between you and
them as to which can best discharge his duty TO
himself, the profession and humanity. This sort
Of emulation will bless you without inIurfng them
l have only, then, to say, God bless you; may all
your efforts be Tor good and may success attend
them.
ADDRESS TO THE ALUMNI.
Next in the order of exercises, ter the "VoIun.
teer," from Faust, by the orchestra, Professor
Jas. Tsber johnson was introduced and addressed
The Society Of the Alumni. He said
Mr.. President, Ladies and GeRtleBlea:
In the practice Of some Of the ancient universe
ties Of continental Europe it was the custom to
present the medical graduate, on the day on which
he gained his dCctOrship, with a ring, barette,
an open and a shut book. The ring bstOkenei the
solemn espousal Of the young graduate to the
medical profession. The barette indicated that
he was at the same time set apart and cOnsecrated
as priest TO science. The open book was given
as an EN- 6lem Of the things already taught him,
EEi!e the more significant closed volume with
which H. was presented was meant to typify that
fs- i1noer an, ~-eater extent Of professional
knowledge which it was vet the study and bust
ness Of his life to acquire. ,,, at.
ancient example, yet it has with equal solemC''y
given into the sacred keeping OF its alumni d
parchment certificate, signed by each member Of
It's faculty with the great seal Of the university
attached, slgnifying TO the world that Its gradu-
ates are prepared TO diagnose and treat the many
Ills which atllCt
TIE HUMAN RACE.
1t is fully quarter of a century since this nov
Well-estabIished medical college began to send
forth its graduates, and We are cheered by intel
ligence, not only from all parts Of our own land,
but from other nations, Of their usefulness and
success. Those Who have fingered near their
alma D!GttT' numDertng about one hundred in all,
have banded themselves together into Medical
Society Of the Alumni, at whose meetings they
cultivate stronger fraternAl regard, discuss
medical questions, and seek to promote not only
the best interests Of their society but those Of the
college from which they graduate.
The world fatters and fsWns upon successful
men in all the honorable, and, am sorry TO say,
some Of the dishOnorahle callings in life. No one
hnds it difficult to secure recognition and friendly
regard after success has been won; but, my
friends, the road to success is hard one thorny
one and the seltdenial and toll necessary to gain
success is frequently irksOme, ana accompanied
BY many heart-burnings and discouragements.
But, after all we are told by those VINO have
struggled and fought, but finally conquered, that
the victory is glorious, and we'll worth
THE PRICE IT HAS COST.
There is no profession, however, in which per-
seVeripg honesty and virtue is its own reward
made by the practice Of medicine. We have the
authority, however, Of Sir Benjamin BrOdI for
saying that mo young physician who uses the
means proper for the purpose will fail to succeed
sufficiently to crafty q reasonable ambition"
f'You must" he says, "perseYere, and you may
do in the full assurance that the reward though
possibly delayed for time, yet it will surely
Thusi is, gentlemen of thu alumni and gentle
men Of the graduating clasE, that faithful, hard
working. studious men climb, step by step,
through the enVious, crowded pathway Of life TO
the "tOp, where, according TO Webster, "there is
plenty Of room, u and where fame and glory and
fortune await them; and thus it is l would have
you, many, all Of you If possible, by the same and
only true process, work your way up into that
Purer and more cultured atmosphere nearer the
top Thus it will be the individual alumni
take rank-they will reflect back credit upon their
alma mdteT. They will add lustre to its renoHn
az lhey Dflghten their own. would see our
alumni society in the future famous by the Dor
TOWed
FAME OF ITS GREAT MEN.
would see it the pride and the glory of Its mem
beTs, increasing in power and influence because Of
the fame Of its members. would see Il banded
more firmly together than ever before, and work
Tag more earnestly for the advancement Of medL
cal science, the interests Of its members and the
future growth and welfare OF the parent COLLEGE
You may smile, but this ts not an impractIcable
idea, If we cannot have a national university In
whose lecture rooms shall be found the greatest
men of our country, we may have, we ought TO
have, one great medical college IN our city the
fame Of whose teachers should attract to its doors
hundreds Of students from all parts Of the land.
This can be accomplished by thoroughly utilizing
the means about us for improvement, and firmly
believe it might be accomplished were they uti.
IiEed. The already Widely -eXtended fame Of the
Georgetown University and its distinguished
president might possibly be yet more widely eX.
tended through the increased rank and future in.
hUenee OF its medical department. May this
bright fruitiOn Of our hopes be realized through
the combined lsbOrs Of the university college and
alumni.
At the close Of Prof Jobnson's address the
orchestra played the exquisite waltz, "Do und
Do" by Strauss, when J. NJ. Green, NJ. D.. OF
the graduating class, was introduced and deiIT-
cred a very able YaledietOry, which stamped him,
unmistaEably, as . young maR Of talent and
great future promise.
THE VALEDICTORY.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The last scene in the last act OF the college
ding band Of associates and fellOW-students TO
the sacred cause Of humanity and science, are
concluded. 1t were scarcely necessary to tender
heartfelt greeting after the welcome extended
by the faculty orator.
To the public the occasion seems but a raRu-