Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-06-30

Foreign Correspondence Of the Free Press and Times
Letter from Berlin.
GERMAN MEDICAL. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
OF EUROPEAN NATIONs-BIsNARCK, ANDRAs-
sY AND GORTsCHAKoFF-NArIoNA CONTROL
OF RAILWAYS.
BERLIN, Prussia, May 25, 1875.
To the Editor of the Free Press and Times
The approac hing anniversaries Of the Uni
versity Of Vermont, and particularly tn 0
Commencement ofthe Medical Dep artment,
suggest the possible interest which a sketch
of a German Medical Doctorate may give
your readers. In the first place it is dis
tinguished by none Of the characteristics of
the American Commencement. There is no
given day of a special week on which the
medical student graduates. An suditori um,
filled with admiring friends spplauding
with fans and flowers. marshals and music,
prizes a2d valedictories. are unknown ele-
ments in German University. The only
public evidence of his gradual ion is the no.
tice. in large Latin print, signed by the
Dean, whose name with that of the candi-
date, are the only portions Of the document
in ink. The notice Is nailed on black,
wooden box. which IS spanned by a wire
network, and locked, and hangs for 4 speci-
fed time in a specified place in the large ves-
tibule of the University. Here it is open to
the inspection of thousands of students from
all quarters of the globe, of whom perhaps
one-t wentieth of the matriculated medical
students know the successful candidate by
name. To compute, there were in the Medi-
cal Department OF the Friedrich Wilhelm's
Universitaet of Berlin. in the last Winter
semester. 263 matriculated students. 1t is
fair estimate of the publicity of gradu-
alton, to say that ten of these students
know or care anything about the doctorate
of comrade. Ceremony is the distinguish
ing characteristic of the affair. Perhaps |
cannot do better than to describe one of
these scenes, which transpired March 7th.
and in which ! was invited to assist. En-
tering the main portal of the University.
you pass across the vestibule. where the
shuflling and scratching OF boots on the
marble floor announce the end of an hour.
At the left side of this vestibule is room
about twenty feet square. furnished with
seats for sixty persons. on all sides,
like an American school-room. At one end
of the room is high pulpit, and before it
similar one. three feet lower. Three
simple chairs stand unoccupied perhaps six
feet in front of the lower desk. On this
occasion not over ten students. some law,
some theological, two | knew TO be medical,
sat around the room. At precisely eleven
o'clock the old Dean, Baron Won Langen-
beck, the ripest surgeon OF Europe. enters,
dressed in a long, majestic. velvet cloak
and cap of the same, and lavender gloves.
Three young men, a Scotchmsn from the Uni
versity of Aberdeen. Frenchman from the
University of Paris, and myself take the
three chairs. while the candidate who Is to
receive his diploma, enters the lower pulpit
He is an American gentleman of forty-hve,
a graduate of twenty years ago from Jeffer-
son College. Philadelphia. who passed as
number one into the Surgical Corps of the
L. ;. Navy. and is a member Of. the Royal
College of Surgeons. London. With the three
opponents before him, he is dressed in full
evening style. The five parties to the cere-
mOny hold in their hands his Inaugural
Dissertation, " which in this instance was in
English. the five copies being always ele-
gantly bound, and being given to the gen.
,lemen assisting. Usually several hundred
copies are printed in pamphlet, which are at
the disposition of the candidate. The ex-
pense is borne by himself, and is between $50
and 225 thalers, according to the amount of
photographic work. thaler is IS cents in
American gold. The laws OF the University
or of the Government-for it is one and the
same thing-proyide one printer for this kind
of work. making it impossible for the candi-
date to select the cheapest. In addition 20
this dissertation. which is usually in Ger
man. short biographical sketch, with
notice of the positions Of trust, if any such
there have been, is added, in Latin: also
three topics, two in medicine, and one in
surgery or vice versa, always in Latin,
which are to be combatteG by the three op-
ponents. and to be defended by the csndi-
date. This il the style of Inaugural
Dissertation" in each of the four Depart
ments of Philosophy. Law, Theology. and
Medicine. The ceremony-for il is simply
such-was begun in this case by the Dean.
who alluded to some point in the disserta-
tion. and commented upon it. He was an
swered by the candidate, both speaking in
German. The Scotchman then opposed the
first Latin thesis in English tDe French
man the second in very bad German while
opposed the third in English. The candi-
date responded to the opposition in the Ian
gnage IN which it was given the opponents.
Of course. expressing themselves satisfied
with the explanations. The venerable Dean
then sscended the higher pulpit. proclaim
ed in Latin the Doctorate of tho candidate.
and gave him the oath and grip of the Med
cal Faculty of the University.
IL was the most complete farce | ever wit
messed complete. because so dignifed and
shallow. The dissertation was admirably
treated. its subject being that fruitful bone
OF contention among surgeons-'Fractures
of the Femur, and their Treatment. Some
very nice points were brought out: as. for in
stance, the mechanical play of the ileo. fem0r
al llgamenf known as Bertin g ligsment the
axis of rotation of the thigh, which Hyrtl has
found to lie not in the axis of the femur, but
internal TO that line the nutrition of the
hen tra Of ha
depending. according to Hyrtl, on the arte
~ supplying the hgamentun feres. but. like
that of the cornea. depending on scanty
serous transudation-ior the artery has
been found not to penetrate the head OF the
hone. but. on reaching it. to return again.
The English and the Latin were presumably
good. The expense of the printing and the
dress were simply to conform to the demands
of form and | can characterize the affair
in no other way than to say OF the expense,
that it is a swindle. and of the ceremony,
that it is farce. If America crrs in snowy
Com nencements, with eclat and spread
eagleism. the Germans go as far to the other
extreme in the stupidity of mode. and in
the submission to form. 1t would never
do for dashing Prussian hussar. for in
stance, TO promenade in the fashionable
Inter den Linden, without slapping his
scabbari on the asphalt at every steD the
cafe courts his custom it dignihes the es-
tablishment If his changing spurs are firmly
set in his heels and his sword loosely hung
at his belt; while the head-waiter knows
that all this promises an extra groschen In
the hand. 1t must 0e remembered that
the candidate for medical honors has long
before sent in his name to the University
Quastor, requesting an examination. When
the Faculty has sufficient number OF appli-
cants, not less than three nor more than SIX,
he receives request from the same othcer
TO call at certain hour at the house OF
the Dean. where he spends, with four Pro-
fessors, several hours IN oral and
written examination. The candidates are
policed by the private servant OF the
Dean, parsonage in livery. while all
precaution has been taken 10 rem)ve every
source of medical information. As Germans
religiously believe in eating and drinking
with their work, fine collation. usually
occupies the long ccntre-table of the room,
with Bordeaux and Rhine wines. which
the gentlemen appropriate at option.
have heard of some vile fellows, who bribed
the servants to bring up extra TASKS OF VINE
from the Deems cellar-an unusual exhibi-
tion of medical larceny. The same candi-
dates are summoned several times before the
different Professors. until the whole list OF
examiners is exhausted. Sometimes a can
didate is allowed two trials. The examina-
tions occupy several weeks. and are all in
German, end hence exceedingly difficult for
foreigner. To such, however, proper al
lowance is made The Professors are always
willing to converse in French or Latin. if
the candidates prefer. Few Of them, how
ever. are on speaking terms with English.
am told that Virchow in pathology is one
of the severest examiners in this University
and that from 60 to so per cent of students
fall through his hands.
One word in regard to the length of time
of study demanded of the medical student,
and its style of prosecution. and | will close
this sketch. Every student is graduate
of a gymnasium, where he studies the class
les and higher mathematics, as American
students at college. In classics he learns to