New-York tribune., 1882-04-21
MEDICAL INSTRUCTION.

sTGSED-TALKs WITH PROFESSORS AND poc.
TORS.
There was private meeting last night OF tbs
members Of the postgraduate faculty Of the Medi'
cal Department Of the University of tho City of
New-York. who recently resigned. All the mem
bers were present plan Of uniting with mi.
versity was discussed, and the title Of ths
new college and the number Of the in
ing 1t was said that the object Of becoming mart
OF an existing university was to avoid the ecessity
Of being proprietary institution. IL, however.
this proposed plan should fail the new college
would be organized asian independent institution In
any II decided TO have faculty of fourteen
professors. with instructors and assistants maknga
total OF about forty teachers in the college. The
title OF the college and the prominent university
with which it IL hoped arrangements can be made
were not announced yet.
The resignation of the faculty has caused mach
discussion IN the medical profession. his is the
largest medical college in the country, and the
who have fit TO leave II are widely known.
Moreover there arc n ans 70 oman nour h,anoh q;
medical instruction in New-YoTk more complete
than that in any other city, because the opportuni-
ties offered here for the education of physicians are
greater. With only one exception every professor
who has resigned has written one or more books on
the speciality which he taught, and they all have
hospital appointments as surgeons physicians.
DR., Roosa. the professor OF ophthaI.
mology, Is surgeon to the Manhattan Eve and Ear
Hospital DR.. William A. Hammond, professor Of
diseases Of the mind and nervous system, has
hospital appointment DR.. Smith, professor Of or
thopBdc surgery, is surgeon to Bellevue Hospital;
DIR. GOuley, professor of diseases OF the gcnito-
urinary system, is surgeon TO Bellevue Hospital:
Dr. Palen professor OF gynacoogy is surgeon 10 tho
Charity Hospital on BackwelPs Island; Dr. Piiard,
professor of dermatoogy, Is surgeon 10 the Charity
geon to st. Vincent's Hospital; and DR.. Sturgis,
clinical professor Of venerea diseases, Is visiting
surgeon to the Charity Hospital.
reporter Of The TRIBUNE yesterday visited sew.
eral members of the postgraduate faculty and
other prominent physicians to ascertain the feeling
among medical men AZ to the adyisability of FORM
tnsra ranla tlr fhath h.
than ever convinced that the post graduate
WIS not a necessity, and that the college would not
be affected BY the resignation OF the eight pro-
fessors. "When | assumed the administrative
duties of the deanship," said he, L thought too
much of the power of single men in q faculty. but
have learned by careful observation that not a
single man there draws five students year.
1t IS the college as whole that draws
men and not the individual men VINO
help to constitute the faculty, l., To- To-. show
remain, it is only necessary state that not
member of the special faculty had more than ono
lecture week, while every man III the regular
faculty has from three to five lectures week.
There is nothing new 70 say about the matter.
Nothing can be done until the meeting OF tho
faculty"
Besides having been a professor in the University
Medical College since 1864, DIR. Roosa has been .
lecturer in tine University OF Vermont Tor several
years. He said yesterday that he had re eiyed
many letters from graduates of these two institu-
tiOns and others living In the country. who have
read of the proposed change, and favor it, offering
their assistance.
" " hat are your plans nowT
"To organize with a faculty OF about forty pro-
fessors Someone has got to make the advance
steps and bear the brunt and ridicule, aud am
willing TO be one The system of medical education
must be changed in some way. Boston University
and the University OF Pennsyiva have begun 70
change it, and some college must do II IN NeW-I0TB.
There will be no expensive buildings at first Tho
students Will all be men who are In practice and
who need all the apparatus and experiments IN the
classroom which undergraduates require appre-
band m a Y i'm he Df
aud of this be assured =: every teacher shall have
voice in the policy of the college There VIII be
more TO tell lii a short time"
No. have not resigned, said Dr. A. Il. Mao
donald, professor OF medical Jurisprudence and tho
medical superintendent of the New-York City
ASYLUM for the Insane. In answer to the reporters
INQUIRY. The fact is, don't believe strikes
| went with the gentlemen who have resigned up 70
a certain point and then cut oil from them. We
were all unanimous In asking what we thought
due to us, but when the governing faculty saw fit
to refuse petition. why, / aoqulesced. These
gentlemen now want to have an equal voice In gov
ernng the institution. See what that means. Tho
ground buildings, ETC., are owned by the dean and
SIX other members of the governing faculty, as il
called. There are nine members of the supplemental
faculty and you see al once where the power would
lie. They would virtually give tie controlling
power OF the University TO the post-graduats
faculty. although 1t does not represent dollars
Dr. Stephen Smith, the Willard Parker lecturer in
the Union Theological Seminary this year. when
asked what had led TO the resignation or himsels
matter, and he had nothing to say on the subject.
" Are you in favor of founding new college 70
carry out your ideas of postgraduate instltuuOns"
said the reporter. 80
" cannot answer that question, bnt this viii
say: the medical profession Is ready for and needs
such institutions" -
- VIII YOU become member Of the new faoultyp
That / cannot tell 1he whole thing Is unsettled
at present. l am not IN position 10 Stato "hatl L
shall do"
Dr Sturgis was very emphatic in stating that the
regular faculty had not carried out It's promise 70
make the lecturers IN postgraduate studies mem
cal Department published last year, under the head
ing Faculty OF the POSTGRADUATE Course" appear
the names of the nine instructors, the eight Wh0
have resigned and DR.. Macdonald, but in tine last
catalogue this heading Is onl ted and the nine pro-
tcSSoTS appear merely 10 DC INSTRUCTORS VI te uuci'
graduate students.
There has been some talk of the College OF Ply
sicans and Surgeons adopting this new faculty
when it snail DC organized, but Dr. AlonLo CIark
lis president said that he did not thlnk the new
movement necessity. "Out OF 5i7 students IN
our college, he said "only 90 have been gradl-
ated from a college OF medicine. The demand I0r
such institutions too small 10 warrant The unIer-
taking. The only Practicable Way OF lmpaItlns
uo,t-graduate instruction, IN my opinion, Is thai
cmDIOyed IN Paris. IneIe the students are tahen
INTO the hospitals IN small classes, and allowed
10 make Il diagnosis OF certain cases. .
President Barnard, Of COumbIt College, VINO Is
trustee of the College of Physicians and surgeons.
SAID: 1 am ~ favor Of advanced stuuIes IN all
branches Oh education. IL was Tor this purpose
party that the school OF POntlcal cclt nee was
nneusd in our college. | think the time has come
when hi gher iorins of education should be taught
iu ths cIy instead of having students go abroad 10
complete their education after cclylng their do
grees from American colleges AS ior a posI-ela1-
fpate course in medicine that would come under my
general statement"
tpCHnENTS IN THE ELECTION CASES.