Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-10-14
OPENING CEREMONIES
Of the Medical College OF South-
ern California.

Yesterday, October 18th, the second year
of the nj medical department of the University
Of Southern California commenced under
very favorable auspices. There were four
teen students present and three or four
more are expected to join the class after a
few days. The President OF the faculty,
Rev. Bovard, delivered the opening ad-
dress, in which he impressed the students
with the great Importance OF their studies,
IS the medical profession has to shoulder
more responsibilities with the public than
any other profession. He cited famous
German pathologist, who stated that to
comprehend medicine thoroughly, it re-
auired the knowledge Of almost every other
science.
The Dean, DIR. ]. ?. Widney also addressed
the stu dents, giving a review OF the last
years work, which was very gratifying.
lie also stated that, but for the strict ad-
herence to the rules in regard to matricu-
lating students AMI their rigid examina-
tion, he could have doubled the number of
the class, but he WOULD rather have a
small class than poor one. Many young
men had applied who did not possess the
requisite preliminary education and could
not be admitted.
The next speaker was DR.. Joseph knrtz,
professor of surgeryl He directed the at
tention of the students to the work before
them. He said that some people disagreed
that the life of a physician was such an easy
one, that he had nothing to do but to ride
around see the patients and charge big
fees; that some patients and particularly
ladies' Just get sick 70 help the doctors along.
Further than merely spending few years
about a college. work or no work, would
entitle the student to his degree OF NJ. ID.
"If," said DR.. K there are any among
you, who were prompted by the desire to
lead such life ard do no work,
let me undeceiye you. The study
OF medicine is no childs play; 1t is
hard work to master Your anatomy, physiol'
ogv, pathology,y, rs.
He then impressed fhem with an idea OF
| the work before theI, and that only great
diligence, exercised bot only during their
| student years, but Hll their lives long,
| would only qualify lhem to become thor
ough physicians.
In i regard to that e}sy life of the doctor
| ne stated that this is bnly imaginary; that a
| a doctor with a small practice would worry
might be a + ilure, aid that doctor with
| large prsctice had also his sleepless
| nights. which he had to spend at the bed
| side of his pa tients. For war to the doctor
who refuses to respond to night call.
| "Let me tell you," he continued, that il
lust plcases the majority of the people to
| iall sick or get worse exactly after mid
night railroad accidents occur mostly al
night criminal injuries are generally in
ficted st night; babies will insist TO make
their first appearance in the night, and
those little fellows never cry as hard in the
day time as they do in the night; and iol
all these the physician must be called out
of his cozy night-quarters.
| Dr. Kurtz then cited many other unpleas
ant features pertaining to the practice OF
medicine, and stated also that but very lew
PHYSICIANS were successful in pecunlary
| matters.
He finally remarked that II the students
after knowing all this, the work before
them, and the expectations OF theirpractice
were still willing to study medicine, that
then he would take them by the hand and
say 10 them:
| "You will and must succeed, for now
you know what is before you"
The exercises kthen closed and the stu
dents began to have a jolly time, having en-
gagged a band of music.