The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-26
DISCIPLES OF ESCULApIUS.
The Commencement Exercises Of the Medical
College of Indiana Held Last Evening.

| College of Indiana at Plymouth Church last
evening were of interesting character in the
matter OF addresses and musical selections to-
gether with the distribution of honors and the
comforting of diplomas. An organ overture ''St
Cecilia" from Batiste, was rendered by Prof.
William FL. Clarke, during which the twenty
eight graduates. led by the faculty, marched to
the rostrum. After prayer by Professor Curtis,
the musical number, an instrumental solo by
Miss Name Stowell, was passed over for the
time.
Judge Byron K. Elliott then addressed the
audience. He spoke of the two professions,
law and medicine, as being often brought to-
gether in the affairs of men, The address was
enllvened with many anecdotes illustrative of
the contest of wit when doctors and lawyers
met IN the courtroom, the former on the wit
ness stand and the latter at the bar. Once a
lawyer told medical witness that a doctors mis-
takes were never seen, because they were buried
SIX feet under the ground. sit is true" replied
the physician, but lawyers mistakes can
always be detected, for they are hung twelve
feet above the ground He spoke of the neces-
slty OF education in making a success in any
profession, and especially in that of medicine.
Ii is true charlatans succeed for time but
they are found out. He could not understand
now intelligent men and women, though could
trust the pretensions of socalled Chinese doc
tors, Indian doctors and diamond doctors. A
man In Massachusetts once had a great practice
Patlents came to him from many counties
in the State his fame widened and wealth
increased, but there came a time when patient
died.. The doctor was arrested on the charge of
murder, and during the trial it was shown that
he used but three medicines for all the ills man
is heir to. He said the medical profession had
made great strides within the past century. Law
had done so, too, but its progressveness had not
been so great as that of medicine. Medicine
was one of the first of professions 1t
had in its ranks thinkers and reasoners
who had brought about vast good for mankind
lie paid high tribute to the courage and per-
sonal worth of physicians, and in closing ad-
vised the young graduates to remember that
there is but one genius that insrres lasting sue
cess-that, the genius of hard work.
Miss Name Stowell then gave brilliant rem
dltion Of an instrumental selection, after
the faculty. Prof j. L. Thompson.
He applied the classical legend of the race of
ATLANTA to the start the medical graduates were
to make in their profession. Detailing with at
traetive phrase how Hippomenes won the beauti
full prize, Atalanta in the chase he said: 1.-THE
story was laid in the infancy of our race; in that
dim, shadowy twilight when God is said to have
wlnked at mans shortcomings, il he but tried to
do the best he could in accordance
with the teachings of the native worship
then .practiced Yours is a race in the bright
monday of Christian dispensation, when infin-
itely more is expected of you In the prepare
ton you see that Hippomenes divests himself of
every weight. even his apparel (which was then
the custom. You also, must lay aside every
weight or besetment or great odds will be against
you. One is justified in asking the Supreme aid
for his guidance. but he must not fail at the
same time to use all human means at his com
mand.
'.How often do we hear some poor, short
sighted creature say I never employ physi-
cian but go to the Lord for help, and yet if such
an one did the same for his food, and neglected
to work for it, quickly would he find that the
ravens would not bring it to him. Such non
the word. is there no balm in Gilead? are
there no physicians therep Go dip seven times
in the Jordan and thou shalt be clean And so,
with Saul and Others they must do something
themselves, or go to their fellow -mortals for as
sistance while inhabiting earth in these tene-
ments of clay.
"If your profession is cultivated simply for
the pecunary consideration which accrues there
from, like Judas you will hunger and thirst for
something more substantial; and unless your
fault be forgiven and you turn new leaf, you
also will, metaphoricaly speaking, be turned
into asses. Trials and temptations beset us on
every hand, so that we must carefully examine
ourselves to see what our weights and beset-
ments are likely to be-" Following
this line of thought by illustrations
he came to the hindrances in the pathway of a
physician. Envy was the first, and the meddle-
some neighbors, newspaper criticisms and threats
of suit for malpractice, followed in order
Against all he cautioned the graduates as well
as against the danger of bad habits. He then
drew pictures of the brighter side of the profess
sion, and closed with-"H is the
it poor profession. a degraded pro
fession. If it be poor and degraded, is that
the fault of the calling, of those who practice
it, or rather Of those who should have governed
and protected ito Is the art of healing in itself
less noble because its practitioners, unsupported
by the law of civil power and too often unsus-
tanned BY consciousness of their own dignity,
have not raised it to the place in society which
it ought to hold2 Poor it may be- sighted it
may be, but degraded it cannot and shall not be,
so long as its foundation is in science and its end
the good of mankind"
Mrs. Henry Jameson then sang ''To the Dear
est Heart" with fine effect. After this the
Mears gold medal prize was given to Allen s.
McMurray, and the faculty prize to James Wick
rey, DR.. w. B. Fletcher officiating at this cere-
mony. Following an organ overture, ''Stradel-
Ia" from Flotow, the degrees were
conferred by the president of the
William Henry Burroughs, Shannondale; Oliver
Allen Collins, Mohawk Albert L. Derbyshire,
LAUREL George f. Edenharter, city; John Wat
son Evinger. Terrell, ILL.,. Abraham Harrison
Faith. Edwardsport; George Washington Fertich,
lock; Franklin Pierce Gillaspey, Provi-
dence; Edwin virtus Hervey, McCords-
vile; Horace Gridley Jones, Medaryville
Charles Simpson Kirkpatrick Urbana Ill.,. John
Walter Lopp, Columbus; Albert Alonzo Maggard,
New Carlisle, o.. Charles w. Mendenhall, Car
mel; John Burt Moore, Dayton, Ore; George
Howard Munson, Elletsville; Allen Samuel Nc
Murray, Frankfort; Charlton Clifton Pratt Mil
ner's Corner; Eden E. Rhodes Rochester; Will
lam jackson Ritter Gosport; William Dayton
Shields Eminence; Urbine Stackhouse, city;
William jerome Stephenson, Terhune; Orren
Stoddard. Linden; James Vickrey Reno; Robert
Russell Washburn. Waldron
"The Vedette," by Watson, was then rem
dered by Frank Fowler, after which came the
benediction.
$S,7O0-Y. M. G. A-$26,300.
The Building Fund Increasing at the Rate Of