The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-11-02
| MEDICINE MEN.
Opening of the Medical College.
a New Term Begins Under the
Most Reassuring Auspices.
The Entire Faculty, a Long List Of
Students and Guests Present.
DR.. s. A. Rogers Makes His Maiden
Effort at Public Speech.
An Address Full OF Sound, Practical
Common Sense, and Richly Laden
With Gratifying Promises
to All Concerned.

At the Memphis Hospital Medical Col
lege yesterday forenoon the opening or
commencement exercises were held in the
- ,sence Of the faculty, students and a
number of invited guests, including sew
eral ladies. DIR. W. II. Rogers, Dean Of
the Faculty, presided, called the meeting
to order, and introduced DIR. S. A. Rogers,
who delivered the following opening ad-
dress:
THE ADDRESS.
In accordance with custom that has
long existed in this and similar institutions,
member of the faculty of the Memphis
Hospital Medical College is, each year, APP
pointed to deliver what is known as the
opening address. On this occasion, the
honor has fallen TO me, and TO my hands
has been confided the pleasant task Of well
coming you TO our halls and our fair city OF
Memphis, and assure you il is heartfelt
welcome. The confidence you have man
ifested in us, by the enrolment OF your
names upon our college register, | promise
you We shall strive TO merit, not only by
faithful application TO our classroom du-
ties, but by holding ourselves at the com
mand Of each and every one OF you, for
private consultation, assistance and advice.
II is useless for me TO speak words Of
praise OF the profession YOU are about to
enter, as its worth known and appreciated
wherever civilization exists. Thousands
OF afflicted daily call for its mnistering
hands The prince and the pauper alike
look TO the physician in the hour Of dis
tress. There is no friend more implicitly
trusted than the family physician. To
him is contided the most delicate family
secret, aud rarely indeed has there been u
breach Of this tender confidence. Sad
would il be II the hand which soothed
the body in pain was not guided by a soul
that could minister TO n mind diseased and
bury in inviolable silence the unguardcd
utterances Of icyered brain.
AS an eminent divine has said: 1.-THE
~..Sst TO great us in this world OF toll and
trouble. OF JOY and sorrow, Is the physi-
clan, and when the toll is ended, the Joy
has passed, and sorrow left but legacy TO
Others the physicians hand soothes the
parting pang, and closesthe eyes in death. 4"
Ii you will 20 back 10 the early history
Of medicine, you will find that, like all
other sciences, IL was envelopcd in super
stiton. Gradually, however, Il has
emerged from this darkness OF sorcory and
empyricism, TO take its proper place Us a
science.
The study OF medicine embraces seven
departments Practice Of medicine, surg
cry, obstetrics, matcria medica, chemistry,
physiology and anatomy. In this latter
department IL becomes my duty TO instruct
YOU during the next Eve months; there
fore, deem IL not inappropriate TO con-
fine my remarks today 10 this, the iunda-
mental branch OF your chosen profession.
Yes, say fundamental, for anatomy is
truly the foundation upon which the great
science Of medicine Is reared.
History does not tell NJ, with exactitulc
the beginning OF anatomical research, but
II probably dates back with the earliest
sciences cultivated by man.
II is known that the Druids, who worc
at once, priests, law-giyers aud physicians
demanded human sacrifices OF those who
sought advice. And Il IL not impossible
that they took advantage Of their positions
as executors and gained some imperfect
knowledge Of anatomy.
Ksculapius is said 20 have dissected an
finals, and impaired the knowledge
thereby gained TO his pupils.
Legendary history tells us that the
Egyptians, In spite Of their religious belief
that the touching Of dead body in
voycd ceremonial unclcanliness, made
tome progress in practical anatomy by eX-
amining and studying the embalmcd
bodies OF their ancestors. History men
TONS many other such vague and unccr.
tain reports OF disscclions.
Hypocntes, who lived about 400 years
before Christ, was the first 20 treat OF
IL IL
eton 10 be cast In brass, with n view 10
transmitting TO postority the progress he
had made, and 10 stimulate others 10 re-
search.
Aristotle. who lived 3s4 years before
Christ, did not disscct any human bodies,
and knew nothing positive Of human
anatomy, moro than he could gain from q
comparison with, aud resemblance be-
tween the corresponding parts OF animals.
lie gave tho name Aorta 10 the great
artery.
Dioclcs, $50 years before Christ, made
many disscctiOns Of lower animals.
Emtfotmtus, the most celebrated anato.
mist Of ancient times, eighty years later
founded medical school ut Alexandria,
aud obtained permission 20 disscct bodies
Of criminals. which lac did with much
benefit TO himself aud pupils. lie also
wrote an extensive work on the subject,
ZONE fragments Of which are still pre-.
served in the works Of Galen.
parlhcnos, 200 ycan before Christ, pub.
lishod book, entitled dissection Of the
Human Body, aud by this time disscct-
ing Of the human body was becoming
quite general. The supcrstilious prcju.
dice against il was fast disappearing. The
science Of anatomy made rapid advances
until the advent Of Christianity, when
stringent laws were enacted against dis
section Of the hupan body. Again the
anatomisi WIS forced a. study altogether
from the lower animals.
Galcn, l3l years A. D., disscctcd bodies
OF children In secret, but his knowledge
was d limited benefit 10 mankind, ~ hc
could not give 10 others the knowledge
thus gained without exposing himself TO
the law In the course OF time, the law
became more and more lax, and ho finally
published an extensive work on the sub.
ject. Many now followed the example sct
by Gacu, and anatomy WIS studied with
some zeal. During the next few centuries
many works were published on the sub.
ioct. Prominent among the authors were:
Nemcdus Bishop Of Ncm0urs, who wrote
IN extensive anatomy, aud published Il
n the fourth century, and Thoophilua, n
monk, published an abridgement Of Galen