Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-03-09

the Medical department of the University
of Vermont opened in the lecture room OF
the Medical college building, at M
O'Clock. Thursday, March l. A class Of
over 100 students was present. Among
the prominent physicians noticed were
DR.. A. p. Grinnell, dean Of the medical
faculty, Drs jackson, Wheeler, Atwater,
Briggs, W. B. and =. b. Gibson, with
Mayor Henry, Lieut.. Cummins and Prof
Deerine. President Buckham addressed
the following opening remarks to the
class
PRESIDENT &-CEltAN's REMARKS
Gentlemen am expected TO make a
few remarks at the beginning 0f the eNer
Ci.es am sure that YOU all realize that
it is OF more value to hold diploma from
this medical college than from simple
medical school. I have wished very much
during the past year TO secure closer re-
lation between the students of the Inedi-
cal and academiCal departments OF the
University. AS condition to all other
opportunities and possibilities there must
be perfect understanding between the
students and faculties OF all the depart
ments. It was the intention Of he found
erS of this college to make Il University
in fact rs well as in name. The law de-
partment looks nearer than il ever las
follow. Let all past differences be forgot
ten and let all live tCgethe. Il mutual re
spect and confidence. The trustees Lave
had under consideration Il p,an by which
the students OF the medical department
will be able to avail themselves Of some
special studies Of particular value 20 them.
Now that there is an opportunity Tor Il
longer course of medical study there IL
time for more work of this sort on the
part Of the students, ami with three or
four years course this opportunity will IN
crease in proportion. i knowledge ct
botany, chemistry and the modern IAN.
guages would De OF great advantage to the
general culture aud meuta. Development
of the intended physician. More Use Of
the college library and reading room would
aid IN this preparation 10Y YOUR chosen
life work The fee for the use Of the
library Is not large Que, and although
have not been authorized to say so, yet |
am sure that If any considerable number
OF the medical students chose 20 avail
themselves OF the privilege the money re-
ceiveG from this source would be applied
to the purchase of books with which TO
form a medical alcove. Il the medical
students would avail themselves Of this
privilege : would result II advantage to
themselves and o their successors. 7 e
medical students VINO graduate here DO
not 4em 20 have the anne interest ii their
alma mater as do the graduate Of 4 e
academlca. department, .Or they rarely
come back - commencement. This IS 10
be regretted. 7 will not occupy any more
time but will Introduce Dr. .. Il. Wood
ward. who viii deliver the opening !cc-
ture Of the course
D2. =. Il. WOODWARD, LECTURE
Gentlemen Among the causes tor llu-
tual congratulation which naturally occur
to us On occasions like this, uone IS more
worthy o. our consideration than the fact
that, from year 70 year, professors may
promise to teach and students may expect
to receive more thorough knowledge OF
the human system, as Il IS observed both
in health and in disease. For medicine is
progressive science, and the art o. hea.-
ing is steadily becoming less empirical!
and therefore less uncertain. but more
scientific and therefore more sound. If We
glance over the history Of medicine as il IS
change III the opinions % medical men
that is indeed startling. Tenets that We're
accepted W or even % years ago are TO day
known to be false. Methods of treatment
that were the routine practice within the
memory OF gentlemen present are now
discarded as inefficient, unsafe Or perhaps
brutal. But while we contrast the achieve
meuts OF tae present with those OF the
past, we must nave care lest we fal, into
a common error. We must 10. suppose
that the old school doctor, with his lancet
and his C3lomei, was entirely wrong in his
notions OF disease and OF treatment Not
Withstandlng his plumbers his practice
was not altogether unsound, and It IS even
possible that modern physicians might
learn something OF va,ua from a close
scrutiny OF his WORK.
The progress OF medical though. has
been accelerated in this century bv TWO
grand causes, by the adoption OF the n
ductive method Of investigation and by
the invention Of certain essential :nstrU
lnents OF precision. These caUses have
reyolutionized every department OF medi-
cine and il may be profitable, at this time.
to note a few of the stages OF that revolt
ton which mark the rise and progress o.
the science aud the art which YOU are
about to study. One hundred years ago
the supremacy OF theoretical opinions in
medicine began 70 decline. Up to that
tim, the tcue value oe facts lad NOT been
appreciated and notions respecting the
nature OF disease mad been derived almost
entirely from species OF imaginative de
ductiol A few thoughtful men, however,
perceived that medicine was one Qi Ia.
natural sciences and that STUDIES IN med.
ical subjects. must, II they are to produce
anything CT permanent value, conform to
the rules Of the inductive method.
Dr. Woodward then traced the progress
that the method has made dur
ing the last century. The col
lection Of :acts has been facilitated by
the adaptation OF the microscope to the
study or the tissues and by the Invention
of other Instruments OF precision. The
microscope has aided greatly N the study
OF histology and pathology, the sciences
that are the foundation OF modern medi-
cine. Anatomical researches were neces.
sarily confined to the study OF gross appear
ances, while the study OF pathology could
not be said 10 exist. The functions OF the
various systems Of the body have been
discovered largely by means o. vivisec.
ton. Two examples We're cited 10 show
the great Importance Of this method OF
discovery. In the department of thera-
peutics, many observers have endeayored
TO ascertain the physiological effects OF
drugs by experimenting on animals and
to less degree, on man. Some of the re-
suits of experiments with digitali5 in ami
mails to find its mode OF action were given
by the speaker. Further experiments
with other drugs enable US to state what
the circumstances are under which a given
drug will improve patients condition
and under what circumstances it will dc