Wichita eagle., 1889-10-15
MEDICAL COLLEGE OPENING.
The Meeting Last Evening At the Board OF
Trade Rooms.

There was goOd-slZed audience in the
board of trade rooms last evening to wit
ness the exercises pertaining to the open
ing of the Wichita Medical college. The
meeting was called to order by DR. E. B.
Allen, who made few preliminary re-
marks. Music was then rendered by the
Dew Drop club, consisting of Messrs.
Sherman Skinner, II. A. Sheppard, H. Z.
Dunbar, r. c. Sweet and Walter Fouts,
after which'prayer was offered By Rev.
W. II. Everest.
Dr. E. 3. Allen then arose and spoke as
follows:
Gentlemen of the faculty of the Wich-
tia Medical college: In presenting this
short addres to you trust you will bear
in mind that it is more from sense of
duty (having been made president Of the
board of trusuees) than from the belief that
possess any knowledge or can give any
advice necessary to your success.
II has not been SO much the desire of the
trustees to secure students at this term, as
to have faculty equipped thoroughly Tor
the great work before them. Therefore
this term is intended for little more than
one of training, experiment and equip
ment. We feel confident that the next
term will find all the students that we can
comfortably care FOR or care TO teach. The
are prophecies of our success.
This opening makes US pioneers in this
in our great and growing state.
All such institutions must have
small beginning and in this
respect | am happy to say that the Wichita
Medical college has as good start as
many schools that are now recognized as
among the greatest and best III America.
Surrounded as we are by the best coun-
try known to man, and located in bright
and growing city whose ambition great
as it is, does not exceed its possibilities
among people whose generosity Is pro-
verbal: supported by press ever loyal to
Wichita and Kansas. ever ready with Its
powerful influence to forward the interests
of any of our institutions calculated TO al
levate suffering or better the condition or
mankind can any one doubt our success?
We are just passing from under the dark
frown of outraged fortune, and can see
beaming all over the beautiful counten-
ance of prosperity smile for Kansas.
the speaker then talked about the con-
dition of the college at the present time
its commencement. On closing he intro
duced Judge II. G. Sluss.
The Judge spoke of the many enterprises
in the city which from a monetary stand
point were much more important but that
none were more important from the health
outlook He then talked about the condi-
tion of things when the first doctor arrived
nineteen years ago hn the ground where
Wichita now stands. From that he gave
general description of the institution
which is being started and the relation
that the profess on bore on the communi-
ty. These two thoughts were handled IN
thorough manner and won for the
speaker considerable applause.
Dr. Allen then introduced DR.. Foote,
who spoke for few minutes on the art of
medicine, and commencing from the birth
of medicine, which he said was before the
creation of Adam, he followed it until the
present time. From this the speaker
spoke of disease and said that disease
began with the dawn OF living mat
ter and that nature was the
first great physician, and in speaking of
the introduction of disease he spoke as fol-
lows:
''The great ocean and continents were
outlined. The rocks were folded and
flexed. The fiat of absolute authority was
felt by the atoms of cosmos. Light was
an infant. Day and night We're babes.
The armament was made. The closing
page in the book of Archaean history was
slowly turning upon itself. Vegetable
life-a form of living matter-had irwin
chilly dawned. There was lull in the
worship of creation; when 10! there was a
change, little, independent mass of liv-
ing matter appeared, single cell,
creation distinct, an embodied mystery.
animated life, a located atom in the ire
mendous depths of universal chaos, and
here alone on this desolated orb as it
rolled through the highways of heaven,
bounded on every side by an eternity, our
fra ant
the indefinite. startled and dread
full scenes of primaeval solitude
by independent motion, animal life had
begun. A difference had been established
between formed and formative matter. A
wonderful triumph of wind over matter.
A step from heaven to earth, union of
earth and heaven. slight elevation in the
scale of creation from which the Deity
could plainly discern man. Here was
complete entity called into existence and
endowed with nutrition, growth, continu-
ance, motion. What more has ever been
accomplished by the animal? Let Us keep
our idea of the calling high. Let US not
belittle it by weak and narrow endeavors
to limit it to any one country, condition or
cline. 1t is not comprised between the
musty leaves of inert dogmas. IL is not
pills and plasters. not blisters and poul-
tees, not delirium and murder, not mean
ingless gyrations, not mysterious passes,
not wind and wonder, not dress parade,
not bombastic arrogance, not fraud,
not coveted omniscience, not degenerated
omnpotence applied to cur own profess
sion. it is nature unveiled and assisted,
revelation of secret forces, all branches of
science fly to its aid and with their help It
tears off the coverings of the chest and re-
veals the heart throbbing with fever and
the lungs grating with inflammation. 1t
enters the secret closet of the brain and
81, Of
tion discovers the home of emotion and
kneels at the throne of thought. =
Let the people bestow their confidence
and now before we retire let US erect n
statue TO the art of medicine on Kansas
soil Here but few years ago the silent
solitude of the prairie was unbroken save
by the hum of insect, the song of birds.
the rustic Of signing grasses and the
melody of the elements Nature COM
muned with natures God and all was as
hushed as a priInaenal scene. How differ
ent-now. civilization and its demands have
come Let US unveil our statue. Let us
inscribe on the north side; Dedicated TO
the art of medicine. Let rs inscribe on
the east side: Lux ct veritas Let Us
and let us write in unfadiHg letters on the !
south side the motto of our great state:
Ad astra per aspers, and may the sweet
refraius OF music, the silent consent of /
public appreciation and the eloquence of /
lend beauty and granGuer to 1
the occasion.
After Mr. Foote'S address Dr. Allen de- !
clared the college formally opened and that I
the first lecture would be given this morn /
ing by DR. c. L. McAdams. The benedic- I
ton was then pronounced by Rev. David /
Several fine pieces of mnsic we're render !