Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1891-06-24

speak were Rev. w. e. Park for the class
of 1861, and revived it's history at some
length; Professor E. W. Hicks, who spoke
for the class of 1866, Howard Mansfield for
1871, Henry Wilcox for 1876, Sherman
Evarts, son of Senator Evarts, for 1881,
and H. L. Thompson for 1883.
MEDICAL SCHOOL EXERCISES.
The Anniversary and Graduation
Exercises of the Yale Medical
SchooI-Award of Prtzes-Alumni
Officers Elected.
At 10 o'clock yesterday the anniversary
exercises of the medical depar tment of
Yale university took place at Battell
chapel. The address of the day was de-
livered by DR.. John S. Billings, M. D.,
L. L. D., surgeon United States army, on
the "Ideals in Medical Education" urging
the universities to adopt the highest and
best methods of medical instruction. DR..
Billings is now located in Washington as
the director of the army medical museum
and the surgeon generals library. He is
at the head of the new hygienic laboratory
| which is being built by the University of
Pennsylvania. He spoke in brief as fol-
lows:
"The fact that you have already had dis
| courses on this subject by ADLER men than
| l am woulo deter me from speaking in this
| line, but for know that constant discus
| sion of practical subjects is necessary. OF
| course, the medical department of Yale is
organized in the best possible manner and
doing the best work possible. Most medi-
cal schools, however, often lack the ability
1 70 n no11 hat &1a1- 4 Ia he
| common idea of people is that they should
employ whoever they please to do any par
ticular work or service for them. They
| believe in free trade in the abstract with
limitations on their particular trade. Med
| tcine may be classed as one kind of trade.
We should consider the various systems by
| which young men may become educated in
| the medical profession. There are various
| ideals, and many in seeking education look
over the curriculums with view to seeing
how soon they can get through and how
easily they can get diplomas. One school
may offer diploma in much shorter
period than diploma could be obtained
from another college, but it offers very
different field of study.
t'The instruction of the medical student
| is necessarily limited, and it is intended
principally to give a general knowledge OF
medicine and surgery, and to prepare the
| men for the ordinary emergencies. The
comparatively simple diseases should be
learned by the students from contact with
the diseases. He should see, under the
mumps, and measles, and scarlet fever
and simple fevers; not being satisfied with
learning the descriptions of the diseases
"The ideal of the average student who
| is in hurry to practice medicine is to ge,
through with the least necessary work
The ideal of the average practitioner
would place the requirements much
higher.
1.-THE men who come before you with
pretention of having learned the art Of
healing cannot be made to try their rene
dies on themselves first; if they could
perhaps the complaints that ours is an
overcrowded profession would cease
There are too many medical colleges in the
country of an inferior standing. The min
| imum requirments are too low and they
should be made to accord with certain
standard throughout the country. When
a boy has attained at least good high
school education he should spend five years
in the study of medicine without touching
| upon practice and then he should practice
under precepter for fully three years.
We are apt to lose sight of the fact that
| the best the students can do in the
medical school is to be in to learn. If the
physician does not study harder or longer
outside of college than he does in college
he will not become of great value to his
community or his profession.
ga university might furnish the foun-
| dalton for a broad medical education with
| out giving any clinical instructions. The
students might go form the universities to
the larger hospital medical schools for
clinical training. 1t must be confessed
that nearly all of our great American uni
versities are unwilling to devote Their
funds to the establishment of thoroughly
equipped medical departments. They are
willing to have these departments, but
they want the money to maintain them to
| come from some outside source in addition
to the other funds which they will receive
The medical schools require competent in
structors, proper buildings, books, appar-
atus and clinical material. To have these,
the schools must have money. The mer
who are competent to fill the highest
places in clinical instruction are few; 6
liberal estimate is that there are dozen in
the country.
"There is little probability that the
means for providing the medical schools
will not be provided by the doctors. There
doctors have not the money. The univer.
sity should reorganize its departments one
by one ON the proper basis, and which one
firsta In nay opinion biology and hygiene
are of the first Importance, whether it b.
to the doctor, the lawyer, the minister, the
journalist or the sociologist. Universities
must be supported by subscription, appro
priation or endowment. At present tn
latter is the only method that seems to b
practicable.
At the conclusion of the address tn
| announcement of honors was made BY
President Dwight as follows: The degree
of Doctor of Medicine, cum laude, award
ed for unusual merit in the examination
and work of the course to Edward L
Bliss, Newburyport, Mass, Reuben A
Lockhart. Bridgeport, Conn.,, and to Rich
ard W. Westbrook, New Haven.
The Campbell gold medal was awarded
for the highest rank in the examination
OF the course to Richard w. Westbrook
| New Haven.
|. The Reese prize, the income of funt
which amounts to $14O year, awarded
for the most meritorious thesis. divided
between Reuben A. Lockhart, Bridgeport
Conn, and Clarence E. Skinner, West
vile, Conn.
Honorable mention also was made of tn.
work of Edward L. Bliss, Newburyport
Mass, and Charles w. Hartwell, New Ha
ven. The obstetrical prize, consisting of {
set of obstetrical instruments, awarded fol
the best examination in obstetrics K
| Charles w. Hartwsll, New Haven. Ia,