The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-05
A UNIVERSITY COURSE.
PR0rEss0R NJ. n. THORNTON MAKES
SOME PERTINENT REMARKS.
He Replies TO the Statements OF the "Head
Master Of st. Adams" and Endeavorst
show Where He Was in Error.


Abbot Many OF those now living are
my good friends. honored for their learn
ing and esteemed for academic wisdom
But heaven forbid that l should again
insult the Head Master Of st. Adams by
CHASING him among them! After brand
fishing his birch fercely over the shoulders
OF our board of visitors. he now shakes
A. warningly In my direction. Let me.
then, with due docility. reply TO his ques-
tions and beg modestly 10 point out
few of the many errors into which his
unexampied gift for laundering has re-
Gently led him. In consideration OF the
promise. while l close this letter, l
trust your readers will pardon the arid
enumeration.
He asks to know wherein the combina-
ton of chemistry with German Is 10 DE
oreferred 10 that of comparative anatomy
with Anglo-Saxon. I beg to explain that
IN the one case ninety-five per cent OF
the lectures and ninety-nine Per cent. OF
Tho nrivate work of the student are given
20 acquiring familiarity with classical ana
modern German and thus to unlocking
70 the future student OF medicine tior
whom this course was planned) the rich-
est existing store of scientific ana pro-
fessional literature. An accurate ana Ia
dent NJ modern scientific medicine Simply
tndisnansable In the other case, pracu-
callv the whole work will be spent III
mastering the defunct. inhexious, tne op'
soIota syntax and the embryonic litera-
ture Of Anglo-Saxon, that highly respecta
HE but hardly interesting ances'ress VI
our mother tongue. For our young pioio
gist, after completing his genera ou
ture course and entering upon MS speeias
Lntf q
such studies would De. III soo'i '
ridiculous and detestable."
He asserts by implication that future
s+udent of medicine, who elected anaiyti-
cal chemistry for his NJ A. degree, wouiu
he set TO work at the analysis vi ie,u
1izersr The laughable absurdity Oh 'nio
contention makes 1t hardly necessary 10
saw that In such laboratory courses as
the one In question the instruction 10
everywhere largely individual ana Is au-
iusted 10 the wants of the students. Inc
future physician would be assigned 10
wait upon the newer discoveries In Ma
teria Medica. to researches in Toxicology'
and the like The future farmer or agrl-
cultural chemist would be the man Tor
fertilizers He repeats his assertion that
the NJ A. course of English chemistry
biology and modern languages couiu oe
easily completed in one year. IL Is C.
cessary to say again that the stuoeht
would be required to spend thirty-th-ee
hours a week in lecture! lie would nave
five lectures a day throughout the ses-
sion. while our best men have all they can
do with two lectures day. Nothing need
be added to this plain statement or facts'
He declares that 1.-The examinations ere
entirely unprecedented, or there are de-
arees (sicl of men, who could take he NJ.
A. degree In one year on this line
renew the statement that the applicant
would have to pass twenty written OK
aminations in one session mot 10 mentlon
the oral practical examinations on lapo "a
tory work.. Ten of these would fail WIN
In two weeks. Our best students seldom
succeed in passing six in the whole year
The task prescribed would require super
human powers. The attempt would DE
suicidal, not so prompt as pistol or poison
but equally sure.
In his laudation of the old NJ. A. course
he declares that 'in this degree young
men took all knowledge TO be their pro-
vince" His love for familiar quotations
fas here, as elsewhere, betrayed him into
a most extravagant exagyeration. He
knows as well as do that the course so
beIauded did not touch upon astronomy
nor geology. nor biology, that 1t entire
ly neglected the literature and philology
n.
that its treatment of history, of me-
chanics and of political economy was
grossly inadequate Here are nine dis
tinct and important branches OF learning,
which the young man, VINO took all
knowledge to be his province" practically
ignored and the list might easily be eX-
tended Is this the polygonal view or
truth, which has been so much COM
n e, ded to US? Is 1t not rather truth
through a prism?
He asks what college in Virginia turns
out a whole class of b. A. men who know
as much about physics, Latin. Greek,
mathematics. chemistry and the like as do
the University b. A. degree men. This Is
worse than the double standard puzzle
in the question of currency. The Univer-
city b. A. is elective and variable; the
colleges usually give elective degrees also.
On the face of it the enquiry is sense
less; II asks us TO compare two inter-
mediate quantities. If the question is
whether the weakest B. A. in the poorest
graduating class from the worst college
8 in Virginia is fit to undertake advanced
work for the NJ. A. degree, the answer
Is plainly, No! If this is not the meaning
OF the question l am entirely at a loss
for its significance.
l add extracts from two official pub
lications OF the University, which will
this enquiry and will show the attitude
of the visitors and the faculty towards
the question Of admitting degree men of
other schools as candidates for our NJ. A.
They will also allay the anxiety. which
any genuine friend OF the University of
Virginia may have been caused TO feel
by the violent attack Of the Head Master
OF st. Altans upon the visitors for acts
never performed and never contemplated.
] beg that the date appended to the first
extract be noted.
1.-THE A. NJ degree. for advanced
university work. shall be open to such
students as shall have first attained the
b. A. degree. either In this university, or
ct some other chartered Institution of
learning; provided, in the latter case. that
the faculty shall deem such degree the
full equivalent of the b. A. degree granted
here" Report OF Visitors on NJ. A. De-
gree; 18th June. 1892; page 5s)
1.-THE II. A. of other chartered in
stitution of learning who enters this
university as q candidate for the NJ. A.
degree must pursue here both the b.
A. and the NJ A. course in the four
major studies elected for his degree. But
in anv or all OF the four minor studies
he will be excused from attendance on the
regular Il. A. course upon presenting his
collegiate diploma. and passing a special
examination al this university IN such
studies. This examination will be of
practical character. designed to test the
permanent acquisition by the student OF
q sound and general knowledge of the
several subjects" Announcements for
1S93-'9i page 2S)