The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-04-03
Close CT the Schools or Law
and Medicine.
GRADUATING ExEHCiSc0
A CLASS OF EIGHTEEN RECEIVE
THEIR DIPLOMAS.
PRESENTED BY JUDGE CLARK
There We're Seven Doctors, Eight
Pharmacists ard Three Lawyers
DIR. Wayland's Eloquent
and Able Address.
and Able kddres S

Last night WAS collpieHcchleiit night
ut Shaw University, in the departments
of Medicine, Pharmacy and Law. Elgh-
tcon students received their diplomas
ona started out on their life work in their
chosen professions.
rhe exercises began promptly at $50
o'clock. when the graduates, capped and
gowned, filed into the chapel, to
spirited m0rch played by Haywoods
orchestra At the head of the class was
Miss Pearle Wassom, of Tennessee, the
only colored woman graduate of phar-
macy in the South,
After the invocation by the Rev. ). +.
Maloy. of Greensboro, and some more
music. President Meserye introduced as
the speaker of the evening, Rev. III. l..
Wayland, d. D., of Philadelphia. Mr..
Meserve referred to him as having been
here nine years ago at the INVITATION
of the late DIR. Topper.
Dr. Wayland first congratulated the
students that their careers were To take
root in and be nourished from TINS lnsu-
tutien. founded by a man of such pro
found character and piety us Doctor up
per. He also apoogized for not saying
anything directly concerning the law
students, as he was not aware before
coming that he was to speak to them, too;
but he had observed that the lawyers
could always speak for themselves.
In the beginning of his address. he
drew out the points OF similarity between
the doctor and the preacher. Ihey
are alike. in that they neglect themselves
often in the care of others. Also, they
both do a great deal Of unpaid work
Doctors like ministers, are often called
in too late--sometimes several hundred
years too late, SO that they can only say
to a man that it would have been better
had he had different parents or had he
not been born at all.
He did rot come to talk Of the scientific
achievements OF medicine, of the sta
phylococcus pyogenes aureus, and other
minute organism whose names seem to
be always in indirect ratio TO their size
but to speak Of more practical things
He wished TO present his thoughts under
two heads. viz ~ Congratulations;
90 Exhortations.
First. he impressed the theughi that
medicine is profession, not trade
The humblest calling may be profess
sion, while the grandest PROFESSION may
be degraded to the level of a trade. The
physician who regards his profession
as an opportunity for fees and fame and
not to relieve distress, makes OF ii a com
mon trade But the physician must have
something TO live on. We do bot forget
the rayen--but that was a long time ago.
The physicians edition Of Sir Walter
Scott should not always be opened at
Charge, Chester, Charge lie should
be as conscientious, laborions. enthusi-
astic i'm treating the poorest man as in
minister9ng to the millionaire. The poor
are of the same flesh and blood as the
rich ana the same medicines are given
to each The desire for fame is far less
sordid than that for wealth, but it is in
the same category. A physician should
cure his patient, and not be counting
ND the records of his brilliant. but per-
haps fatal, operations. Then the curative
power of care and nursing is a very I'M
portant item. IL the druggist is the doe
tors right hand, the nurse is his left
Air. Differentiation and watchfulness are
necessary. The popular idea Of Il success
full medicine is that ii shall taste bad.
or produce some internal revolution. This
idea is by no means confined TO medicine;
it is widespread. For instance. choosing
studies for the Young is often done by
getting only those that are the most dis
tasteful. The scheme Of the oriental
physician WAS very good He always
cured every one OF his cases, for. as
eases and as many remedies; he gave the
patient one remedy after another until
he had taken them all and he was then
sure to hit it. Once a patient OF his
died. and. in reply to friend, he said
fhat the deceased did not have one Of
the 80 or 90 diseases--it was death he
mad
He CONGRATULATED the students on the
enormous progress being made in medi-
cine In the time of Chares H.. who
died of apoplexy. the physicians burned
his head with hot irons, and this at the
most intelligent court in Europe. Bleed
ing and salvation were the order Of the
day not so very long ago. The number
of medicines given patient was sur
prisiny The doctor met disease like an
enemy and the patients body was the
scene OF the combat. AT the present day
all this is changed and we depend to
greater extent upon air and proper food,
with the administration of the right
medicines i'm a limited way. In 1853
General Jackson. while in 'BOston-thin,
emaciate, ili-was bled by the physicians
the best medical skill Of that day. until
only Providence pulled him through
Medicine is also progressive i'll the intro
duction Of new remedies DR.. Keen, of
Philadelphia had told the speaker that
within a practice extending over 20
years, he had seen the introduction or
one-thira to one-half the medicines now
in use.
Progress in surgery was even greater
AS at the present the kidney and other
abdominal viscera are removed without
.letriment, SO in the future we might ex-
meet the stomach and heart to be taken
out, successfully. Some men have never
used the latter organ. Explorations OF
the brain have been wonderful. 1t is
barely possible that we may subject
person who does not pay his debts to
brain operation.
Prevention is greater than cure. An
.ther popular idea is that physician
who affects a cure deserves the most
credit. If he should cure person Of
consumption his fame is spread abroad;
,t,Nh 11 IN