The Indianapolis journal., 1898-03-30
FINE CLASS OF DOCTORS
MEDICAL COLLEGE OF INDIANA HAS
ITS GRADUATING EXERCISES.
President Burroughs, of wabash, De-
IivePs the Principal Address-NOv-
eI Stage Arrangement.


exercises of the Medical College of Indiana
We're held last night at English's Opera
House. Seventy-nine newly fedged physi-
clans received their diplomas and are ready
to begin the winning Of fame and fortune.
No prettier sight has graced the stage of
Englishs since the opera house was built
than that which met the eye when the
curtain rose last night, and the audience
evidenced its appreciation and sense of the
artistic by hearty burst of applause. The
seats for officers and graduates were ar
ranged in tiers, and solid mass of black
coated, glossy-bosomed men, relieved here
and there by a daintily dressed medic" of
the fairer SEX rose in perfect pyramid to
the back of the stage. At the apex sat a
woman, one of the few graduates of her
sex, smiling down upon the waves of dress
suits falling away from her feet. Palms
and potted plants made border of brilliant
green on either side of the pyramid, and
flowers and ferns were everywhere. Fes-
toons Of royal purple were draped from the
flies above. On one side of the stage hung
the purple banner of the University Of In
dianapolis; on the other that of the Medi-
cal College of Indiana.
The exercises from first to last were en-
joyable and a pleasant change from the
usually dry regulation graduating exercises
The orchestra played several pleasing num-
bers before the curtain rose. Rev. Andrew
j. Graham offered the invocation. Miss
Nina Betscher sang Massenet's aria, He
Is Kind, He Is Good in an artistic man
ner and received enthusiastic encore
Miss Minnie Diener acted as her accompa-
mist.
DR.. BURROUGHS ADDRESS.
TIL oI1 1f he iT1or xHyDS HaI
by Rev. George S. Burroughs, president OF
Wabash College. His subject was, THE
Man and the Physician. He was intro
duced by James H. Woodburn, president of
the board of trustees of the Indiana Medi-
cal College, and spoke, in part, as follows:
''It goes without the saying that the grad
uatfon into the active service of any depart
ment of professional life of company OF
men thoroughly equipped for the World :
my judgment these men are not 10 pe SO
much congratulated as is society, that IL Is
to receive practical reinforcements OF hlgh
quality. 1 lay especial emphasis upon TINS
matter of quality. Quantity we have. Ihere
are more than enough of doctors, teachers,
lawyers, ministers, heads being counted.
Quality we lack. The professional worker
thoroughly trained fully devoted TO his call
ing, putting the noblest, finest, fullest man,
hood into his life work-this one the world
is demanding increasingly every day.
THE privilege has not been given me or
addressing you on this occasion In ofder
that should dwell upon the matter or man.
ner of preparation which has been afforded
those who are tonight to become Worid
workers. Another would have been selected
had anything technical been sought take
it. however that there is certain sense IN
which one of another profession can see, IN
truest proportion and incest Dalance, lne
value of the life work OF a 1elloW-toller IN
society's interests. We stand too close TO
our own work: there is apt to be too mucn
of the personal equation in our estimate OF
TN1.<N 1nfn lie nf nTTr
routine often shut out its grand outlines
Shall not best serve the present occasion,
then, # l shall speak of the medical pro
fessicn as ] have seen 1t, il snail estl-
mate it as the educator observes It's func-
tions in the general complex Of life? The
physicians IDEAL spirit, motive as these re-
veal themselves in the task which falls 10
his lot in the distribution of service among
men-this is the theme upon which | nave
chosen to address you The man an and do the n
calling, of this / would speak
Years since Emerson said there is but
one man of whom all particular mn men mare are
ment of society makes this more true,
though perhaps less evident, each decade
more and more the unity of life's work, the
differentiation of function should more and
more lay stress upon the vital oneness or
the educator, the minister, the lawyer, the
doctor, of high quality, represent each one
pre-eminent function of manhood. Each
character, of that one man of Emerson, who
is indeed society. What, then, We are ask
ing is the doctors function in the world,
vitality regarded. For i consider 1T set
tied matter that one can pass through
the medical education OF to-day and regard
the world of personal life mechanically.
That word doctor, which each graduate is to
don and wear beginning with tonight, must
surely have, for each OF these, its highest
Specification; it must denote a life so well
instructed in its own calling that its daily
manifestation is a teaching expression OF
it's inmost reality, showing forth of It's
vital principles. What, then, we ASK are
some of these in the calling or the pny-
THE PHYSICIANS IDEAL.
'F'irst of all, believe, no other one can
give better expression than the physician
to the great truth than nature is replete
with vital, upbEilding, curative forces, that
the nature of things is life-bestowing, life
rescuing in the largest and best sense. Per-
haps this does not always seem so. Often
the physician. appears to be fighting for life
a losing battle all along the line, and at
length to be conquered by death. This.
however, is the narrow and superficial
view. The doctors work is ever to bring
to the normal state; this condition he sets
aim is to make that ideal a reality. His
battle is against the abnormal. He knows,
also, that nature is for the normal with all
her subtle forces, slow but irresistible. The
whole tendency of his professionl life is to
bring to soundness, working ever with the
forces of life as his allies. He must be-
lieve that soundness is at the heart of
things; he must believe that a sound mind
in sound body, dominated and inspired by
a sound heart, is that toward which all
things ought naturally to move. take it,
therefore, that the doctor stands for the
ultimate victory of health, physical intel
lectual, moral. He must represent the opti-
mistic side OF life. AS social factor his
work is ever representative of the spirit of
hope.
What shall we say of the physicians
spirit? He represents, as an individual and
a social force, the practical working of
the scientific spirit He stands as a priest
of science at the altar of life. He mediates
the essential truthfulness of nature to men
about him. He holds forth the reign of law
as the reign of truth. The spirit of science,
prostituted to a low utilitariansm along
many avenues OF life. becomes, as incarnate
in the physician, the expression of self
devotement and Self-sacrifice.
THE physician stands also pre-eminently
for the spirit of individualism in the midst
of social progress. This is only another as
pect of the scientific spirit. His must ever
fttdrr 90.