The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-12-02

! deed, that the necessary land for such a
department has already been secured /;
and whether the veterinary school is dis
| continued or not, the Harvard medical
! department may be taken as an assured
! fact
| HUMAN AND VETERINARY MEDI-
| CINE.
J But 1T is recognized by the university
| that such q department requires for
| completeness a strong veterinary school.
| AS DR.. Lyman said in an address given a
| little while ago: ct is manifest that
early medicine could not have existed,
at the time 1t did, in so perfect a con-
dition had its study been confined to
that modern medicine also owes a con-
siderable debt to the animals. But Is
their service in this direction ended? If
we reason from analogy, this question
can easily and at once be answered in the
negative This answer accepted, an
other important question Immediately
arises, VIZ: What method can next be
adopted to insure further benefits to
medical science? The answer to this
question is not so easily made; but if eX-
perience and history are to supply its
solution, it must be by the continual
study Of phenomena presented by both
mankind and animals-that is through
the continued and closer study of com
parative medicine. Heretofore and
since the Renaissance, this study has
been carried on by two separate bodies
of the students of medicine-the human
practitioners on the one hand, the vet
Urinary practitioners on the other. In
dividuals from each side have contrib
uted their mite for the benefit of the
other and for the good of suffering
men and animals.
An accepted proverb, that has again
and again proved its own truth under
all conditions, is that in unity there is
strength. May it not be that this is the
true solution of our question? 1t certainly
must be true that men who are drilled to
study the expressions of health and dis
ease In mankind alone, are not SO We'll
equipped as they might be to reap the
full benefits of their subsequent OBJ
servations upon animals either in health
or disease. 1t must also be true that
those who are trained as veterinarians
only are not in a condition to realize fully
the meaning of certain phenomena in
mankind that pass before them from day
| to day. It has already been discovered
that some diseased conditions Of animals
may give rise to distressing maIadies
| among mankind. These have been dis
| covered by men who have been trained
Ion one or the other side-that is, partial
| ly trained. Is 1t not likely, at least,
| that through the observations of 1ndi-
| viduals, who have been fully trained,
new and unthought of beneicent results
may be obtained?
SITUATION AT HARVARD.
| The university is not without hope, of
| course, that the necessary money for car
| rying on a school which is capable not
| only of furnishing such high scientific
results, but Of developing a body of
| trained professional men whose economic
| services to the country could hardly be
| overestimated, will be procured from the
| friends of the science and of the college
| The vote of the corporation was that
| notice be given that no new students in
| veterinary medicine will be received by
the university until further orders of the
president and fellows; that the instruc
| ton to the students now in the school
| shall be completed so far as any of them
| may desire, until the entire course has
| been given, that IS, until June 30, 1903,
| although the free clinic as now carried
| on at 81 Piedmont street is to be closed
| Immediately"
| Although recognized by veterinarians
everywhere as the leading school of the
science in the country, and the one to
| which the present development of veter1-
! nary medicine in the United States is
! largely due, the Harvard school has never
been pecuniartly on anything like an
equality with many others that can De
mentioned. Abroad the great veterinary
| schools are largely maintained IN connec-
ton with the military service or the gov
eminent departments of meat inspection
in the civil service, and accordingly re-
ceive large government grants. In this
| country the New York school has re
ceived $175,000 In endowments, and has
| SIS, 600 a year from the state; while, be-
sides public grants, the department Of
veterinary medicine Of the university
Of Pennsylvania has received nearly
| $160 600.
An important point with the Harvard
school is the extent of its clinic 1t main
tains two hospitals; the free cline al
luded to in the vote Of the corporation,
and the regular hospital in Village street
in this city. Last year there We're 5,697
cases treated in the two, large number
than anywhere else in the country, and
nearly If not quite eQualing the number
In such great clinics in Europe as that
of London. When it is remembered that
the excellence Of veterinary instruction
depends largely upon the number of cases
which the students are able to examine
under the guidance of their instructors,
the Importance Of the Harvard school
will be at once apparent.