New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-21
NEED OF MEDICAL ESDONMENTS.

The one hundred and iftieth anniversary or
Kings College now Columbia University, the
other day, gave occasion for some consideration
Of the need of endowments for our institutions
Of higher education and OF their title TO SUCH
aid Especial pertinenCe IS given to such cons1d-
Grafton by some current reports about the prog
Yess-or the retrogression-of medical instruc-
ton In this capital. The chancellor OF New
York University has called attention to the cir
cumstance that in point OF numbers at any rate,
medical instruction in New-Yorb is declining
Twenty years ago the number of medical stu
dents In the United States was 10000. of whom
2O85 were in New-York State and city and 1879
In New-YOrk City At the present time the num-
Der in the United States is 26,S21. IN New-YOrk
State and city 2,3T4 and in New-York City only
1,8O0-that is to say, there has been in the whole
country an increase of 1913 per cent, but in New
York State and city, there has been an increase
of only n trif1e over - per cent, while in New
York City there has been an actual decrease OF
nearly 10 per cent.
That is not a state of affairs credtable to the
public spirit of New-York or profitable to its ma
terial welfare. The cause of it may easily, be
determined 1t is not that the medical schools
Of this city are unworthy of patronage On the
contrary. they are recognized throughout the
world as being second to none in America
Neither is ii because Of disadvantages suffered
In their location. The number and magnitude
of the hospitals OF NewYOrk the accommoda-
lions for residence here and the general eduCa
tional and social advantages Of the metropolis
mark this the place of all places to which
medical students should naturally come in larg
est numbers. The explanation Is rather TO be
found. as Dr. MacCracken suggests, In the lack
of endowments and in, therefore, the paucty of
material equipment of the schools There Is
much significance in the simple fact that just
for lack Of building room, the NcwYOrk Uni
versity and Bellevue Medical College has this
fall been compelled TO turn away from its doors
a large number of we'll qualified students 1t
has everything necessary TO give them the best
professional instruction except the room 10 house
them In
Now, as we said the other day, II is practically
impossible for q college university to provide
itself with adequate plant out OF its current ac-
counts. 1t is not money making institution
1t can scarcely be expected to pay running ex-
penses after all Its grounds md buildings are
provided; but great medical college has an
especial and exceptional claim upon public and
private munifcence The work II is doing more
directly and vitality concerns the material welfare
Of the community than that of anv other educa-
tional institution. 1t Is, moreover doing an enor-
nous work OF benevolence. The Medical College of
New-York University gives in its dspensary ex-
merit medical treatment and medicine to ono him.
bred thousand patients year without n cent Of
pay. Now it is true that It thus secures thu
needed object lessons for its students 1t is also
we fear, TO be assumed that n considerable pro
portion of these charity patients are in meas
ure impostors, being we'll able to pay for the
treatment they receive. But, making the fullest
allowance for these considerations il is not 10
be questioned that that dispensary is doing n
vast work for the relief of real need. work
that entities IL TO the gratitude and to the prac
tcal pecuniary support of benevolently disposed
men and women Nor is that all. Each medical
college is an invaluable centre of sanitary oh
servation and research, and of guardianship of
the health of the people, just as truly as the