The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-04
FOURTEEN DOCTORS
 GIVEN DIPLOMAS Birmingham Medical College Holds Commencement ADDRESS BY COL. I. 6. BUSH Dean Wyman confers Degrees and pr. R. M. Cunningham Charges the
 Class on Duties That Now
 Confront Them.
ADDRESS BY COL. I. 6. BUSH


 diplomas at the Jefferson theatre last night, the occasion being the thirteenth annual commencement exercises of this splendid institution and one which marked a distinctive era in the history of the col- lege.
 In addition to the fourteen graduates of the medical college four graduates of the pharmaceutical department of the in- stitution received their diplomas. A large audience greeted the dean of the Birmingham Medical college when he arose to introduce Dr. J. A. Duncan, pastor of the First Methodist church. who pronounced the invocation, asking divine blessings upon the young men who were to start out in life in their chosen profession.
 The speaker of the evening, Col. T. G. Bush, followed, with the annual address to the class, which was a brilliant effort full of humor, sound advice and enthu- siastic encouragement to the embryo phy- sicians. Colonel Bush preached the gos- pei of optimism to the graduates and was enthusiastically appauded.
 Colonel Bush's Address.
 His address was in part as follows Members of the Graduating Glass;
 Ladies and Gentlemen:
 T appreciate very highly the eompli- ment you have paid me in desiring me to speak to you on this occasion. Lack of time for preparation should have induced me to decline, but I was prevailed on to accept your kind invitation, not only be- cause your invitation committee was un- willing to accept no as an answer-due I suppose because they are in the habit of making their patients do as they wish them-but also because l do not often have an opportunity to talk back to the doctors. l am a little afraid to do so when I am sick, and when I am we'll do not see much of them. I am always willing to pay the medicine bills and re- turn their visits, but they do not seem to be willing to have me do so.
 This is unquestionably an interesting and an important occasion to you, par ticularly, for having received the faith full instruction of the faculty of your alma mater, and having met the demands of it's curriculum, you are about to receive the evidence of your qualification to ad- minister to the needs of your fellow man, so far as concerns his welfare as to health.
 '"rhe times demand, not only on the part of physician, but of every profess sion and trade, that any one who ex- poets success should make special prepa- ration-and in the case of a physician he needs a theoretical as well as practical education.
 Perhaps there is no class of men who require more peculiar endowmbnts than the physician. First of all, he should be a gentleman he should be temperate; he should be the aster of his faculties at all times; he should be pure, so as to pass the sacred portals of the family circle-whch is open to him as to none other of all the outside world-without polluting it's sanctuary by his presence. His life, therefore, should be clean, and his mind and body should be clean,
 Most of Life.
 "A very natural question is How shall I make the most of my life? Where shall I find opportunity for development, for doing good and for making the best use of --Ae talent I have?' Life is opportunity. Over the gateway of the twentieth cen tury the hand of the Almighty has writ ten the word opportunity. Fortunate and happy are those, in the full strength of manhood who have been admitted ! through the gateway and permitted to embrace the glorious opportunities of tine country. What grand and glorious priv | ilpQp If is n pna'g fIl1 tp iua in the present age. See what we have inherited from the past in literature, science and economies, and particularly enjoying the benefits from the marvel ous achievements of the last quarter of 8 century. This is the century for the op- tmist not the pessimist. There is no room for anyone who thinks the world is get ing worse. It is not true that the tre- mendous economic developments have de- stroyed the young mans chances. There never was a time when there was such Q demand for men who can do things It is day for the specialist; for the man thor oughly equipped for his work. There never was before in the worlds history such a. demand for men, nor the time when human life was so precious as now; never a time when brain and muscle commanded so high price,
 Love Is Moving Power.
 Love is the great moving power. Man should have love for his office, consecra- tion to his life task. Duty from within is one of the great moving forces; the great interior power Love is greater than the greatest; the virtue of all vir- tues; the power of all powers Let us keep the sight and hearing alert, at tuned to wider visions and fuller har- monies. This is the winning side of life. Fidelity in small things is one of the great bases of success.
 Tn conclusion, each one has the power to choose between good and evil. Those who prefer hatred to love, lie to truth, and pleasure to duty will find ample oc- casion. If we have a high purpose and try to live a pure life here and beyond we will choose the better things. To throw away a life is the greatest crime that can be committed. It is our duty to live. While the body is doomed to decay. the soul is made to rise toward God. Culti- yate the sweet courtesies of life and let your words be of encouragement and kind ness; strive for higher ideals. Let me use an illustration which I used on a recent occasion. A father bought for his little boy a pair of bantam chickens. When the boy made the first discovery of the product of the hen he was disap- pointed as to the size of the egg. In