The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-06-03
MEDICAL COLLEGE
HOLDS ITS FINALS
DR.. John A. Fcrrell Calls on
Students to Engage in
Health Work.
ENDS FIRST YEAR OF UNION
L. L. Bemiss and DR.. Stuart Nc
Guirc Tell of Success of
Consolidation.


class which Is probably the largest
graduated At one time by any similar
Institution in the South, were last night
presented their diplomas In the city
Auditorium before IN audience cstl-
mated at moro than 1000 people.
commencement, exercises were I'm
prcssive. being featured by tho address,
OF Dr. John \. Fcrrcll. director of the
National Sanitary Commission, and tho
long entrance march OF the graduates.
rho audience broke into applause With
the appearance Of the first ncw doctor
In cap and gown. aud thor" was no ces-
sntion until the last OF the long lin"
had passed down tho Isle aud taken
his seat on the stage. Hero wcro
seated the hoard OF visitors OF the col
lcgc, President :. q. Mitchell and other
speakers Of the evening. and members
OF the faculty.
The invocation was made by Rev j.
T. Gravatt, D. D., rector OF Holy Trim
iiy church. after which Or. Mitchell at
once introduced Dr. Ecrrel
SPEAKS on PUBLIC
HEALTH WORK. AS CAREER
Tho speaker chose for hts subject.
Public Health Work as II Career" and
during the course OF h!a remarks
showed that there is an ever incrcas-
Ing demand for physicians especially
trained In public service work along
educational health lines. lie sitid that
with the Increase OF Interest III educa-
tion and the advance In the scale or
remuneration foi trained Instructors,
there is q corresponding advance III the
scalc OF salary for those Interested IN
public health service. 'r. terrcIi iur
ther showed that the demand Tor
trained workers Is on the incrcnsc. and
that there IL danger OF the Nci'I
being exhausted. one or the principal
features Of his address was that IN
which he ,,s.id that the further cnorts
of the medical profession "ill u!u-
matcly become those o: preventive
rather than reconstructve cndcaNors'
and that /, is this fact which makes
tho field OF the public health worker
Of so much value
."rh. public health service has al
WAYS been attractive, as Il career 10
Young men OF high ideals, a.tlh ~
Ferrell The public health oiHc"r ~
. ncrsistcnt scarchcI OF truth, no mat
TOR where It may lie. and he Is NOT
handicapped by laws or ruivs. :"
many case, he must east aside the uis
royerles OF others and depend upon ms
80, ,hili,v. for he is constantly meet
ing new conditions ana must coiApa,
,be,n I'm a manner especially adapted
to that particular instance.
MORE. POSITIONS OPEN
THAN CAN BE liII.ED
..ono OF tho things the graduates
Arst asks himself is the immediat"
chance of employment which any con
ternplated endavor oiTers. In inc pun
lie health service there are many mo- d"
positions open than can De ntieu, @
however those who apply ior men,
must be specially trained ana "uaplcu
for the WORK, and IL is probably because
of this fact that there is not !, SUI
,icicnt suppl! OF doctors TO hlI inc
demands. ..,
.-rhe public service officer - neccs-
. sr.-SS
is rapidiy taking the place OF cure IN
nracticc In many schools the facu!y
is now realizing the Importance o.
the work and is ocpning courcsS oil
instruction and SivinG special dlpIoh:'s
for the completion OF work along the
lines Of public health service AS IN :
creased interest Is shown In the main
tonancc of our schools there VIII DC
corresponding incrcRs" In tho interest
shown In the education OF men ioF 'his
particular field OF cndcaNor.
NO charge OF there not being
sufficient field or uncertain held
can bo brought here. There Is great
one at present. and IL Is an eVer-ln-
creasing one. But II ~ noI leiu
the haif-trained man. AS the WORK OF
public service health Is taken over by
Tho state governments and Kept seph :
rated from political influence thcrc Will
be n great growth In the value OF the
dcpartment and in the salaries open
work. Plans for studying the condi-
lions I'm communities, states and ma
tions viii be perfected and institutions
win be erected in which men viii be
trained for this work. which Is ii per-
lnanent service to society.
TRACES PROGRESS
OF FIRST YEAR
f. T.. Bemss, a member OF the board
OF visitors OF the Medical College, made
n short speech, in which he traced the
tl,a COLL Los
the first year since the union OF the
two medical Institutions. He said that
before the union they had been COM
petitors, and that the competition cN-
tended throughout the entire meulcai
fraternity and the community, making
war which ultimately would have
resulted in the destruction OF both.
The change since the union mas become
effective, he said, was TO one or hearty
cooperation on the part OF PHYSICIANS
and hospitals, and an npbuiidins OF a
sympathetic attitude on the part OF the
community. lie thought that the first
steps had been taken toward arousing
public interest which would lead to
the erection of an institution TO be
under the charge OF the state, when
an appropriation OF $4,000 for the aid
OF the work was secured from inc
recent General Assembly. MIR. BemiSs
closed by giving some appropriate ad-
vice to the graduates.
The address delivered by Dr. Stuart
Mcclure, dean Of the college. was SINH
lar to that of Mr.. Bemiss. DR.. Nc
Guiro said that the ideals of the fac
ulty had not been attained ~ yet, and
that 1t would require at least three
years for this degree of perfection in
the equipment, tie course of study and
the methods of the institution to be
reached. IIc said, though. that the nc-
complishmcnts of tho first year of the
college hnd been truly wonderful. The
effort had been made to pick the best
in methods and courses or the two in
stitutions which had been combined,
and to eliminate the gross, In order
TO reach degree OF efficiency which
he compared tn Tho Times Dispatch
slogan OF 'Retter than both" He said
that the cooperation OF tho hoar;! 81
visitors. the student bodies, the faculty
and the active. energetic work. of the