Year: 1874

Opening of the Medical Departments


Lecture by Professor John &. Draper,


NJ. d., LID.


The regular winter session OF the Medical De-
partment Of the University OF the City OF New York
was inaugurated last night, when Professor John
G. Draper. NJ. d.. LID, delivered lecture on
''1he Relations OF Chemistry to Medlcine." The
lecture hal OF the institution. which is situated
Twenty-sixth street, opposite Bellevue Hospital
was we'll nlled by physicians, students and persons
OF intelligence OUTSIDE the medical profession,
among whom were many ladies' who were thor.
oughly interested throughout Professor Draper's
instructive discourse. After q prayer by Chan
cellor Crosby Professor Draper began mis- lecture.


After giving brief history of the College
ana OF the rise and progress OF chemistry,
SAID :-"From this brief account OF the origin
and development OF chemistry we And that from
the beginning to the end 1t Is little more than
history OF the attempts OF the ablest ply yscians Of
each period to do something for the advance OF
their art Dissatisfied with Its condition and crav-
ing for its Improvement they nave naturally called
chemistry to their aid in their attempts TO place
medicine on q satisfactory basis. In the
early time OF the Arabians and later, in that OF
Paracelsus and the iatroche these endeavors
were chiefly directed 10 the discovery OF new SUD-
stances wherewlth 10 combat disease and relieve
human pain. To our own time this stiil continues





greater triumph IN this regard can be cited than
the discovery and application OF chloroorm, ether
and other anHstheDcS.


| "Granting as we must all honor to those who de-
vote themselves TO tins branch of the apphcatlon
/ OF chemistry to medicine we must III justice re-
! serve our highest commentator tor those who,
/ following in the footsteps OF Liebg. Simon and
termination OF the compositions and chemical
changes TO which the tissues and huds of the body
ease. In this heid wRieS promises e so htie Htl
OF pecnniary reward TO the laborer, we neverhc-
less lind nos;s Of able workers Year after year
cesses IN vegetable and anima life; little by little
they are disclosing the long MAIDEN secrets OF onr
organism; and chemistry. winch began is exist
ence the humble handmaiden OF medicine, is
rapidly becoming the dictatress oil the ny potneses
on which medical theories and practice are


such being the present relation of chemistry to
medicine, may we not we'll De ashamed of the
scanty provision made IN American medical COL
leges for the cultivation and advance OF this sci
ence ? Nations which. in our youth and arro-
Dund, nevertheless have the energy to estao-
lish great and costly laboratories for chomi-'
with their schools OF medicine, while we are con-
tent 70 accept our knowledge at second hand from
those TO whom we too often ful TO render credit.
In Europe not only are laboratories and apparatus
supplied by government or by private endow-
cern regarding the necessities OF life by q salary
which affords an ample sustenance Here, on the
contrary ne must not only earn his bre al, but
addition, he must furnish his laboratory and ap-
paratus. Can we wonder that under these condi-
~


While money is freely given to theological, aca-
demic, agricultural and technical institutions OF
every other kind, not single medical college has
as yet received the FUNDS which would enable it
TO perform It's WORK IN proper manner. society
demands high standard OF its physicians, and
Furnishes their neglect or malpractice with the Sc
verest penal les known TO the la yet what has So
cety done TO aid either IN the advance or diffusion
oi medical knowledgeY While every wild scheme
or ldloticsm fnds numerous supporters who are
willing TO pledge their purses its behalf medi-
cal colleges with few EXCEPTIONS have an nncer-
meed or tie Want f u means to to Do DO their % wSrE
properly. 1t is not that there Is lack or liberal
lty IN the community, nor Is 1t failure 10 appre-
clate the properly educated physician. IL must be
mat the physicians themselves are al fault and the
community errS because IL has not yet been in
structed In u matter which Is OF the utmsst
Importance to It's own wellbeng aud prosperity
Feeling the necessity OF some action in this mat
ter, the alumni Of the medical department OF the
University or New York have established the pu-
cleus OF an endowment for their Alma Mater.
That this may increase and be applied in such a
manner as TO aid in the advance OF medical
science Is the earnest wish OF all who have her
welfare at heart and, with the aid OF her sons
the time cannot be far distant when this desirable
result will be attained, and proper laboratories for
chemical physiological and physical research aud
instruction viii be opened freely to all who have
been 80 educated as TO avail themselves OF their