im -tka. ' Cf;^ ,V* v"1 ■''•"*i#l &f'<1 'W*!'- "*. ^ & )f-^* .;v>. ■(.. -s v >/< J /S -. ^cr 6Ca /- 3 fi is'-sji- KjL^>' ^UU{^« DOCUMENT DBLivKaKO at in a orcMMO s*r nt KENTUCKY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE. BY SAMUEL ANNAN, M. L>., "* rrofawor of Pathology and the Practice of Medicine, and of the Theory and Praciica u-i Medicine in the Medical Department of Transylvania University. "•• ij;.. 'if;. . PUBLISHED BY THE CLASS. LOUISVILLE: W. N. HALDEMAN, COURIER JOB OFFICE, PRIST 1860. w A 6/3 + \2B0 Louisville, Ky., Nov. 7th, 1850. Prof. Sam'l. Annan: Sir—At a meeting of the students of the Kentucky School of Medicine, held in the Amphitheatre on Thursday, we were appointed a Committee to wait upon you and procure a copy of the very able and learned address, delivered by you, as introductory to the course of said School for the ensuing winter. R. M. EMBRY, C. T. SEAY, W. T. RISK. Louisville, Nov. 8th, 1850. Messrs. Embry, Seay, and Risk, Committee: Gentlemen—I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of yesterday, requesting my Introductory Lecture for publication, and it gives me pleasure to comply with the wishes <& the class. Respectfully, your obedient servant, SAM'L. ANNAN. INTRODUCTORY LECTURE, At the commencement of a new enterprise for which the patronage of the community is solicited, deference to public opinion and that ingenuousness which is generally safe, and always honorable, demand an account of its origin and de- sign. That the gentlemen forming the Faculty of the Ken- tucky School of Medicine have the right to co-operate, under certain rules and regulations agreed upon by themselves, for the purpose of giving lectures on Medicine, it is presumed no one can deny. In this land of equal rights and privileges the department of mind will surely be allowed the same freedom as is granted to mere corporeal effort; and while no one thinks of restricting the employment of the powers of the body in any manner which may be deemed most conducive to the advantage of individuals and society, there cannot be many so deeply imbued with the principles of the worst gov- ernments of the continent of Europe as^ to wish to impose restraints upon mental exertion, by granting a monopoly to a favored few. There certainly is no statute of our country pro- hibiting the use of all the mental capital of which we are pos- sessed, but, on the contrary, this right is guarantied by our admirable constitution to an extent equal to any other; and, as a necessary consequence, one of our most striking charac- teristics is freedom of discussion. Thought and action, within the limits prescribed by regard for the public weal, are free as the air which goeth where it lists ; and it would, therefore, be no more consistent with truth and fact to assert that individu- als or associations have not the right to engage in the instruc- tion of Students of Medicine, than to say that they have not permission to organise schools, academies, and colleges for general education. . . Whether it is always expedient to exercise this inalienable right, is a question that must be settled by a consideration of all the circumstances appertaining to each particular instance. With scarcely an exception, the establishment of a second Medical College in a large city has more than doubled the number of students annually attending lectures, and no good reason can b« advanced why & similar result should not follow \ the effort non- making in this beautiful and flourishing city, which is one of the chief ornaments of the magnificent West. Here, where those among the fairest of America's fair daugh- ters are seen, fascinating all beholders—where beauty, intel- gence, and elegant manners combine to enchant — will any one have the daring effrontery to assert that young men will not continue to hasten with avidity to such a spot ? Enthu- siasm in a good cause is characteristic of female excellence, and sustained by such patronesses, we defy the malignant shafts of envy, and jealousy, and malice ; and if we, the pro- fessors do our duty, I fearlessly predict a progressive prosper- ity for this new Institution of learning, now and evermore. That competition is the life of business, and that emulation excites to greater industry and activity, are propositions de- monstrated by universal experience; and that additional tab ent and increased facilities for acquiring information will attract a larger number of students, would seem to be a natu- ral and inevitable consequence. As to the effect upon the medical profession, it is a capital error to assert, that the rapid multiplication of Medical Colle- ges is the cau§e of the great increase of the number of Medi- cal Students. The reverse is the fact. The astonishing growth of the population, and the consequent demand for Physicians, with the success which attends the larger number of those who engage m practice, are the chief reasons why so many young men crowd the halls of medical instruction. There is no more respectable and esteemed member of a community than an eminent Physician or Surgeon; and it is not surprising that the dignity and importance of his character, should fasci nate the youth of our country. Additional Medical Schools then, are founded, because of the overflowing current setting towards those now in operation. This being the state of the case, the question to be decided is, whether one set of gentlemen in a particular locality shall receive all the honor and profit accruing from teaching medi- cine, or whether another set, equally deserving, and fullv as competent to instruct shall be permitted to participate in these emoluments. It is obviously for the interest of both the general community, and the medical profession that free competition should be tolerated in this as in every other branch of business; and that such is the prevailing opinion is manifest, from the annual granting of acts of incorporation by the Legislatures of the different States of our Union There is no subject of deeper and moie abiding interest to anv community, than the education of it.-Physicians? and it may be regarded as strange, that all the recent excite- ment on this subject should have emanated from the medical profession itself. The public have not complained of the in- competency of their medical attendants; nor has there been a call upon our Legislatures, for the enactment of laws to pro- tect the people from uneducated Physicians. It is certain members of the profession who have agitated this question. Having their own minds enriched with all the science and ele- gant literature of the day, they look with scorn and contempt upon those whom they call their illiterate brethren, and with compassion upon all who come under their treatment. They ■deplore the want of dignity, and they lament the loss of life, which result from the prevailing ignorance, and they are making strenuous efforts to bring about the desired improve- ment. Selfishness is so thoroughly engrafted upon our nature, and pure philanthropy and disinterested benevolence are so sel- dom met with among any class of men, that I have been inclined to view the leaders of this movement, as considerably elevated above our common humanity. Believing themselves to be but a little lower than the angels, in all good works, and having* a just conception of the inestimable value of their own scientific acquirements, and elegant accomplishments, they have resolved, that if the people are so blind as not to perceive, or so sluggish as to be unwilling to make an effort to avoid the dangers which surround them, from which they are constantly suffering, they will constitute themselves their guaidian saints, and protect them from the vultures who are preying upon their vitals, It must be admitted that to grasp the vast number and va- riety of abstruse and complicated subjects, to which the at- tention of the medical enquirer has to be directed, no edu- cation can be too complete, and no amount of knowledge can be superfluous. The mental qualifications which are chiefly desirable in the physician, are a talent for close and accurate observation; and a sound and discriminating judgment, to enable him to make a correct application of the knowledge he may have acquired. Now although education may im- prove these qualities of mind, where they previously exist, it cannot create them. It has been said, ;iPoeta nascitur, non fit;" that is, a man must be born a poet, he cannot be manufactured into one. This is still more emphatically true of the physician. Preliminary education, and medical schools, may form the accomplished gentleman, and philosophical physician, but they cannot bestow that tact which is essential 6 to the aeeurate diagnostician, and fits for the invariable ap- plication of the right remedies at the right times, and in the right quantities. It is this which constitutes the perfect phy- sician ; and it is the want of this which prevents so many men of transcendant genius and high scholarship, from ac- quiring the reputation of eminent practitioners of medicine, and causes them to relinquish the profession in disgust. It is only necessary that, we should examine the human or- ganism and its action, in order to perceive how careful and thorough must be the investigation, and how vigorous the power of generalization, by which we shall avoid fatal mis- takes. So many particulars have to be taken into the ac- count, and either combined or separated, compared or con- trasted, before a positive result can be obtained; and so great is the difficulty of arriving at certainty on many points, that it is not surprising comparatively few members of our pro- fession attain the highest destination. If we look at the brain and nerves, through whose instru- mentality we have not only sensation and motion, but also the workings of the restless mind, we shall perceive that the central organ, the brain, varies in size, in shape, and doubt- less in fineness of internal organization—that its suscepti- bility of receiving impressions differs materially in different individuals—being extremely excitable in some, and very tor- pid in others, and also that in the same person, at different times, its impressibility is exceedingly diversified. This is not only true in relation to its powers as a part of the human organism—as the recipient of impressions made upon all parts of the body, which produce sensation, and as the origi- nator of voluntary motion; but also in relation to its powers as the agent of all the mental manifestations, The innumera- ble varieties of human minds, produces each its correspond- ing effect upon the brain, and from it, upon the nerves at their remotest extremities; and the incalculable diversity of its cor- poreal susceptibilities, changes indefinitely the action of all the organs both in health and disease. Then again, if we look at the effects of the action of the sanguiferous system upon it, we shall perceive a remarkable dissimilarity. In one person the slightest fever will produce delirium or stupor, not accompanied by danger; while in another, the strongest excitement of the heart and arteries is required to develope such symptoms, and then they are of very grave character. Vertigo and tinnitus aurium are threatening symptoms under some circumstances, and under others are deserving of but little attention. Convulsion* V may proceed from too high action of the sanguiferous system and at another time they may arise from precisely the oppo- lite condition. The heart, another organ whose action is essential to life. is wonderfully influenced by a great variety of circumstances. It may be large or small, or of medium size; it may be more or less firm and solid in its texture; its inherent irritability may vary exceedingly, and the extent to which it is governed by the nervous system can hardly be appreciated. In some persons the slightest mental emotion, or cerebral disturbance from any other cause, will excite the most hurried movements of this organ, or produce palpitation; while in others it is so unimpressible that it is with the greatest difficulty, and only by powerlul causes that it can be disturbed in its slow and regular movements. The normal action of the heart in many individuals is but fifty or sixty beats in the minute, and in another large class, it is eighty or ninety in the minute. What would be fever in one of these, as far as the pulse is con- cerned, wrould be only the regular pulse in the other. So again, where the heart is very small, or is deficient in the firm- ness of its fibre, the pulse may be so small and feeble as to indicate extreme debility, while at the same time, it may be the normal pulse of the individual, and may not be incom- patible with good health. The size and strength of the pulse too is very much influenced by the dimensions of the artery at the ordinary place of feeling it, the wrist. Sometimes the artery is smaller at one wrist than at the other, and occasion- ally there is irregular distribution. This last has been not unfrequently the cause of the most ludicrous blunders on the part of those physicians who examine their cases superficially, and give hasty opinions. I might thus go over all the important organs of the human body, and show, that while it is true, that there are certain laws which govern diseases, which are generally applicable, and in consequence of which we are able to recognise them by their symptoms and signs, nevertheless, the excep- tions and irregularities are so numerous, that the physi- cian has to be constantly on the alert, and to make a thorough exploration, if he wishes to avoid mistakes. But when, in addition to all this, we take into consideration the fact, that medicinal agents have very different effects on different con- stitutions so that what shall be beneficial in one case, shall be highly prejudicial in another apparently similar case, but in a different person it is obvious, how much patient inquiry with ail the lights of science to assist us, is requisite to en- n able us to get at all the facts, and then how cautious must bo- om- generalization and induction before we can be certain that we are going to do what is exactly right in every instance. Enough has now been said to give some idea of what kind of mind is required to constitute an able physician. It must be sound, clear, investigating. The imagination must be entirely under the control of the judging faculty. It cannot be too logical, so that the ratiocination may always lead to correct conclusions from the premises. The power of obser- vation should be strong, so that the minutest particulars may not escape notice. With a large development between the eyes, and a corresponding expansion and elevation above, the top of the head in front not being too square, there can be no fear that intellectually, the individual is not bom to be a great medical luminary. He has the organization, and all that is required of him, is to cultivate with the best opportunities he may enjoy, the gifts with which he has been presented by nature, and his success is certain. But let not those who do not possess these natural quali- fications in the highest degree, despair of attaining respecta- bility. Diligent application, and persevering effort, will go far to overcome inherent defects. It is true that for such the labor is more severe; but they have this consolation, that the glory of the triumph is always in proportion to the ob- stacles to be surmounted. Here are gentlemen assembled from the sunny South, and the illimitable West—from the prairies and the woods__with intellects strong as the oak of their native forests—with per- ceptions clear as their crystal springs—with hearts pure as the mountain snow. Animated by a generous emulation and a noble ambition, and desirous of enrolling their names amongst that noble band—many of whom have been martyrs in the cause of suffering humanity—which has done more for the prolongation of human life, and the promotion of human happiness, than has been done by any other class of the en- tire community; they have left their homes, and all the endear- ments of home, prepared to meet and endure every privation and toil—the day's labor, and the night's weary watch—until their cheeks pale, and their eyes wax dim—in order to qualify themselves to do good to their fellow-men—in order that thev may live honored and beloved—that they may die pitied and mourned oyer—and leave a respected name, to their children which shal serve as a passport for them to enter upon life And shall we refuse admission to our Halls to such younz men, because they are unacquainted with Latin and Greek* 9 Because they have been so unfortunate as not to enjoy the advantages of a liberal education? Can Latin cure a fever? Has Greek any skill in surgery? Did John Hunter's igno- rance of Latin prevent him from becoming the first physiolo- gist of his time? Did Sir Astley Cooper's want of knowledge of Greek, prevent him from becoming the first surgeon of the British Empire? Has the imperfect early education of many of the ablest professors in our Medical Colleges, arrested them, in their upward progress, to their present elevated posi- tion? A classical education would undoubtedly facilitate your progress in your studies; but an inflexible determination to improve your present opportunities, and become eminent in your profession, will enable each and every one of you, to raise himself to the height to which he may aspire. Thoso of you who have been so foitunate as to obtain a col- legiate education, should thank Heaven and your parents. But do not be proud. Do not despise your less fortunate fellow-student. Take care, lest while you rely upon your fancied superiority, and trust to the knowledge you have alrea- dy acquired, the consciousness of his deficiencies may not incite him to exertions which ultimately may lead to a posi- tion, exalted above that which it may be your lot to attain. The great object of a liberal education, is the mental disci- pline and developement which results from it. That a large stock of ideas are accumulated, many of them the reflections of master minds, cannot be doubted, but that the expanding and invigorating the mind of the scholar, is the principal aim, is unquestionable. It is, however, equally true, that no particu- lar course of study is indispensible, in order to effect this ob- ject. In our great military school, the ancient languages arc entirely omitted from the prescribed course, and yet no one will assert, that as vigorous intellects are not fashioned in that institution, as in any other of our country. It may therefore be fairly presumed, that a young man cannot pass through a course of medical study, without having his mind disciplined and strengthened, while at the same time he is laying up stores of knowledge, which well fit him for the active duties of the practitioner. That our students of medicine apply themselves as closely to their studies, and exert themselves as much to improve their advantages, as the students of other institutions, is well known, and can be seen by the change in their heaUh- ful appearance. Indeed many of them breakdown under in- tense and protracted application; and I am frequently obliged to restrain the ardor, which is overtasking an excitable brain, from apprehension of disastrous consequences. There is no 10 study better calculated to exercise the memory and cultivate the reasoning faculty, than that of medicine. In addition to the nomenclature of the various departments of the science, there are innumerable facts to be collected, arranged, and re- membered; and above all, it is the science which requires the constant employment of the inductive philosophy. The ar- rangement of the facts which have been carefully collected, and cautious generalization from them, to establish general princ iples, constitutes the very essence of true medical sci- ence. Here we have the incessant exertion of all the higher faculties of the mind; and assuredly no one can be found possessed of the hardihood in folly, to deny thtat such a course of study will effect all that can be accomplished by any corresponding amount of training. The conclusion at which I arrive is, that while no amount of preliminary education, should be considered superfluous, for the accomplished gentleman and physician, nevertheless, a much plainer and more limited education, with more diligent application during his medical course of study, will suffice to make any young man of average ability, highly respectable and useful, as a practitioner of medicine. Suppose, however, it should be determined, by all the Medi- cal Colleges of the country, that no one destitute of a certain amount of knowledge of Latin, Greek, and Mathematics, should be admitted to the honor of a Degree in medicine, what would be the consequence? Our population doubles every twenty-two years, and such is the demand for Physicians, that if all the graduates of our Colleges for general education, should study medicine, they would not supply more than half the number required to fill vacancies. Now it is clearly as- certained, that not more than one out of twelve, of those who take the Degree of Bachelor of Arts, apply themselves to medicine. It is therefore manifest, that the present state of society, and of education, cannot furnish the requisite number of students of this description, and the inevitable result would be, that the whole country would be inundated by a class of practitioners of medicine, without a diploma of any kind; and a majority of them would be found, never to have been at any College, and consequently totally deficient in all of those studies, which can be pursued only with advantage in well conducted medical schools. Let us therefore take care, that in attempting impossibilities, we do not deprive ourselves of what is practicable, andof unquestionable value. The chief cause of ^mentation, on the part of those who are engaged in attempts to make the current of events rush 11 more rapidly than the nature of things will admit, to the desired improvement in the medical profession, is the un- doubted fact, that a number of inferior and undeserving per- sons are found among its members. In what profession does there not exist a diversity of talents, acquirements and character? Look at the clerical profession, and at the law. Men of every possible variety of scholarship are to be seen, and'as the general rule, physicians are not less correct in their moral deportment, than the members of either of the other learned professions. On the contrary, I will maintain, that in all which adorns human nature—in works of benevolence and humanity—in fostering science, and in building up and sustaining scientific institutions—and in every thing which has a tendency to improve the condition of the human family, during its sojourn on this earth, physicians are always among the foremost, and not unfrequently the projectors and leaders, here in our own country, and all over the world. All this outcry then respecting the degeneracy of the medi- eil profession, has no foundation in fact. It is the exaggera- tion of a few visionary schemers, who flatter themselves into the belief of the possibility of a medical millenium, such as neverdid, and never will exist, to the end of time. Noone will refuse to acknowledge the respectability of the legal profession in Great Britain; and yet that there are mem- bers belonging to it, as low as the meanest doctors, anywhere to be found, is apparent from the following statement of Fra- zer's Magazine, a London periodical of the first repute. "There are hundreds of lawyers hanging on to the profession, in a most precarious position from day to day, who would do any thing for business, and who taint the whole mass with the dis- grace of their proceedings. These are the persons who resoit to the acts of the lowest tradesmen, such as under-working, tooting for employment, sneaking, cringing, lying, and the like. These are the persons who, in such shabby or fraudu- lent cases as may succeed, share the fees with low attorneys, and who sign habitually, for the same pettifogging practition- ers, half-guinea motions, in the batch, for half-a-crown or eigh- teen pence a piece, and in short, do any thing and every- thing that ir* mean and infamous. Alas for the dignity of the bar! The common mechanic, who earns his regular thirty shillings a week, the scene-shifter, the paltry play-actor, en- joys more of the comforts and real respectability of human 'life, than one of those miserable aspirants to the wool-sack, who spends his day in the desperate quest for a brief, arid sits at night in his garret, shivering over a shovel-full of coab, and nn old edition of Coke upon Littleton.'' 12 The truth is, there must of necessity be grades m every profession and occupation; and it is sheer folly to think ot equalizing the members of any large association, so as to prevent some from being at the top, and others at the bottom. This species of agrarianism is not less absurd than that > which would bring about an equal division of property in every profession those possessed of the most talent and in- dustry, will always be elevated above those inferior to them in these respects; and the very struggle to attain eminence, is one of the chief causes of the development of powers, which might otherwise have remained concealed both to the individual and the public. There is a natural progress of things in the social state, which can neither be hastened nor retarded; and all attempts to effect great changes in the con- dition of society before circumstances were favorable for the change, have resulted in failure. I am decidedly of the opin- ion that the attainments of medical men always have been, and now are, in advance of the general intelligence; and as proof of this, it accords with general observation, that if there is a knotty question to be settled in almost any department of science throughout the whole breadth of our land, the doc- tor is referred to as more competent than any one else to solve the problem. There are two great causes in operation, whose tendency is to advance man rapidly to the state of perfectibility com- patible with his present condition of existence. In the first place, the general dissemination of moral and religious prin- ciples, by which he is taught to do unto others as he would have them do unto him—to control and subdue his passions— and under all circnmstances to reflect before he acts. Any man sufficiently enlightened upon these principles, and who makes them the rule of his conduct, will be a good and use- ful member of society; and as far as he has power, contri- bute to the advancement of the happiness of the race. In the second place the general diffusion of knowledge is making the millions familiar with their inalienable rights, and they are prostrating the tyrants who have hitherto held them in bondage. The liberty of thinking and acting for the procuring of happiness in every possible way, not incompati- ble with the rights of others, is rapidly extending over the world. Civil and religious freedom are making such progress, that in less than another century, there will be no spot of the habitable globe in which there will not be the privilege of expressing opinions openly, and voting upon all matters where life and property are concerned. Then nothing can 13 be transacted by the caprice of a few haughty and passionate rulers, which will vitally affect the interests of millions—then the wishes of the mass of the people will be consulted—and being the best judges of what will promote their own happi- ness, and having no disposition to infringe upon the rights of others—being, moreover, fully aware that the indulgence , of the turbulent passions is always productive of misery, there will be an end of wars—peace will reign triumphant— the sword will be turned into the ploughshare, and the spear into the pruning hook. In no former period of the world's history have such rapid advances been made in the science of man. Mankind have at length begun to understand their true interests, and are directing their attention to genuine sources of improvement. Philosophy is doing much to refine and exalt our species. She has toiled from age to age, and explored the sea and land, and the starry heavens. She has looked forth, and examined with most scrupulous care our nature, passions, hopes, pro- pensities, and has exerted her powers to root out the briars, weeds and thorns which choked the growth of happiness. Pale and thoughtful she has occupied meditation's silent, shady seat, and revolved the most approved methods of giving the preponderance to reason's dictates. We are now beginning to enjoy the beneficial results of her labors. Ours is em- phatically an intellectual age. Reason has assumed the sway over blind head-strong passion, and vagrant fancy. Eleva- tions hitherto insurmountable, are speedily overcome; and peaks deemed inaccessible, where the vision of the mind was surrounded with clouds and gloom, are now illuminated by the rays of the glorious sun of science; and the murky va- pors of ignorance and credulity are dispersing. Courageous, stout, sound-headed men—strong of intellectual limb, are ascending far above the reach of common eye. But still as they conquer one acclivity, they are met by others, rising in apparent endless succession, and baffling their hopes of attain- ing the summit, and being permitted to enjoy the ineffable delight of looking down upon the beautiful verdant vale, where perfectibility reigns amidst all the glories and gratifica- tions of perennial sunshine and unfading joy. It is thus that we arc often propelled, by imagination's ardent aspirings in pursuit of phantoms w^hich recede as we approach; but there is always the consoling reflection, that the glittering of the visionary prospects presented to our view, fairer than any thing which ever had real existence, originates thrilling sensations of pleasure, that in a measure compensates for the disappointment of our hopes. 14 To be permitted to enter Nature's inner chamber—her holy places—and hear unutterable things, and behold incommuni- cable visions of brightest glory, is the reward of the diligent inquirer into the secrets of Nature's mysteries ; and to be entrusted with authority to make communications and revela- tions of deepest interest to his fellow-men is the highest honor that can be conferred upon the patient laborer upon the rugged steeps of science. It is the hope of this reward, and the imaginary clangor of the loud-sounding trumpet of Fame, borne u.pon the breezes of futurity, which impels men of lofty asp1 rings to reiterated efforts in the midst of obstacles apparently insur- mountable. Hills rise over hills, and alps above alps appear, and they still toil their weary way, hoping that every new ascent will be the termination of their laborious career. And although frequently disappointed, and ready to give up in utter despair, when contemplating the sullen gloom and shadow of the past, the fascinations of the bright prospects of future honors, urges them forward, until a last successful step crowns their perseverance with immortal glory. You, gentlemen, as students of medicine, have engaged in a course of preparation for a highly honorable and useful profession. You have selected one of the most responsible and laborious departments of science. But when you look at what has been accomplished for the benefit of mankind by your predecessors, you will have throughout life, just cause of pride that you have become a physician. What has medical science effected through the labors of its vota- ries ? It has mitigated pain—it has lengthened life—it has extinguished diseases. What other human science has con- ferred such favors upon the family of man ? We raise high our standard, and unfurl it to the breeze, and challenge the world to show any thing to compare with these benefactions. The study of medicine is in itself delightful. It supplies abundance of food to satisfy the cravings of the most vora- cious intellect; variety to gratify the intensest curiosity; ex- citement for the most ardent imagination. The beauty and glory of the animate and inanimate world will be exposed to your admiring gaze. The admirable mechanism of the human frame—the secret recesses of the vegetable and the hidden virtues of the mineral kingdom—the influence of heat and light—the laws of motion—the action of mind upon matter, and of matter upon mind, will all be brought under your cognizance, and conspire to fill you with wonder and pleasure. And there is no room for apprehension that the 1j supply of intellectual nourishment will soon be exhausted. As your faculties acquire power, new sources of gratification will be opened to your view. A very little experience is only required to convince the diligent student, who watches the progress of his own mind, that there is a scale of study adapted to the various periods of his intellectual history. As he advances in scientific attainment, subjects which once appeared incomprehensible, become plain and simple; and when the entire circle of known science, in the department to which he has devoted himself, appears as an oft repeated tale, urged on by the burning curiosity of our nature, he starts off in pursuit of something new, and is not unfrequently rewarded by impor- tant discoveries. "For this the youth in yjgils lone, Hath toiled with brow and cheek grown pale, The sage hath perils scorned that well Might make the hero's courage quail; For this hi« venturous foot hath tracked The death fraught mine, the glacier dread, His hand hath dared the serpent's fang, And dallied with the lightning red." It is the brightest star in the escutcheon of our country's glory, that any young man of talent and good conduct, how- ever depressed and borne down by the frowrns of an adverse fortune, may, without presumption, aspire to the highest honors, and emulate the virtues, and follow the footsteps of the noblest and most exalted. Successful intellectual effort constitutes a genuine patent of nobility. It is a sure pass- port to the respect and esteem of the first men of all nations. And this is the true republicanism which pre-eminently dis- tinguishes our happy country, and makes it the asylum of the oppressed of all "other parts of the world. It is this free- dom which gives permission to the humblest individual to freight his little bark, and set sail upon the wTide ocean of research; and it is this which is forming intrepid explorers, and is pushing discovery into unknown regions with a hardi- hood unwitnessed by preceding ages. It is this, also, which authorises you all to elevate your aspirations to the pinnacle of fame—justifies you in anticipating the noblest honors of a distinguished profession—encourages you to look forward to the highest position in the estimation of your country- men—and to exult in the prospect of your names being sur- rounded with a halo of glory, which will transmit them to succeeding generations, amongst those of the most venera- ted benefactors of mankind. £ <*y lord= SPEEDY BINDER — Syrot«f«. N. Y. ~ Stockton, Colif. NATIONAL UBRARY OF MEDICINE NLM Q3ED35EM 3 NLM032035243