302 PROCEEDINGS OP PBOTINCIAL SOCIETIES. 



Practice of Physic — First silver medal, Mr. A. Martin, Birmingham ; second 

 silver medal, Mr. Edwards, Kidderminster. 



Surgery — First silver medal, Mr. A. Baker, Birmingham ; second silver me- 

 dal, Mr. F. Allday, Birmingliam. 



Midwifery. — First silver medal, Mr. A. Baker, Birmingham. 



Previous to the commencement of the proceedings, the Rev. W. 

 M. Lawson delivered his inaugural address, as mathematical lectur- 

 er. The following is a brief outline of this truly eloquent and 

 classical composition, which, at the request of the governors, is in- 

 tended for publication. 



In following the usual course of a lecturer, on taking his seat 

 for the first time in the chair of a public Institution, Mr. L. com- 

 menced his labours by explaining the nature of the department of 

 studies which he had undertaken. He should best describe to 

 others the system he intended to adopt, by laying before his audi- 

 ence the method he himself pursued in determining it. When he 

 sat down to consider what kind of lectures the governors were de- 

 sirous of providing for the Institution, he began to seek for 

 authoritative documents on the subject, as forming the best data 

 from which to investigate the precise character of the lectures re- 

 quired. In Aris's Gazette, of the 11th of April, where the sum- 

 mer course of lectures at the Institution is advertised, he found 

 quoted words, which, so far as Mathematics and Natural Philoso- 

 phy are concerned, were as follows : — 



" The Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh, strongly urge their 

 own fellows, as well as all other practitioners, not to take any 

 young man as an apprentice, until he shall have gone through a 

 preliminary course of mathematics." 



'* Every candidate for the diploma of the Royal College of Sur- 

 geons, Edinburgh, either previous to, or during, his medical educa- 

 tion, must have received regular instruction in the elements of ma- 

 tkematics." 



" The Court of Examiners of the Society of Ajiothecaries renew 

 their recommendation to Parents and Guardians, that the youth 

 about to be apprenticed should have previously been instructed in 

 the elements of mathematics and natural philosophy." 



From the manner in which the words " previous," " prelimina- 

 ry," ''mathematics," " natural philosophy,'' here occur, he thought 

 he might fairly affirm that the above passages include the following 

 proposition, viz. : — that " a course of mathematical natural philoso- 

 phy is a desirable foundation for the study of medicine and surgery." 



He then quoted the following passages from Lord Bacon to the 

 same effect : 



" Medicina autem in philosophia non fundata res infirraa est !*' 

 "Desideratur niminum philosophia naturalis vera et activa cui medicina 

 scierrtia insedificetur.'* 



" MultoB siquidem natures partes, nee satis subtiliter comprehendi, nee sa- 

 tis perspicue demonstrari, nee satis dextere et eertb ad usum aceommodari 

 possint, sine ope et interventu mathematicaJ" 



