241 



isted ; in short, that they will permit the presence, at their exami- 

 nations of candidates, of some officially appointed person or persons, 

 who are not interested in their institutions, and that a portion of 

 their examinations shall be conducted in public. 



Having thus passed in review the specific subjects assigned to 

 them, your committee would offer some general remarks, sanctioned 

 by the last clause of the article in the plan of organization, which 

 defines their duties. 



The truth of the proposition that there are striking deficiencies 

 in our profession is, at this time, so generally conceded as to obviate 

 the necessity of further demonstration. The desire and the capa- 

 city for improvement are implied by the organization of this Asso- 

 ciation, by its proceedings hitherto, and by the universal satisfaction 

 which those proceedings have given to the profession at large. It 

 is evident that for the accomplishment of the great object for which 

 this society was organized, little or no legal, or other extra-profes- 

 sional assistance must be expected. The power lies almost exclu- 

 sively with ourselves. Our own minds must suggest, our own 

 judgments decide upon, our own energies direct and impel the means 

 whereby that object may be attained. 



In whatever aspect the enterprise be viewed, the mind is finally 

 arrested by the apparently radical source of all the evils and defi- 

 ciencies in the profession, viz.: the imperfect education of a large 

 part of its members. The serious consideration of all physicians 

 should be called to this evil, and they should be urged, by all their 

 wishes and hopes for a better state of things, by all their aspirations 

 for the progress and perfection of the science, and by a motive still 

 more exalted, their conscientious interest for the welfare of their 

 patients, to direct their energies towards its removal. 



It is alleged by some, that an imperfect medical education is a 

 necessary result of the present condition of the population of the 

 country. The frontier and thinly settled territories cannot, it is 

 said, afford support to a well educated corps of medical men. 



It would be unjust to deny that this argument is entirely devoid 

 of weight, yet, especially in a prospective view, it cannot be conceded 

 that it is of sufficient importance to diminish our efforts towards ad- 

 vancement. Our broadly extended country, through the agency of 

 steamboats, railroads, and telegraphic intercourse, is virtually ren- 

 dered more compact; large portions of it are becoming more popu- 

 lous ; its sources of wealth are in rapid course of development, and 



