RetrofpeSJ of American Literature. — Medici fte, (ffc. 623 



The Rev. Henry Ware, of Sdtuate, 

 has lately prtfented to the public a i'ermon, 

 the obieifl cf which is to prove *' The 

 Service of GoH, as inculcated in the Bible, 

 our reai'onible Choice." The author un- 

 dertakes to eftabli(h the following prin- 

 ciules : — i. That every nnan will have 

 fome kind cf religion. 2. It is not a 

 matter of indifference what religion a man 

 choofes. 3. ChrilUanity is the beil of 

 all religions. 4. In proof of this afler- 

 tion, he afks, what is there vaiunble in 

 other religions which is not in the gofpel ? 

 And, on the contrary, What i? there in 

 the gofpel which ought 10 he txpiinped ? — 

 This plan of argument is ir.genioufly ma- 

 naged, but it has no claim to the merit of 

 originality. 



At Philadelphia we obferve the puhli- 

 caiion of a " Sermon deliveied at the 

 Opening of a new Prefbyierian Church in 

 that City, by Asheell Gp.£EN, D.D." 

 This is a fenfihle and eloquent difcourlb, 

 and fully (upports the we'l earned and 

 Ions;- eft ablifhcd reputation oF the author. 



We clofe this tedious catalogue of fer- 

 mi lis by noticing " A Difcourle deliver- 

 ed at thi Ordination of tht-RcV. Jole, h S. 

 Buckminfter, in the Church of Brattle- 

 ftrett, Bofton, by his Father, Josei'h 

 BuCKMiNSTtR, D. D., ot Porrfmoiith, 

 Nev Hampfhire." It is w;ll adapted to 

 the occafnn, judicious, inftruilive, 16- 

 lemn, and pathetic. 



MEDICINE, AND THE AUXILIARY SCI- 

 ENCES. 



The ftate of medical fcience in the 

 Uniied States may jnllly be pronounced to 

 he in a train of lapid progrrtfs and exfen- 

 li 'n. If any partictilar fcience can he 

 laid there <o take the lead of all o'hers in 

 the rapidity of its caurfe and in the im- 

 poitanceot lis deveiopinenis, it is unqucl- 

 tionably that of Medicine. The realbns 

 of this are obvious. 



Tiie prevalent of malignant and mor- 

 tal epi'iemics within the la(t fifteen yeari 

 has Conferred a new degree of value and 

 dignity on the profenioii. It has produced 

 ill the cominiini'y a det-per convilicn of 

 the impor'ance of th-it liranch of kno»-. 

 ledge. It has awakened am' ng phyficl- 

 an> ibemfelves a more ardrnt Ipirit of re. 

 (larch and inveftigatioii, and his iinpeiled 

 iheni, by an itreliitible attr.iftlon, into (he 

 paili? in which prol'tdional reputation and 

 ult;tuine(« are al.me to be fiiml. It has 

 firivrn them into conlroverfitu, which, 

 heii'!:; keenly a^iiatid and piitiingall iheir 

 power* on the ((retcii, have ptoducrd 

 bulikr in^juiiicSj nioie ingeiiioui and 



more difcriminating theories, more precifi 

 and logical habits of thinking and reafan- 

 ing. 



Another fpring to the exteiifion of me- 

 dical Iclence in America has b'ren given 

 by the aftonifliing progrefs of the Medical 

 School of PhiLidclphi 1." This (cminary 

 has been rapidly riling ever fince its firft 

 eftablifnment, and has now acquired a ce- 

 lebrity and maturity which place it infi- 

 niiely beyond any other uilfitutijn of that 

 kind in the Weflern hemil'phere. Tiie 

 number of ftudents, already very great 

 and conffantly increafing, will in the 

 cnuife of a few years certairiy exceed five 

 hundred. The le irned profeffors in this 

 fchool, holding a high ftation in point of 

 genius and tslcnts, and allured by the 

 prolpe£l of its txpiinciing reputstion and 

 iifefiilnefs, and of the advantages which 

 in confequcnce muH accrue to themfelves 

 and al! concerned in it, are zealous ard 

 indefatigable in undertaking every labour 

 and exciting eveiy enttrprize which may 

 conduce to iis improvement. Exertions 

 (b flrtrnuous and peri^veiing feldom mils 

 their effeff. Holding out to iiudents of 

 phyfic fuch pre-eminent i;dvant3ges. Phi. 

 liddphii now atirails them in crowds 

 from ail quarters ot' the United Stites. — . 

 Tite medical (chools in other parts of 

 America, pofT fling few or none of thtlc 

 advantages, and nuking little exert ioa to 

 extend or impr-ve thtir means of inftruc- 

 tion, are dwindling tail in.o infigiiificance. 

 In Philadelphia therefore we heiiold ereft- 

 ed the g^and luminary of medicine for the 

 Welfcrn World, which rilreidy d;irts its 

 r:»ys toever^ corner of Noitii- America.— 

 The utility of this c ncentrati;>n of me- 

 dicil light and influence, in cider to pr;i- 

 mote the propagaiitn tin! difrvilion of tlicin 

 af'erwards, muit be obvioiia to every une 

 wh') contemplates liie fubjeft. 



The eitabliflimeiU of peiio lical publi- 

 cation> 011 medicine and all the kmdrej 

 branches of letrning, ippearstilfo to have 

 had 3 confidtr.ibli,- influence in efTe.'fing 

 tliele improvements. Bv means of thefu 

 publications, many phyficians have been 

 induced to pi"e(i;nt to the c "iiimnnitv the 

 fruits of obtivatio'is and inquiries which 

 otherwife would htve Inn inaiilive and ufe- 

 lel'i in their own minds. An'l mti;iy 

 otheis, ftimultited by iheexim >ks fet be- 

 fore them by their neighbours and ac. 

 quaiillanie, liav^ been determined to "go 

 and do likewile." Thee is perhaps no 

 featue in the pref-nt td'peiSl of fcien.-c in 

 Ameiicti «hi(h ^u'nirs I'o vve'l ci nccnii'g 

 its future growth a.id diffufion as the elis- 

 bhflinicn^ of three pt^riodical incdictd pub. 

 Iicatiun^, 



