II 



and medical institutions which has been the order of 

 the day in this country for many years. 



I have not, I think, given general pathology too pro- 

 minent a place in the medical curriculum, nor made it 

 take up too much of the students' time. For many 

 reasons it ought to be in the front rank. It is at the 

 same time a repetitorium of normal physiology and a 

 bond between this fundamental subject and the clinical 

 subjects. It is the natural neutraliser of the many draw- 

 backs resulting from the increase of specialism. 



Indeed, the rapid development of specialities has 

 caused a disunion within the curriculum. The boon 

 the patients derive from this specialising and the in- 

 crease in technical knowledge demanded of the medical 

 man make it necessary for the student to acquire prac- 

 tical knowledge of every speciality. The drawback of this 

 stale of things is that the specialist, who is enthusiastic 

 about his subject, will nearly always forget the true 

 standing of his own speciality within the whole range 

 of subjects. The Faculty of Copenhagen has tried to 

 meet the just demands of specialists by organising a 

 series of compulsory courses, at the same time protect- 

 ing students against unreasonable claims by not mak- 

 ing the numerous specialities particular subjects for exa- 

 mination. But, anyhow, the growing disunion calls for a 

 counteraction, a rallying subject, and no subject is more 

 suitable for such a counteraction than general patho- 

 logy. Within the circle of medical subjects in the stric- 

 ter sense of the word, having reference to diseases and 

 their cure, general pathology, and with it morbid ana- 

 tomy, stand as the only two representatives of pure na- 



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