Nations lately become Literary. 371 



made upon any regular plan, on this side of the 

 Atlantic. The medical school, thus formed, soon 

 became an object of public attention ; was resorted 

 to by pupils from different parts of the then Colo- 

 nies ; has been since gradually increasing; and, at 

 present, not only holds the first rank among simi- 

 lar institutions in the United States, but will bear 

 a very honourable comparison with some of the 

 best medical seminaries in Europe. 



In 1767, an attempt was also made to establish 

 a medical school in King's College, in the city of 

 New-York/ Professors were appointed by the 

 Governors of that institution, to teach the various 

 branches of medical science ; and a few courses of 

 lectures were given; but the design was not pur- 

 sued with so much success as in Pennsylvania; it 

 was wholly set aside by the revolutionary war, 

 and did not revive again to any purpose, until the 

 year 1792, when it was established on a new and 

 better foundation, as was stated in another place, 

 and now holds the second rank among the medi- 

 cal schools of the United States. 



The institution of the Philosophical Society in 

 Philadelphia, also deserves to be noticed among 

 the events favourable to the progress of know- 

 ledge in America, which took place about this 

 time. Dr. Benjamin Franklin was the father 

 of this institution; but he was ably assisted and 

 supported in his exertions for its establishment, 

 by the Rev. Drs. Ewing and Smith, by the me- 

 dical and other Professors of the College of Phila- 

 delphia, and by a number of the friends to litera- 

 ture and science, then residing in that city. The 

 Association was organized in 1769; and none 

 who are acquainted with the progress of science 

 in America need to be informed, that it has been 



f See vol. i. p. 321 



