24 Medicine. [Chap. IV. 



have all come into being within the last forty 

 years. The effect of such establishments in excit- 

 ing a thirst for the acquisition of knowledge ; in 

 producing a spirit of generous emulation ; in cul- 

 tivating a taste for observation and inquiry ; and 

 in combining the efforts and the skill of physicians 

 in every part of our country, must be obvious to 

 every attentive mind. Many of the Inaugural 

 Theses, defended and published by the students 

 in tlie American medical schools, would be con- 

 sidered as honourable specimens of talents and 

 learning in the most renowned universities of 

 Europe*, 



Within the last fifteen years of the century under 

 review, medical publications have greatly multi- 

 plied in the United States ; many of which do equal 

 honour to their authors and their country f. Among 

 these the numerous and valuable works of Dr. Rush 

 hold the first place; and to no individual are we 

 more indebted for promoting, both by precept and 

 example, that laudable and enlightened zeal for 

 medical improvements, which has been so happily 

 increasing, for a number of years past, among Ame- 

 rican physicians. In a catalogue of our medical 

 wi'iters, also, Drs. Maclurg, Mitchill, Barton, Ram- 

 say, Caldwell, Currie, and several others, would be 

 entitled to particular notice, did not the limits of 



* Within the last ten er twelve years, all the medical schools 

 in the United Stales have concurred in permitting their medical 

 gradviatcs to write and defend tlieir Inaugural Dissertations in the 

 English language. Whether this is to be considered as an im- 

 provement, or a literary retrocession, is a question which it \^ 

 propo.')ed to discuss in another place. 



'\ See Additional y'otcs — (¥ I'). 



