82 

NATURE 
"4 
[Dec. 1, 1870 

not called science. It is an intellectual act, such as every- 
one performs when he defines a plant, a mineral, or a 
commodity. The combination of the symptoms and 
definition of the disease is, in fact, an important element 
of the physician’s art, and must be included in every 
course of instruction. Still “Eines schickt sich nicht 
fiir Alle.” 
When Cuvier determined to what primeval animal a 
bone found buried in the earth must have belonged, it 
was only a definition ; yet no one will hesitate to rank it 
amongst the noblest exercises of the human intellect. 
So, too, the diagnoses of distinguished masters may be 
ranked with the greatest achievements of medical inves- 
tigators. To forbid such masters to teach at the bedside 
because many students crowd about them and disturb 
the patient, would be absurd. The instruction of such 
masters is, however, fit only for connoisseurs. For the 
uncultivated taste of the beginner it is unsuited. If it is 
besides so diluted as, with a large number of students, 
must invariably be the case, according to an unalterable 
law, it entirely loses its value. If, then, the founders of 
hospitals or their administrators would diminish to a cer- 
tain definite and very low standard the number of students 
who, at one time, should be allowed to enjoy the privilege 
of instruction in a hospital ward, they would certainly do 
no injury to the interests of education. On the contrary, 
if liberal in other respects, they would, by such limitation, 
further these interests. 
In what shall this liberality consist? Simply in this, 
that all available space in the hospital shall be open for 
the purposes of instruction, and that as many teachers 
shall be admitted as is consistent with a proper classifi- 
cation of the patients. We say admztted, and this is 
really the fittest expression, for there is not the smallest 
doubt that always and everywhere the ablest men would 
be eager to accept the place of teacher. The intellectual 
stimulus which an able physician derives from association 
with a school and intercourse with young men, and the 
moral support which a situation as instructor gives him 
in regard to his patients, are sufficient compensations for 
the required expenditure of time. 
The physicians and surgeons who at present have 
large amounts of material at their disposal in large hospi- 
tals, would certainly not be willing to support such a 
system of division. They would complain that they are 
deprived of the possibility of attaining great skill. There 
is some truth in this objection. It isa benefit tomankind 
when asurgeon, by extensive practice, attains superior 
skill in the performance of certain operations. But the 
advantage which a few derive from his technical skill is 
counterbalanced by the loss which the rest sustain from 
the superficial manner in which they are passed over with 
amere glance. In such a hospital more things are over- 
Jooked than one would imagine; and the pupils profit far 
less from the skill of the teacher than they lose from the 
superficiality of the teaching. It is, moreover, untrue that 
skill is likely to suffer from a further division of material. 
‘We have examples of great operators who never occupied 
a position in a hospital. Nor can it be doubted that the 
greater the number of those to whom the opportunity is 
given of proving their skill, the greater will be the number 
of skilful surgeons. 
In the plan here proposed, many readers may see only 
| 
| anticipate any decided results. 

what is already introduced in England, that is, small 
schools for the special study of medicine. The writer 
of this article is, however, far from speaking in be- 
half of schools of this kind. Such schools are fit only 
for the production of craftsmen ; and medical men, 
though they must be craftsmen, must not be mere crafts- 
men. Such small special schools can serve only as 
preparatory appendages to the larger educational bodies, 
that is to say, to the Universities, whose function it is to 
foster the sciences for their own sakes. 
Every medical student ought to obtain his education in 
general physical science and special medical science at 
the University ; and while doing so he must acquire the 
art of medicine in a hospital, just as the young botanist 
must study in the field at the same time that he attends 
lectures. 
The small Universities in Germany answer both pur- 
poses to an approximate degree. There one finds excel- 
lent schools with so few students that they can obtain 
both the higher scientific education and drill at once. To 
approach towards such circumstances, without giving up 
the great advantages which large schools offer for the 
development of science, is the end towards which we 
must strive. S. STRICKER 

POLARISATION OF THE CORONA 
this forms one of the most important questions to 
be settled during the coming Eclipse, it becomes 
Ae 
| desirable to reconsider the observations already made on 
this subject. Arago first suggested that the polariscope 
should be used on the corona, but apparently did not 
The principal observations 
since made are the following :— 
1842.—Arago at Perpignan. Used a polariscope a 
Zunulis, that is,a double-image prism and crystal. He 
found the two images of complementary tints, the colour 
extending over the sky around the corona, the corona 
itself, and even over the disc of the moon. 
1842,—Mauvais at Perpignan. Used a Savart’s polari- 
scope. He saw the bands very distinctly on the corona, 
and faintly on the moon itself. Their maximum of inten- 
sity corresponded with the horizontal position of the bands. 
Evidently he should have found another maximum when 
| the bands were vertical. 
Both this and the preceding observation show the 
existence of atmospheric polarisation extending even over 
the disc of themoon. Its plane must have been the same 
throughout, or Arago would have seen the different parts 
varyingintint. The maximum noticed by Mauvais shows 
that the plane must have been either vertical or horizontal, 
that is, not oblique. 
1851.—Abbadie at Trocdeseckseverk. Inserted a plate 
of quartz between the object glass and eye-piece of his 
telescope, and applied a double refracting prism to the 
eye-piece as an analysis. He found the light of the corona 
strongly polarised, but saw no traces of colour on the © 
moon. He was, however, troubled by clouds. ; 
1851.—Dunkin at Christiania. Found no traces of © 
polarisation, but was troubled by clouds. _ 
1851.—Carrington at Lilla-Idel. Useda Nicol’s prism, © 
but found no polarisation. 
