TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 31 



I allude to the present state of education in natural knowledge of that portion of 

 the community who may at any moment be asked to tell any of us here present, 

 what mechanical means should be used to lessen or increase the mechanical actions 

 of the body, and what chemical substances should be taken to lessen or increase the 

 diflerent chemical actions within us, .when they rise or fall to such a degree as to 

 constitute disease. 



I know well that no expression of opinion can be given collectively by this 

 Chemical Section on the necessity for a preliminary education in chemistry and 

 physics of those who imdertake, first to imderstand, and then to give advice on the 

 errors of oxidation, digestion, secretion, and nutrition of our bodies; but I may, 

 perhaps, lead you individually to consider this subject, and to bring your influence 

 to bear upon this question as being at the root of a gi-eat change, which may bring 

 a direct benefit to us and to oiu" children in helping us to procure and to preserve 

 our health ; whilst it will lead to an increase in the number of those who are 

 looked on with great favour by the British Association : 1 mean the individual 

 cultivators of natural knowledge. 



In order that you may see clearly what is wanted, I will contrast the present 

 state of medical education with that reasonable knowledge, which I am quite sure 

 every one in this Chemical Section will say ought to be possessed by those who 

 attempt to understand and to regulate an apparatus that works only whilst oxygen 

 is going into it and carbonic acid is coming out of it. 



I will, as shortly as possible, put before you the present education of those who 

 practise medicine. 



The present higher education for the medical profession consists, shortly, in 

 learning reading, writing, and arithmetic in the first ten years of life. In the 

 second ten years, Latin, Greek, some mathematics or divinity, and perhaps some 

 modern language. In the third ten years, physics, chemistiy, botany, anatomy, 

 physiology, and medicine, and perhaps surgery. 



Looking at the final result that is wanted, namely, the attainment of the power 

 of employing the mechanical, chemical, electrical, and other forces in all things 

 around us for increasing or diminishing the mechanical, chemical, and other actions 

 taking place in the difi'ereut textures of which our bodies are composed, it is 

 quite clear that the second decennial period is passed without our advancing 

 one step towards the object required ; and that in the third decennial period the 

 amount to be learned is very far beyond what is possible to be attained in the time 

 allowed. 



In the first eighteen years of life, reading, writing, and arithmetic, and enough 

 Latin to read and write a prescription constitute the minimum to be acquired. 

 During the next three years, physics, chemistry, botany, anatomy, physiology, and 

 the practice of medicine, sm'gery, and midwifery have all to be learned, and from 

 this crowding it follows that the study of physiology is begun at the same time 

 as the study of physics and chemistry. In other words, the structure and the 

 foundations are commenced at the same time. The top of the house may be almost 

 finished when part of the foundations has not been begun. 



What chance is there of any one imderstandiug the actions of the chemical, 

 mechanical, and electrical and other forces in the body, until a fundamental know- 

 ledge of chemistry, mechanics, and electricity has been fii'st obtained ? What 

 chance has a medical man of regulating the forces in the body by giving or with- 

 holding motion, food, or medicine with any reasonable prospect of success, when a 

 preliminary education in these sciences is thought to be of no importance ? 



It seems to me that the only possible way to make the present preliminary 

 education for medical men less suited to the present state of our knowledge, would 

 be to require them to know Hebrew or Aralaic instead of Latin, in order that the 

 origin of some of our words might be better understood, or that prescriptions 

 might be vsnitten in one or other of these languages. 



Let me now, for contrast sake, draw j'ou a picture of a medical education, based 

 upon the smallest amormt of classical Imowledge, and the greatest amoimt of 

 natural knowledge which can be obtained. 



In the first ten or twelve years of life, a first-rate education in the most widely 

 iised modern language in the world, English, with writing and arithmetic, might 



