June 6, 1913] 



SCIENCE 



849 



nical training in the sciences? Tlie view 

 point of the institution in which the in- 

 struction is taljen will determine the char- 

 acter of the course. In institutions with 

 medical schools, the course will be corre- 

 lated to the future needs of the student. 

 In colleges without such affiliation, these 

 courses will be part of the general college 

 regime which deals with education so as to 

 insure a wide and general character to the 

 subjects it embraces, whereas it is impera- 

 tive for the future use of such studies, 

 whether in engineering or medicine, under 

 the pressure of modern life, that the stu- 

 dent should be equipped with the neces- 

 sary knowledge in the shortest possible 

 time that is compatible with thoroughness. 

 From a practical point of view, generali- 

 ties must be abandoned and definite limits 

 set. Are the undergraduate college teach- 

 ers willing to do this, or will they insist on 

 generalities ? 



This raises the question of the cultural 

 value of the liberal courses as opposed to 

 the so-called science or technical subjects. 

 All agree that "the preparatory training 

 for life should be liberal and humanizing ; 

 that the course of study in the college, in 

 addition to having a broadening influence, 

 should also inculcate in the student some 

 specific kind of mental training which will 

 fit him better to take a high rank in what- 

 ever career he may happen to select." 

 As students enter the college to later select 

 medicine, the studies should by scope, eon- 

 tent and method give him the specific kind 

 of mental training that will better fit him 

 for his life work. 



While valid objection might be raised 

 against introducing into the college course 

 professional instruction, as defined by Karl 

 Pearson, i. e., "training in the art of a 

 specific profession," this does not hold 

 against technical education in the under- 

 lying subjects of a profession, and for the 



medical profession these subjects are the 

 natural sciences, chemistry, physics and 

 biology being specified as those most help- 

 ful. 



It has been said that these subjects are 

 lacking in educational value from the 

 standpoint of "general training"; that 

 they do not provide mental training for 

 the man who has no intention of entering 

 a profession. The answer to this objection 

 is that the fault is not in the subjects, but 

 in the manner in which they are taught, 

 and also in the content of the course. 

 President Hill, of the University of Mis- 

 souri, has emphasized the value of motive 

 in acquiring knowledge and gaining in- 

 sight into a subject. "Insight normally 

 brings culture, especially in human life, 

 and vocational motive not only does not 

 interfere with, but tends to foster, the de- 

 velopment of a deeper and truer insight 

 into the significance of scientific knowl- 

 edge. ' ' 



Can a knowledge of chemistry, physics 

 and biology be acquired in one year of 

 college work with sufficient fulness to be 

 of value to the student in his medical 

 course? There are two opinions on this 

 question : one, that a single year is inade- 

 quate; that these subjects should be taught 

 as pure sciences and on general lines with 

 no regard to future use ; that in one year 

 the student will have only a verbal ac- 

 quaintance with things that he does not 

 understand. Those who hold this opinion 

 are urging the two-year course, not so much 

 as a preparation for medicine as for the 

 general cultural value. They would have 

 not more than a single year's work in each 

 of the science branches and more of the 

 general college subjects added. 



The other opinion is that one year is a 

 sufficient time in which to gain a famil- 

 iarity with the principles of those subjects 

 which have a bearing on medical sciences. 



