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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXVI. No. 671 



dulgent parents through a four-year course 

 in college is little likely to be the better for 

 it. If young men are to be sent to educa- 

 tional institutions for the purpose of in- 

 creasing their social connections, winning 

 laurels in athletics, touring the country in 

 glee-clubs, or acquiring a superficial polish 

 often referred to as culture, let the fact be 

 admitted, but let us cease calling the ex- 

 perience thus obtained education. That a 

 man should be at pains to learn much that 

 later he ought to forget if he have due 

 regard to his soul 's health is disheartening 

 indeed, but too often true of those who, 

 without real disposition to learn, are yet 

 engaged ostensibly in study. 



But we must leave these general consid- 

 erations and in so doing let me ,say that 

 my object in discussing with you some of 

 these educational problems has been neither 

 to prejudice your minds nor to urge upon 

 you the acceptance of my own views, but 

 rather to incite you to investigate for your- 

 selves and form your own conclusions. Do 

 not accept standards and entertain opinions 

 simply because they seem to be held by 

 those about you. All real reforms have 

 been brought about by discontented people 

 — not by the conservatives and self-satisfied 

 people, but by the radicals who go to the 

 root of matters and do not judge by the 

 stalk or even the flower alone. In every 

 community a certain number of prominent 

 people desire, from motives of self-interest, 

 to maintain unchanged the present order, 

 but the larger part are inert and take their 

 opinions 'ready-made from others. These 

 would not willingly injure their fellow-men 

 but they are satisfied to drift with the cur- 

 rent, and feel it to be no part of their duty 

 to inquire whether the multitude are as 

 fortunate and as well rewarded as them- 

 selves. Better far is it for us and for 

 others if we think for ourselves, give ex- 

 pression to honest convictions, unrestrained 



by considerations of policy or temporary 

 expediency, and when called upon to act, 

 do so with the courage and decision which 

 real convictions should impart. 



And now will you allow me to add some 

 words of advice and general counsel more 

 particularly addressed to those who to-day 

 make formal beginning of their medical 

 study. Tou are entering, gentlemen, by 

 different paths the portals which give you 

 access to a noble profession. Do you recog- 

 nize your responsibilities? If so the real- 

 ization of them must of necessity affect 

 your behavior and influence your lives. 

 You are no longer boys, but men, associates 

 and coworkers with your instructors, many 

 of whom perhaps some of you will outrun 

 in the race. Time will tell. See that you 

 start aright. Do not think that your course 

 is divided up into periods, some of which 

 are preparatory or probationary, and ad- 

 mit of idleness and dissipation. You could 

 not make a greater mistake, for it is not so. 

 You are in the profession now. Claim all 

 things to which you are entitled and act as 

 befits men who have adopted a high calling. 

 I beg you to listen to me when I say that 

 you can make no greater mistake at the 

 outset in your course than to attempt to 

 inject into the medical school any of the 

 boyish frivolities or foolish customs that 

 obtain and may even be encouraged in high 

 schools and colleges. Put all such things 

 behind you, for they have no place here. 

 If you have not "been to college" do not, 

 I beg of you, suppose that the medical 

 school in some way is to supply an imag- 

 inary lack. Don't call yourself a "fresh- 

 man." We have no "freshmen" here. 

 Don't do the foolish things that many col- 

 lege students do because you are in a 

 "college." Many of these things are bad 

 enough even in the places where usage has 

 in a sense sanctioned them, but they are 

 entirely out of place in a professional 



