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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXVIII. No. 981 



thereof, a course should be given preferably in 

 the second year after the general work in anat- 

 omy and physiology of the nervous system has 

 been completed. The committee believes that 

 a briefer course following the physiology of 

 the nervous system would be more desirable 

 than a course in the premedical years. If the 

 earlier course be more extensive and devote 

 sufficient time to the functions of the nervous 

 system, the advantage of the later course 

 would be counterbalanced. 



3. It is the belief of most of the best schools 

 that a second course in psychology should pre- 

 cede the course in clinical psychiatry and neu- 

 rology. This course should have more of a 

 practical nature, and should deal especially 

 with abnormal mental processes and with the 

 application of psychological principles and 

 facts to medical topics. Although this course 

 should deal chiefly with psychopathology, it 

 should not be permitted to develop, or degene- 

 rate, into a course in psychiatry, neurology or 

 psychotherapeutics. This course should be 

 clinical in the sense that, as far as possible, 

 clinical material should be the basis of the 

 course, but it should not be clinical in the 

 sense that the students are given particular 

 cases for the purpose of diagnosis or of treat- 

 ment. The functions of the courses in psychi- 

 atry and neurology should not be assumed by 

 this course. 



4. Although, on account of their knowledge 

 of the practical medical application, it might 

 be best if both courses in psychology could be 

 given by competent medical men, the commit- 

 tee feel that there are at present few medical 

 men who have had sufficient training or have 

 sufficient interest in psychology to warrant 

 their appointment to initiate such work. It 

 seems best, therefore, to recommend for those 

 medical schools in which there is a possibility 

 of correlation or cooperation with the depart- 

 ment of psychology in the school of arts and 

 sciences, that these courses be given jointly, 

 and cooperatively, by the departments of psy- 

 chology and psychiatry or neurology. 



5. The content of the course or courses in 

 psychology should be the object of careful con- 

 sideration by representatives or professors of 



those subjects which are allied to psychology. 

 The departments which should be chiefly con- 

 sulted include physiology, psychiatry, psychol- 

 ogy and neurology. It is the belief of the com- 

 mittee, however, that since the courses are in- 

 tended for the preparation of medical men, the 

 courses should be practical and should deal 

 with actual medical facts as much as possible. 

 The committee would not, however, limit the 

 teaching in the elementary courses to those 

 topics which have a known practical medical 

 value at the present time, for it has always 

 been found that facts apparently incapable of 

 application at the time of, and immediately 

 after, their discovery are soon applied. It is 

 our belief, therefore, that the first course in 

 psychology, as introductory to the study of 

 medicine, should be a general course, dealing 

 largely with general psychological facts, stand- 

 points and methods, but that constant refer- 

 ence should be made to the practical problems 

 which may be solved by means of the psycho- 

 logical methods and facts which are discussed. 

 The committee also believes that both courses 

 in psychology should be laboratory or experi- 

 mental as far as possible, that the student may 

 become personally acquainted with the methods 

 and with the general nature of psychological 

 experimentation, rather than obtain his knowl- 

 edge from text-books. Although recitations or 

 lectures have great value, they can not give 

 an adequate knowledge of the manifold diffi- 

 culties which one encounters in dealing with 

 matters of a mental nature. 



6. The committee also feels strongly that 

 more extensive and intensive cooperation be- 

 tween psychologists and physicians is desirable. 

 From the psychologist's standpoint the psy- 

 chology of medical men is crude; from the 

 medical standpoint the pathology and physiol- 

 ogy of the psychologist are out of date. 

 Since both classes have many common inter- 

 ests it would appear wise that the knowledge 

 of psychologists should be utilized by physi- 

 cians and that in turn the experience of more 

 physicians might be made available for the 

 advancement of psychology and psycho- 

 pathology. 



Shepherd Ivory Franz 



