On medical education. 5 



eating shells; it has the power of squeezing small insects to death." 

 Another says, „amoeba are aquatic animals; they belong to the class 

 Rhizoba. They have a watervaseular system, and a system of nerves 

 composed of ganglia. They are without bones. Their intestines are 

 of a simple character." Doubt is thrown upon one of these assertions, 

 however, by another candidate, who declares that „many deny that the 

 amoeba has any nervous cords." Whilst another candidate, of the 

 gentler sex, dealing with the process of reproduction of the amoeba, 

 states that „the nucleus and nucleolus, when present, are in the same 

 individual, and by their coercion fresh animals arc produced." 



Very curious pieces of information are elicited by a question on 

 the geographical distribution of animals, such as the statement that 

 „edentates are suited for grazing, and would be found mostly in regions 

 resembling the British Isles." Mark the caution of that „would be 

 found," and contrast it with the hardihood of the next one: „edentates 

 are common in London houses." 



These are only a few instances, out of many which could be given, 

 all tending to show that the kind of scientific knowledge which is fre- 

 quently acquired at school, is far too diffuse and inexact to be of much 

 value, and too often leads only to the remarkable confusion of mind, 

 which is exemplified in the answers I have quoted above. 



Whilst I am by no means of the opinion that a boy who is in- 

 tended for the medical profession should commence the study of na- 

 tural science whilst still at school, I feel, on the other hand, that it 

 is impossible to put the study of mathematics upon too high a pedestal, 

 as a subject of preliminary training. Be sure that the time which a 

 boy devotes to this study will never be lest. It is invaluable for the 

 bringing up of the mind to that exactitude of observation and pre- 

 cision of statement, which are essential to all truly scientific observa- 

 tion ; and it must be borne in mind that every case which comes under 

 a doctor's care partakes of the nature of such an investigation. Mathe- 

 matics form, moreover, the basis of all the physical sciences, so that, 

 without an adequate understanding of the one, a proper comprehension 

 of the others is impossible. 



I think, then, that every boy who intends to study medicine should, 

 at the least, possess, before leaving school, some sound knowledge of 



