1838.] 



The Madras Medical Scko&L 



267 



guage is exacted, togpther with elementary medical knowledge, which 

 they acquire as candidates in the hospitals throughout the country. 

 A limitation of the beneficial influences of the institution to the pub- 

 lic servants, we presume is not intended to be enforced by Govern- 

 ment : and we doubt not that the fullest advantages of such an esta- 

 blishment will be reaped shortly, by the admission of pupils, the chil- 

 dren of those who are desirous of educating their sons to a knowledge 

 of medicine, with a view to their exercising the profession in this 

 country, with the lights of European science, instead of by the scintil- 

 lations of their own igms-faluus which leads to a region where nox 

 incubat atra. The only pupil received, not belonging to the public 

 service, is an Indo-Briton sent for instruction by the Rajah of Travaa- 

 core. 



On the 13th of December last the first public examination of the pupils 

 of theMedical School in the new building took place. Lord Elphinstone, 

 Sir Peregrine Maitland, the Hon. Mr. Sullivan, the Members of the 

 Medical Board, and a great many Gentlemen, professional and 

 others, vvere present. His Lordship the Gov eRlNor, and the rest of the 

 visitors, were received in the room assigned to the reception of the libra- 

 ry, when the books for the School shall arrive. His Lordship was then 

 taken over the building, and inspected the Laboratory room, at that 

 time not fitted up, and the Museum. The latter room already contains a 

 great number of very beauiiful anatomical and pathological prepara- 

 tions,admirably and skilfully put up by Mr. Harding. The theatre is a. 

 very elegant apartment, built nearly after the model of such rooms in 

 Europe, and in all respects suited to both teachers and pupils. A class 

 of 93 students were assembled on the ascending benches : of whom 

 25 were the remaining half of a former class, thje others having been 

 dismissed, and appointed to the Service ; these had been engaged in 

 their studies between 8 and 9 months. The junior class of 68 had only 

 been at the Institution about 7 weeks, and consequently had only ad- 

 vanced to the first division of the course of instruction, the study of 

 Materia Medica. These circumstances were explained to the auditory 

 in a brief introductory address by Dr. Mortimer, who, among other 

 subjects, stated that the great obstacle to the advancement of the pupils 

 was their deficiency in preliminary education, which is necessary 

 to enlarge the mind, and prepare it for the reception of truths, 

 which, to the untutored intellect, are abstruse and difficult of compre- 

 hension, although they may be the mere elements of knowledge, 



