796 
INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS. 
waters ; but when once you come to the spring, they rise up 
and meet you.” 
Knowledge, to be real, permanent, and practically useful, 
must he gradually and systematically acquired. No amount 
of “ cramming ” will make up for idleness, desultory reading, 
or irregular attention to duty. My advice to you is, tha; 
you should draw out upon paper a plan, showing what time 
you have to devote to lectures and the other duties here, 
and what time you have to spare for study at home. In 
such plan so allot the time not spent at College that you 
may be enabled to carefully read up each of the subjects 
treated in the lectures and clinical instruction, and let youi 
reading be so conducted that when you close your book 
you will find, on self-examination, or on being questioned by 
others, that you have thoroughly mastered the meaning of 
your author. Unless you do this, reading is but waste 
of time. 
Speaking for myself, and doubtless what I am about to say 
applies to my colleagues, every session I so systematise my 
course of instruction that I am enabled at the close of one 
lecture to announce to the class the subject of the next, 
the object being to give the pupil the opportunity of pre- 
paring himself for the coming lecture by reading uj the 
leading topics to be discussed. This plan I hold to be of 
great importance to the student, for it is only by repetition 
that knowledge is gained, and he is thus, if he but adopts the 
system suggested, enabled to prepare for lectures by wiat 
may be termed light reading, the next day he receivei a 
verbal explanation of the subject according to the teacher’s 
light, and he afterwards thoroughly makes the knowledge 
thus acquired his own by carefully reading up the subject 
in the manner already described. Recollect that the “ objtct 
of a course of lectures is to induce the auditor to thiik, 
and to consult works on the subject he hears treated.” 
With regard to taking notes during the delivery of a lectuie, 
I would suggest that, unless you possess the power of doiig 
so with great facility, it had better be left undone. You* 
attention, instead of being divided, may then be concentrate! 
upon the topics discussed by the lecturer. 
Such are the principal points to be attended to, in orde* 
that you may pursue your course of study in a methodica 
and profitable manner. Experience and consultation with 
your teachers will suggest others of minor import, to which, 
however, it will be equally your duty to attend. 
Let me now, gentlemen, direct your attention to some of 
the improvements which have taken place in this institution 
