754 
PROFESSOR MORTON’S 
when I see students associate together, and good-humouredly 
* badger’ each other. “ Iron sharpens iron,” Shakespeare has 
said, and by attrition often a genial flame is kindled. 
I feel convinced that the benefits thus obtained are many. 
There is awakened a spirit of laudable emulation, while a love of 
excelling excites each party to the performance of greater and 
nobler acts. At the same time, the information thus gained 
is pleasantly gained, and permanently gained, too, because it 
is unaccompanied by restraint and formality. This system, I must 
confess, has my unqualified approbation. 
Reverting for an instant to lectures, I would say that the division 
of labour which is necessarily produced by them has also its 
advantages. Each instructor devotes himself to the subject he 
has to elucidate. There is no clashing of pursuits, no interference ; 
and, the mind being directed to one object, rich stores of informa- 
tion are drawn forth which otherwise might lie for ever concealed. 
Beside this, different minds have different inclinations. One 
person delights in the development of phenomena; the other 
loves to speculate on their causes. One pursues with avidity the 
truths of this branch of science, while another experiences grati- 
fication only in the pursuit of a seemingly opposite one ; yet “ all 
are but parts of one stupendous whole,” and it is this happy 
variety of inclinations that advances general science. 
Medical chemistry is but a branch or division of general che- 
mistry; but the same remark will not apply to materia medica 
and therapeutics, that division of medicine which treats of the 
application of the substances that are employed for the eradica- 
tion or alleviation of disease ; and yet the principles of this 
division of science cannot be acquired without some acquaint- 
ance with those of chemistry. It is thus shewn that divisions, 
even here, may be advantageously made — that the principles of 
chemistry, as far as necessary to elucidate medical science, 
may be taught without taking that beautiful subject in its wide 
and extended bearing: nevertheless, my opinion is, that the time 
is not far distant when, in its general application, the science 
of chemistry will be taught here ; and then, perhaps, materia 
medica and therapeutics will form a distinct course, as is the 
case in other schools. 
Thus my intentions have been faintly developed. It will be my 
endeavour, first, to make you conversant with the leading princi- 
ples of chemistry, but only as far as they are necessary to eluci- 
date the science of medicine ; hence this division may be pro- 
perly called medical chemistry I shall not, however, refuse myself 
the gratification of dwelling from time to time upon many of 
the phenomena of nature — I mean, of course, such as receive 
