Charge to the graduates of Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia : delivered March 25, 1847 / by Professor Dunglison ; with a list of the graduates.

  • Dunglison, Robley, 1798-1869.
Date:
1847
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Charge to the graduates of Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia : delivered March 25, 1847 / by Professor Dunglison ; with a list of the graduates. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    dition: but in such a profession, demanding pre-eminently—in the language of the learned philologer and divine, Dr. Parr—erudition and science, and habits of deep and comprehensive thinking, he who is laggard, and ceases to study, must consent to fall far behind his competitors, and to have his sphere of usefulness cor- respondingly diminished. At the commencement of your professional life, your time cannot be fully occupied. Opportunity will still exist to improve your knowledge on educational topics, which ought properly to be pre- liminary, but which, owing to unavoidable circumstances, may not have received from you due attention. The rich stores of informa- tion contained in the classical writings of the Grecian and Roman fathers—medicae artis principes*—to be fully appreciated, should be read in the languages in which they were originally conveyed; yet in the pursuit of such a luxury, it would be unadvisable for you to dissipate that time which ought to be assigned to the attainment of what is strictly necessary. Even in the desirable there may be variety; and it may be a question with you, whether your future leisure moments may not be much more profitably devoted to the more immediately useful study of the productions of the moderns. Where translations exist, the English language communicates to the mind of the inquirer, if not the words, the thoughts of the Greek and the Roman. Many, too—perhaps most—of the best works on professional subjects that appear in the various Teutonic and Romanic tongues are speedily transferred to it. Still, what a treasure is contained in the literature, medical and general, of Greece and Rome, and in that of modern France and Germany more especially, which must forever escape one who is unac- quainted with the languages of those countries; and hence a know- ledge of them, and, if practicable, of the Italian and Spanish, be- comes, certainly not indispensable, but as certainly most advi- sable. Of what can be effected in the way of those solid accomplish- ments by enduring perseverance at the commencement of a profes- sional career, we have a signal example in Dr. John Mason Good,