PRELIMINARY EDUCATION OF MEDICAL STUDENTS.
Dr. John J. King, secretary of Trumbull County, O., Medical Society, saw our article in the last number of the Gazette, in which we urged the necessity of an elevation of the standard of preliminary education of medical students, and sends us the following resolutions which were unanimously adopted by the Trumbull County Medical Society, January 31, 1884, and Drs. Julian Harmon, J. R. Woods and T. H. Stewart appointed medical examiners. The requirements are about the same as adopted by the Pennsylvania State Society at their annual meeting in Norristown, Pa., May, 1883:
TO REGULATE THE STUDY OF MEDICINE.
Resolved, I.—That this Medical Society shall annually elect a board of medical examiners, to consist of three members, whose duty shall be to examine applicants for admission to the study of medicine.
Resolved, II.—All applicants for admission as students of medicine under the tuition of members of this society shall present themselves before the board of medical examiners and satisfactorily pass examination in the following requirements:
| “I.— | A written statement, previously prepared, setting forth the candidate's course of study. | |
| II.— | An essay. | |
| III.— | Writing from dictation. | |
| IV.— | Spelling—Oral and Written. | |
| V.— | Reading. | |
| VI.— | Geography—Descriptive, Physical. | |
| VII.— | Political Economy. | |
| VIII.— | History—Ancient, Modern. | |
| IX.— | Geology. | |
| X.— | Botany. | |
| XI.— | Chemistry. | |
| XII.— | Natural Philosophy. | |
| XIII.— | Mathematics— | Arithmetic complete; |
| Algebra, through quadratic equations; | ||
| Geometry, through plane geometry. | ||
| XIV.— | Languages— | English, standard school edition of English Grammar; |
| Latin, Cæsar's Com., 4; Virgil, 4; Cicero's Orations, 2. | ||
| Greek, the Reader; Gospels; Xenophon's Anabasis, 2.” | ||
Candidates for examination may elect in French, Keetle's Collegiate Course in French, Composition, Translation and Reading, and Lacomb's History of the French People, instead of Cæsar's Com., Virgil and Cicero's Orations; and in German, Whitney's German Grammar, Composition, Translation and Reading, Schiller's Willheim Tell and Goethe's Faust, but such elementary knowledge of Latin and Greek will be required as to enable the candidate to intelligently comprehend the etymology of medical terms derived therefrom.
Resolved, III.—No member of this society shall receive any person as a student of medicine unless he present a favorable certificate from the board of medical examiners.
Resolved, IV.—The time of study required by members of this society shall be five (5) years, including lectures.
Resolved, V.—Members of this society shall recommend their students to attend only such medical colleges as either require an examination for admission similar to the one required by this society, or make the full three-years' graded course of study obligatory for graduation therefrom, and otherwise endeavor to elevate the standard of medical education.
Resolved, VI.—That this society requests the Ohio State Medical society to adopt the foregoing schedule of requirements and to use its influence to secure legislation making the same obligatory upon persons entering their names as students of medicine in the State of Ohio.
Resolved, VII.—That these resolutions be printed and a copy sent to each medical society in this State with the request that they early report their action thereon.
“Pioneer Medicine on the Western Reserve” is the title of a series of articles which began in the November (1885) number of the Magazine of Western History (Williams & Co., Cleveland). They are written by Dr. Dudley P. Allen, which insures a warm interest in the subject as well as a capable handling of it. The series is historical and biographical, and the publisher promises several portraits before the last chapter in March or April. Probably none of the Magazine's various serials will be of more interest to the public, as well as to medical men generally. In the opening chapters we enjoyed the author's skillful joining into readable continuity of the broken facts that have been gathered from so long ago.