THE OTAGO UNIVERSITY.

Evening Star, Issue 3828, 1 June 1875, Page 2

THE OTAGO UNIVERSITY.

A., large audience assembled at the Univ.r sity last evening, to hear the introductory address of Professor Coughtrey. The chair was occupied by The Vice-Chancellor (the Rev, Dr Stuart) who, after apologising for the absence of his Honor the Superintendent, referred to the affiliation of theUniversifcytotheCo'oniallustitution. and went on to say that nothing had been lost by the change. They had still their endowments, their buildings, 4c, They had 10,000 acres in Southland, with only one drawback • it was clogged with a lease of fourteen years, but that lease would ha~e a termination, and the land would be very valuable to the higher education in the country. The Council of the University, recognising the importance of the vanous classes, had voted means for suitably competent teachers to give instruction iu modern languages. They had appointed a very competent teacher (Mr de Montalk) as lecturei on French and Italian, and Mr Buechler, another experienced teacher, ns lecturer on the Uerman language. Though they had snraffiliation, he was now inclined to think that the result would be a gain to them, and a gain to the entire education throughout the Colony. Those who obtain degrees iu the New Zealand University would get what, like a Queen’s writ, would be recognised throughout the British Empire.—(Applause.) In introducing the lecturer, he said that Protessor Coughtrey had been unanimously elected to the anatomical chair. Before the cud of the second session there was qverv prospect that our students, having complete', two years here, might enter any school at Homo that they might think proper. After the openmg of the Medical School, he was sure that it. would slowly but surely progress.—(Applause ) i here were more students this year at the University than in the preceding year. There was a greater desire among our young men to avail themselves or the competent teaching that the Professors of the University could impart Professor Coughtrey, who was cordially received and frequently rewarded with applause dunng his remarks, divided his lecture into three parts; and from the first ot these we will make a few extracts. Premising by observing that he loved plain speaking, and therefore would not hesitate to point out whatever seemed to him to be defects and errors in the present means and methods in the practice of medicine and of pre paration for that practice, he pointed out that the Colony had now arrived at that period of its development that few would question the soundness of the policy and enterprise that had led to the foundation of a medical school in connection with the University With a total population of nearly 300,000 (of which Otago has by for the largest quota ot Europeans), with a total birth-rate amounting annually V* and aa ® n “ ual death-rate”of nearly 3,7w souls, there were distributed throughout the Colony according to the requirements of the localities in its various Provinces, tweuty-three hospitals, containing in all 790 beds, of which Otago has no less than 6x3 beds, or 40.08 per cent. Tne chief of those hospitals are situated at Auckland. 77 beds; Thames, 35 beds; Wellington, 38 bods • nelson, 68 beds; Greymouth, 37 beds; Hokitika, 50 Deas; Christchurch, 60 beds; Dunedin, 190 bedsliawreuce, 34 beds ; Invercargill, 30 beds ; Clyde 23 bods ; Pranktou, 22 beds; Auckland Refuge for old men, 34 bods; Cavershaiu (Dunedin) Benevolent Asylum, /2 bads, the latter having a total out-do r relief yearly for both sexes, including children of 680 persons. By comparing the two largest Provinces together from the view of hospital accommodation purely, we find Auckland to have 118 beds, or 10.49 p.c.; while Otago has 323 beds, or 40.08 p.c.; a total of 79U beds, Dunedin Hospital alone having 100 beds, or 20 48 p c The services of some of these Hospitals being very «ten«v., 0.g., the indoor relie? of Dunedin HospUal alone is given annually to nearly 900 persons and the outdoor relief of the same institution for a similar length of time is bestowed on over 2 600 persons. _ Then, there are lunatic asylums, contaming iu the aggregate 686 bods, and Benevolent Asylums with 106 beds. These data and the large amount of disease and sickness that did not come under the direct cognisance of the public, but ought to come in the shape of numerical returns, should con vmce any reflective mind that, by establfchhig medical classes, the University had filled a void in the educational machinery of the Colony. After discussing at considerable length the position of modem medicine, and its more intimate relations to the Colony at huge he dwelt in forcible terms upon the false I . economy of the policy of procrastination in i i matters relating to pure air, unpolluted soil, ’ 1

go d drinking water, cam tu odious *and healthy v *lhngs, unadultcred food and drink. Treat* mg of one of these—and that the' most ne* giecled—he said

, on which you build your dwelling. wblob tbe uir sweeps that enters your 0n wbicb 3'our children gambol, most ; °, f J' ou are in contact the we how recklessly do ZLf Sl l * re ? te ?. p . * l i h v, ’hst blind faith do you Sw»fceffects ? Howyouover-feed vilW 1 t poison toy®" towns and ‘or T ifc «™w y - be oTer -f e( l and ovor-laden its neutrahsintf properties may be cripwm’Buffer Jwi M S u te that no. one bul ° ,,ce let the BuiToandthff f * )n ? be favorable, once let dire disease th£n wf.f have , prevented get a hold, thou what would have coot little in it« Tlfo inH ion T 111 ! more ,ban money in its cure. limS relations of this matter are not to be T‘^ e^f aI . u , ed> , I<; haa ‘dose and complementary relaH o tbo . siz , e of your Hospitals, Lunatic and Benevolent Asylums, your gaols, and your Beform* atemes; it has much to do with of toe community; and it is of much more tw slight your cliildrea that you should ®®®’ ab ? T ® otber things, to public health—to the “J? improvement of that life you have Colony—to the importation of only that, from without, which is thoroughly sound “in waxp and in woof,’* a point, by the way, not sufficiently appreciated by the people of this Colony. 1 alarmist, nor do I desire to oaro that •wils that uo " f? tbe loaat exaggerate the so from neglect of sanitary laws, for by clim^f I i know 1 Wol dd rashly be opposing that m^t e sinite r Witb ****** those matters I deß , u ; e to see. I would not go to the child next don^°f lld v la^ e i ever y man, woman, and Vhysiologists, pathologists, anaw.l ’ a chenusts; but despairing of that wJuld S* T its utter impractlcommon sense you employ in your daily pursuits. * On the question of the status of medical men —not only as a profession, but as individual thus*— * ° f KoClety ~' the spoke

Though legislation now protects the public from many nuisances they formerly suffered from, by practically discouraging quackery out of the profession; by debarring possessors of spurious titles from now entering into professional practice, »r eu i°i u^ enls iu P ubUc office ; »ud ..bough the tone of feeling among medical men and iiooug the general public is now much higher than V?™** y p. t there at present subsist many ; hetween the public and the profession iu : his Colony thatare capable, in some respects, of ■ ame H oratlol V A,,d for this amelioration, though much may be expected to flow from mow com >mea aud unanimous notion ou the part of tho profession, more may be looked for in that in* creased discrimination exercised by the public, which education alone will bring. In the way ia wmoh appointments to district hospitals are made ind conducted; in the selection of proper persons for such offices as coroners and health officers; in discountenancing imposition, such as secret quackery, , me system of unpaid advertisements, and other practices mimical to the spirit in which the profe*. sum ought to be pursued; in discouraging drunken practitioners; in adjudicating on medical questions in our law courts; in a more correct appreciation ox the advantages and disadvantages of the only too prevalent system of paying medical men through , of clubs—a system very much abused mtne Colonies—there are many changes wanted, and reform in these matters will be equally a benefit to medical meu and the laity. What sensible man can fail to smile at * hose alarming statements and quast-scienlific ussertiout; occasu nally found iu tho corresponding columns of newspapers ? or, again, at the true object of those interesting locals, in which Dr So-and-so is reported “ to have skilfully removed Mrs Partington’s finger ?” but are seldom complemented at the appropriate time by the announcement—“ We regret to record that Mrs Part* ington, whose finger we reported was removed last ' week, (U'dlaat evening, notwithstanding the unremitting attention and skill of Dr So-and-so to -he last." there is far too much of this now-a-days, and neither the profession nor tho public can be too alert to tms undue grasping after—this having recourse to indirect means to obtain—practice. Par worse, however, is the spirit of secret quackery inbulged in by some, showing a fair face to the irawie noil piiMtißuig os their credulity in matters ot meand death; and no term of reproach can ba too strong for those who carry on overt practice.) ..I charlatanism under the guise of a professional ultlC*

Touching upon the unsatisfactory condition of medical testimony often given in courts t law the Professor went on to say No one can have greater respect for occupants of tiie judicial Bench than I have, not alone for their' wiue intelligence, but also for their keen percop. Uou, _ mature discrimination, and uniform Im. partiality. But it has been my lot to notice how very often the evidence of a superficial and unsound medical witness, gifted with a plausible tongue and a ready reply, has gained the oar of the bonrt and created a more favorable impression than that his less plausible but more sound and truthful professional brothar has done for the other side. To understand medical questions aright requires medical knowledge beforehand. Startling and novel though it bo, I am of opinion the time Ims now arrived when the Central and Provincial Governments should possess distinct responsible advisers m these matters. lam not blind to the many difficulties in the way of constituting such a Board, and when constituted of its component parte working smoothly together, and of the bitterob. jcctious that would be raised by many persons against this, whose operations it would seriously > but when looked at and considered oa public grounds, apart from narrow jealousies, it seems to me infinitely better than the hap-hazard and irregular advice at present adopted with re* tereuce to medical questions.

A vote of thanks to the lecturer was moved by the Right Rev. Dr. Nkvill and carried.