cases of disease in the Pennsylvania Hospital. The first American Medical School, thus organized, became the resort of students from every part of the then colonies: It has since undergone considerable changes, by the death and resignation of Professors, and new appointments; but continues to flourish; and will now bear a very honourable comparison, at least with regard to the talents and learning of its Professors, with the most respectable institutions of a similar kind in Europe.

"In 1764 Dr. Shippen lectured to ten students. In the season of 1801-2 the number of students attending the dif ferent Medical Professors amounted to one hundred and thirty, of whom twenty-one were admitted to the degree of Doctor of Medicine.

"The laudable example set by the physicians and college of Philadelphia, soon excited the zeal of the physicians of New-York to establish a Medical School in King's College; accordingly, in 1767, a letter was addressed to the governors of that institution, by Drs. Samuel Clossey, Peter Middleton, John Jones, James Smith, Samuel Bard, and John V. B. Tennent, urging the propriety and importance of attempting to form a plan of medical instruction, and offering their services for carrying it into effect. In consequence of this letter the governors, a few days afterwards, elected Dr. Clossey Professor of Anatomy, Dr. Middleton Professor of Physiology and Pathology, Dr. Jones Professor of Surgery, Dr. Smith Professor of Chemistry and Materia Medica, Dr. Bard Professor of the Theory and Practice of Physic, and Dr. Tennent Professor of Midwifery. In 1770, in consequence of the death of Dr. Tennent, and the removal of Dr. Smith out of the province, the office of instruction in Materia Medica was committed to Dr. Middleton, and Chemistry to Dr. Bard. Lectures were regularly given by the above named gentlemen; but no medical degrees had been conferred by the college, when the revolutionary war entirely deranged, and, in effect, destroyed the whole establishment."

to

"In 1784 the regents of the University made an attempt revive the Medical School, and went so far as to appoint. several Professors in Columbia College (the new style by which King's College became known on the change of government), for the purpose of pursuing the former plan of instruction. But the gentlemen so appointed did not all deliver lectures; the courses actually given were short and incomplete, and the undertaking languished, and finally fell to the ground."

"After several other ineffectual attempts to establish a

course of medical instruction in the city, the trustees of Columbia College, in 1792, organized the school on its present plan, and commenced a course, which has succeeded better than any former attempt. The Faculty of Physic, as then constituted, consisted of Dr. Samuel Bard, Dean, Dr. Wright Post,* Professor of Anatomy; Dr. William Hamersley, Professor of the Institutes of Medicine; Dr. John R. B. Rodgers, Professor of Midwifery; Dr. Nicholl, Professor of Che mistry; Dr, Richard Kissam, Professor of Botany; and Dr. Richard Bayley, Professor of Surgery. These gentlemen, the greater number of whom had received a regular medical edu cation in Europe, soon commenced the several departments of instruction assigned to them. The first medical degrees were conferred by this institution in 1793; and though it has not grown so rapidly as might have been expected, from the learning and talents of its Professors, yet it holds a respectable station, and has rendered very important services to the interest of medical science in the State,

"The third Medical School established in the United States, is that in the University of Cambridge, Massachusetts. This institution took its rise from the benefactions of several ene lightened and liberal persons, who were desirous of promoting the knowledge of medical science. Dr. Ezekiel Hersey, an eminent physician of Hingham, in that State, who died in 1770, bequeathed one thousand pounds, Massachusetts cur rency, to be applied to the support of a Professor of Anatomy and Surgery. His widow, at her death, left a like sum, to be devoted to the same object. His brother, Dr. Abner Hersey, of Barnstable, and Dr. John Cumming, of Concord, left each five hundred pounds, to be also applied to the encouragement and support of medical instruction. These generous donations were aided by that of William Erving, Esq. an opulent gentleman of Boston, who, a few years afterwards, gave Demoley de

By means of the zeal and enterprize of Professor Post, Columbia College is possessed of a valuable collection of Anatomical Preparations; to complete which that accomplished anatomist made two voyages to Europe. It is believed that this is the first collection of the kind introduced into the United States, and certainly the best."

These several sums, amounting to three thousand pounds, Massachusetts currency, are funded, and their annual proceeds equally divided between the Professors of Anatomy and Surgery, and of the Theory and >Practice of Physic, each of which? Professorships bears the name of Hersey."

pne thousand pounds towards the support of an additional Professor.*

"Though the first of the benefactions above stated was made some time before the commencement of the revolutionary war, yet nothing effectual was done toward executing the will of these public spirited donors till near the close of it. In 1781 Dr. John Warren began to lecture in Boston on Anatomy and Surgery, and prosecuted his plan for two seasons. In 1783 the government of the University of Cambridge proceeded to organize a regular Medical School, when Dr. Warren was appointed Professor of Anatomy and Surgery, Dr. Benjamin Waterhouse Professor of the Theory and Practice of Physic, and Dr. Aaron Dexter Professor of Chemistry and Materia Medica. Since that period these gentlemen have regularly delivered lectures on the several branches assigned to them; and though the number of students who usually attend them is comparatively small, yet they are annually increasing; and the erudition and talents of the Professors afford a satisfactory pledge that the institution will, at no distant period, reach a much higher station both of respectability and usefulness.

"The fourth and last Medical School formed in the United States, is that connected with Dartmouth College, in the State of New-Hampshire. This establishment, for instruction in medicine, was founded in the year 1798; when lecture on when Dr. Nathan Smith was appointed Professor of Medicine, to lecture on Anatomy, Surgery, Midwifery, and the Theory and Practice of Physic; and Dr. Lyman Spalding Professor of Chemistry and Materia Medica. A considerable number of young gentlemen have attended the lectures, and several have received the honours of this institution.

"The establishment of Medical Schools in the United States may be considered as forming a grand era in our national progress, and as producing important effects on the character of our physicians. The happy influence of these institutions has also been much aided by the formation of Medical Societies in almost every State, which have all come into being within the last forty years. The effect of such establishments in exciting a thirst for the acquisition of knowledge; in producing a spirit of generous emulation; in cultivating a taste for observation

The bequest of Mr. Erving was exclusively devoted by him to the support of a professorship of Chemistry and Materia Medica. This professorship also bears the name of its first and principal benefactor.” 3 D

VOL. I.

and inquiry; and in combining the efforts and the skill of phy sicians in every part of our country, must be obvious to every attentive mind. Many of the inaugural theses, defended and published by the students in the American Medical Schools, would be considered as honourable specimens of talents and learning in the most renowned universities of Europe.*

"Within the last fifteen years of the century under review, medical publications have greatly multiplied in the United States; many of which do equal honour to their authors and our country. Among these the numerous and valuable works of Dr. Rush hold the first place; and to no individual are we more indebted for promoting, both by precept and example, that laudable and enlightened zeal for medical improvements, which has been so happily increasing, for a number of years past, among American physicians. In a catalogue of our medical writers also, Drs. Maclurg, Mitchill, Barton, Ramsay, Caldwell, Currie, and several others, would be entitled to particular notice, did not the limits of the present sketch forbid an attempt to do justice to their respective merits.”*:

(To be continued.)

ART. II. An Account of Louisiana; being an Abstract of Documents in the Offices of the Departments of State and of the Treasury. 8vo. pp. 48. with an Appendix of 90 pages.

Y virtue of a negociation concluded at Paris on the 30th of April, 1803, Louisiana was ceded to the United States, and annexed to Fredonia, for the consideration of eleven mil lions two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, in six per cent. stock, paid to the government of France, and three millions seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars in specie, payable to our citizens who have unsatisfied claims against France. The whole of the purchase money, amounting to fifteen millions of dollars, was covenanted to be paid by several acts of Congress, passed in consequence of the ratification of the treaty and conventions aforesaid. Possession was peacefully taken of New

Within the last ten or twelve years, all the Medical Schools in the United States have concurred in permitting their medical graduates to write and defend their inaugural dissertations in the English language. Whether this is to be considered as an improvement, or a literary retrocession, is a question which it is proposed to discuss in another place."

60

Orleans, and of the rest of this country, on the 20th Dec. 1803, after a formal transfer, first from the Spaniards to the French, and then by the latter to the Fredes.

The publication now before us is understood to possess ges nuine and authentic information. It was laid before Congress in November last, by direction of the President of the United States, as a body of documents to aid the deliberations then going on in the two houses. The information it contains was in a good degree derived from intelligent persons in that country, who were requested by the Executive to collect and trans mit it to the seat of government. It may, therefore, be re lied on as the most useful and modern account of Louisiana

extant.

This newly acquired dominion is mentioned in the following

terms.

"Of the province of Louisiana no general map, sufficiently correct to be depended upon, has been published, nor has any been yet procured from a private source. It is indeed proba ble, that surveys have never been made upon so extensive a scale as to afford the means of laying down the various re gions of a country which, in some of its parts, appears to have been but imperfectly explored.

"Boundaries.

The precise boundaries of Louisiana, westwardly of the Mississippi, though very extensive, are at present involved in some obscurity. Data are equally wanting to assign with precision its northern extent. From the source of the Mississippi, it is bounded eastwardly by the middle of the channel of that river to the 31st degree of latitude: thence it is, as serted upon very strong grounds, that, according to its limits when formerly possessed by France, it stretches to the east as far, at least, as the River Perdido, which runs into the Bay of Mexico, eastward of the River Mobille.

"It may be consistent with the view of these notes to remark, that Louisiana, including the Mobille settlements, was discovered and peopled by the French, whose monarchs made several grants of its trade, in particular to Mr. Crosat, in 1712, and, some years afterwards, with his acquiescence, to the well known company projected by Mr. Law. This company was relinquished in the year 1731. By a secret convention on the 3d November, 1762, the French government ceded so much of the province as lies beyond the Mississippi, as well as the island of New-Orleans, to Spain, and, by the treaty of peace