Catalogue of the medical graduates of the University of Pennsylvania : with an historical sketch of the origin, progress, and present state of the medical department / Pub. by direction of the Medical faculty of the University.

  • Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Date:
1836
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Catalogue of the medical graduates of the University of Pennsylvania : with an historical sketch of the origin, progress, and present state of the medical department / Pub. by direction of the Medical faculty of the University. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    APPE]N^DIX. HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. I. From the Origin of the School to its Division in 1789. The school wJiich now bears the title of University of Pennsylvania, had been in existence, first as a simple Academy and afterwards as a College, for nearly sixteen years, before a system of medical instruction was admitted into its plan. This event may be considered as having- taken place on the 3d of May 1765— the date at which llie first medical professor was appointed. No school of medi- cine at that time existed in the country; and the College of Philadelphia un- doubtedly deserves the credit of having opened this new path of liberal study in the American continent. The idea of establishing a medical school in Philadelphia appears to have been first conceived by Dr. William Shippen and Dr. John Morgan. Some conversa- tion upon the subject passed between these physicians while prosecuting their studies in Europe; but to which of the two the merit of priority in the concep- tion belongs, has not been determined. Dr. Shippen, on his return firom Europe, in the year 1762, commenced a course of Lectures on anatomy, in the introduc- tory to which he expressed his belief in the expediency and practicability of teaching medicine in all its branches in the city of Philadelphia. He repeated this course privately for three successive years; but abstained from any further steps towards the accomplishment of his plan, till he should be joined by Dr. Morgan, who still remained in Europe. In the mean time, the latter gentleman had formed the project of engrafting a medical department on the College of Phi- ladelphia, and had secured in its favour the opinions and recommendations of several influential friends of the institution residing in Great Britain. Among these may be mentioned Thomas Penn, the proprietary of Pennsylvania, and Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Peters, former presidents of the Board of Trustees of the College, from all of whom Dr. Morgan, on his return to America, brought letters to th». Trustees, advising the establishment of medical professorships, and recom- mending the Doctor himself to their choice as one of the proposed Facidty. These letters, together with a written communication from Dr. Morgan, set- ting forth his plan of opening medical schools under the patronage and govern- ment of the College, and intimating his desire to be appointed Professor of the Theory and Practice of Physic, were laid before the board at a special meeting held on the 3d of May, 1765. The project appears to have met with the unani- mous approval of the Trustees, who immediately took the first step towards its accomplishment by the appointment of Dr. Morgan to the office for which he had appUed. At the collegiate commencement, which took place near the close of the same month, an address was delivered by the new professor, in which 11