APPENDIX VI

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE ITHACA DIVISION OF THE MEDICAL COLLEGE

To the President of Cornell University:

Sir: I have the honor to present the following report of the Ithaca Division of the Medical College for the college year 1908-09:

This is the first year of the second decade of the Medical College. In many ways it has been the most successful in the history of the College. Among the most notable events of the year were: the retirement of Professor Simon H. Gage from the chair of Histology and Embryology; the transferring of Professor Benjamin F. Kingsbury from the chair of Physiology to the chair of Histology and Embryology; the appointment of Dr. Sutherland Simpson as Professor of Physiology; the appointment of Dr. Andrew Hunter as Assistant Professor of Biochemistry; the enforcement of the higher entrance requirements; the rearrangement of the curriculum; and the changes in the Medical building.

The proposed retirement of Professor Gage, which was noted in your last report (p. 10), also in the report of the Acting Secretary for last year, (p. lii), became effective at the beginning of the present academic year, and although Professor Gage has been present in his research laboratory in Stimson Hall he has taken no active part in the teaching or administration of the College and he has been greatly missed in every way.

The appointment of Dr. Kingsbury to succeed Professor Gage was most happy. He is not only thoroughly trained in Histology and Embryology and thoroughly conversant with the methods at this institution, since he had been Assistant Professor with Professor Gage before he undertook the work in Physiology, but he has also made a reputation for himself by his published researches in Histology and Embryology.

We are also particularly fortunate in the appointments in the Department of Physiology. Dr. Simpson, coming to us with a large experience in one of the best Physiological laboratories of Europe, has proved himself most forceful in his teaching as well as keen and enthusiastic in his research work. Dr. Hunter, also, is a clear lecturer and good teacher. He has taken up the work most

enthusiastically, and, in spite of a great amount of routine in establishing a new department, he has been able to push forward several pieces of investigation. The transference of Biochemistry from the Department of Chemistry to the Department of Physiology has done much to unify the work in Physiology and thus to strengthen the Medical Course.

In order to accommodate the Department of Biochemistry in Stimson Hall and to provide for the needs of the Department of Physiology it was necessary to make a number of radical changes in the building. These were completed by the beginning of the second term so that the work was but slightly interfered with. In making these adjustments we have been impressed with the adaptability of Stimson Hall to varied uses.

With the beginning of the next academic year, in addition to an A. B. degree or its equivalent, Physics and Chemistry are necessary for admission to the Medical College. This eliminates Physics, General Inorganic Chemistry, and Quantitative and Qualitative Chemical Analysis from the Medical curriculum. To readjust the curriculum to these changes, as well as to meet the needs of the students who are more mature and better trained, was one of the serious problems which confronted the Faculty this year. Although Physics, Chemistry, and Biology are not required for admission until the year 1909-10, we found as a matter of fact that all members of the entering class with but one exception, had these requirements, and it became at once necessary to change the curriculum accordingly. The arrangement of subjects differs but slightly from that decided upon for next year, which is fully set forth in the Announcement of the Medical College. In adjusting the curriculum at Ithaca and correlating the work with that given in New York, the Faculty have been greatly aided by Dean Polk who came to Ithaca for that purpose.

As we anticipated, the attendance in the Medical College was this year extremely small. In the second-year class there were twenty-two students. In the first-year class thirteen students registered in the first term. Five of these were graduates of other institutions and eight were seniors in the College of Arts and Sciences of Cornell University. Two of the seniors dropped the Medical Course and returned to strictly Arts work during the year.

Two of the departments housed in Stimson Hall teach students of other Colleges of the University as well as of the Medical College. The Department of Histology and Embryology gives instruction in

this subject to the Veterinary students and also to the Arts and Civil Engineering students. The Department of Physiology and Biochemistry gives instruction to the Arts and Agricultural students. All of the departments are furnishing instruction to graduate students.

In the past some of the work for these different classes of students has been given together, but this year, owing to the difference in the preliminary training, it has been found necessary to give the course for Medical students separately from that given for Veterinary students; and the same policy has been found best to a greater or less extent for students of other courses.

As regards the effect of the higher requirements, the Faculty are unanimous in their opinion that the first-year students are doing a higher grade of work, are accomplishing more in a given time, and are in every way more satisfactory than the students without such training.

This year the Faculty of the Medical College has been reorganized on the same lines as the Faculties of the other Colleges of the University at Ithaca, so as to include Professors, Assistant Professors, and Instructors teaching Medical students.

Upon the recommendations of the New York and Ithaca Faculties the Trustees appointed the Dean of the College in New York ex-officio member of the Ithaca Faculty, and the Secretary of the College at Ithaca ex-officio member of the New York Faculty. This arrangement has aided materially in bringing about a closer correlation of work in New York and Ithaca and a better understanding of the needs in the two places. In accordance with this arrangement the Secretary has attended two meetings of the New York Faculty and the Dean has attended one meeting of the Ithaca Faculty. It is believed that if an arrangement can be made whereby each year some members of the New York Faculty give one or two lectures in Ithaca and some members of the Ithaca Faculty give one or two lectures in New York that still more will be accomplished in correlating the work of the two Faculties. This year Dr. Ewing was in Ithaca and gave a lecture in the course in Sanitary Science, but we have had no other lecturers from the New York Faculty.

The Trustees have established a limited number of Scholarships carrying free tuition in the Medical College, and it is hoped that this will attract to the College a number of students who have attained distinction in other Colleges and who give promise of unusual services in the Medical profession. It is to be hoped that even more can

be done in establishing Scholarships and Fellowships. There are each year a limited number of students who wish to spend two or three years in advanced work in one or more departments. To attract more students of this character there is urgent need for at least one or two Scholarships and Fellowships in each department in Stimson Hall.

With the change of the library from the west to the east end of the first floor, and the employment of a librarian and stenographer to give her whole time to the College, the facilities of the library have been much more accessible than heretofore. A number of books have been added to the library during the year. The University is well supplied with works upon the general fundamental subjects of the first two years, and more of these works have been kept in Stimson Hall than heretofore seemed advisable. There are still many volumes of journals and special works on Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics, and the specialties, which it would be desirable to have.

In the Department of Anatomy, the work has progressed normally and satisfactorily. The instructors fortunately have all been here for a number of years and are thoroughly familiar with the work and methods. With the entering class, it has been possible to cover more ground and to do the work more satisfactorily than heretofore and in less time. The department,although well supplied with models and specimens, is still in need of many special preparations, topographical dissections, frozen sections, and some special apparatus.

In regard to the work in the Department of Histology and Embryology, Dr. Kingsbury reports that the separation of the Veterinary and Medical courses has been found to have a distinct advantage. He further says: "Of the four classes of students taking general or introductory work, the Veterinary student requires most direct supervision and personal attention in his work, while the Medical student, as far as may be judged from the experience of a single year, may be dealt with along broader lines and requires less instruction by college and secondary school methods." But, "contrary to the conclusions one would reach from theoretical considerations, it has been my experience that advanced students require more guidance of a certain kind and make greater demands on the time of the one in charge of their work than any other class." He emphasizes the need of more complete correlation of courses either simultaneous or successive. Something in this way has already been accomplished this year in the

course in Organology and more is planned for next year in Neurology. The work of the instructors in the Department has been most satisfactory. Dr. Kingsbury feels that in the future he wishes to substitute for assistants who are giving part of their time to work as students in the Medical course,men whose whole time will be devoted to Histology and Embryology. He says: "As already repeatedly stated I believe that such men cannot be obtained and retained at the present salary of an assistant." The quarters occupied by the Department were this year adequate, though there was no excessive space. The projection and dark rooms have been indispensable to the Department, and, without at any time causing inconvenience, have been of use to the Departments of Anatomy and Vertebrate Zoology. The greatest needs of the Department at present are one additional instructor, and a preparator. The needs in regard to equipment are not great: an increase in the working collection of Histological and Embryological series and a small amount of laboratory apparatus.

In the Department of Physiology, Dr. Simpson says he has been "particularly struck with the earnestness of the students, with their desire one and all to make the most of the opportunities offered them." The work of the instructors and assistants has been most satisfactory. The laboratory was well supplied with a stock of teaching apparatus, practically the whole of which has been utilized this year. The collection of Physiological apparatus has been increased by an entirely new installment of recording apparatus of recent pattern and a number of pieces of special apparatus. A limited amount of new apparatus is still needed. Among other urgent needs of the Department are more adequate facilities for experimental animals, and the full time of a suitable mechanic. In Biochemistry Dr. Hunter reports that, although the chemical worktables were not installed until the middle of the year, the arrangements for the work of the Medical students were not disturbed but the advanced work was greatly handicapped. A considerable amount of apparatus is yet required before the laboratory can be considered even approximately well equipped for the sort of work that ought to be done. It is very desirable also that duplicate copies of certain books and files of chemistry journals should be procured so as to be more readily accessible to this laboratory.

In Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics much of the apparatus of the Physiological Department is used and the Department is fairly well equipped. A small amount of additional apparatus is, however,