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"It is very much to the discredit of the great medical "institutions of this country, that, except in some few in"stances, they have not given even an indirect encourage"ment to the obtaining a good general education." *

To these extracts we add the following lucid statement, which Sir Benjamin Brodie has placed at our disposal:-†

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"It is very important that those who are to be engaged in "the practice of a liberal and scientific profession, such as "Medicine or Surgery, should have their minds prepared for "their professional studies by a good preliminary education, "and this may be obtained at the Universities more easily "than anywhere else. I believe that if these institutions. were to afford the means of studying Chemistry, Botany, "the elements of Mechanical Philosophy, and Physiology "(which might be done without interfering much with other "studies), a great deal might be learnt there which would "be useful to those who are to engage in the study of Medi"cine and Surgery afterwards. Young men, with their "minds thus prepared, would not only be more fitted by "their previous habits of attention for acquiring a knowledge "of anatomy in the dissecting-room, and of disease in the hospital, but would also be enabled to do this in a more "efficient manner, in consequence of their minds being less "distracted by a variety of objects, than would be the case "if they had no previous knowledge of the preliminary "sciences. Nor need the University education, in the case "of Medical Students, be attended with any great additional expense. At present the English College of Surgeons requires of those who propose to be members of the Col"lege that they should pass three years in the Medical "Schools; while for those who are Candidates for the Fel"lowship of the College it requires six years of study in the "Medical Schools, allowing one year to be deducted where

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* Second Discourse, p. 19.

† Letter from Sir Benjamin Brodie, dated October, 1851.

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SUBSTANTIAL REWARDS.

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"a Candidate has attained the Degree of B.A. in an English University; but I have no doubt that for those who have "had their minds well trained, and have gone through such "a course of study as I have suggested in a University, "these periods might very safely be considerably abridged.

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"I give this as my private opinion, not knowing how far "those of the other members of the governing body of the College would be in accordance with mine."

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If the University were to give such Lectures and such Examinations as would satisfy the Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons, those learned bodies might perhaps be induced still further to co-operate with the University.

Necessity of encouraging all Branches of Study by Rewards.

Lastly, we must repeat our wish that besides the Honours awarded to proficiency in each department of study, some substantial rewards should follow success. In some departments the University Scholarships are already available for this purpose. But it is our conviction, founded on experience, that all other encouragements will be nugatory, unless Fellowships are bestowed expressly for proficiency in these several departments, as well as for proficiency in Classics. But further remarks on this important subject we reserve for that portion of our Report in which we shall speak of the proper uses of College endowments.

General evil of Examinations.

We would not be thought to overlook the fact, that a multiplication of Examinations is a serious hindrance to earnest Students. It has been said, with some truth, that such a system would "cramp and confine" their energies, "and complicate their present difficulties. They would be

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always in the hurry and fever of preparation for an Exa"mination on which their reputation depends; and they "would be able to read less for their real improvement than

"heretofore."* We are, indeed, well aware that there is some evil mixed with good in all Examinations; they tend "to develop docility and accomplishments at the expense of "more masculine and efficient qualities." But "the system "of Examinations has grown upon us, and we must accept it "for the present as the means of stimulating and directing "the instruction and the energies of the Students." The question here is not whether we will have Examinations or not; but how many and what sort of Examinations we shall have. The problem to be solved is, how we shall provide Examinations frequent enough to stimulate the flagging energies of the remiss, yet not too many to diminish the freedom and impede the progress of the real Student.

And it may also be observed that part of the evils complained of arise from the great mass of subjects crowded into the Final Examination, and from the imperfect system of preparation now in vogue at Oxford. Experience has shown (as we have stated) that one effect of a great Final Examination has been to contract the range of Studies once recognised as Academical. Many more young men have been excited to work, but the work of the highest minds has been brought down to a lower level than under a freer system might have been reached. Professor J. M. Wilson strongly urges these evils. "The Text-book (he says)‡ on Moral "Philosophy used in the Schools is the Ethics of Aristotle. "The more valuable parts of this treatise are easily read, "and the leading thoughts are easily mastered. . . . . In "order to distinguish between the Candidates, the Examiner "is driven to ask questions out of the obscurer corners (so "to speak) of the book; and the matter lurking in these "corners is always the least valuable part. These obscure passages become so many texts for illustration by the "Private Tutors. The Candidate for Honours must have "this recondite information, and he purchases it from these

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Evidence of Prof. J. M. Wilson, p. 297. + Evidence of Prof. Vaughan, pp. 86, 88. Evidence, p. 295.

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TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE.

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"Tutors.....This kind of knowledge is now recognised in "the Schools, as necessary for high Honours; a vast body "of such commentary has grown up in the University; and "has been handed down from Tutor to Tutor. . . . I have "often found with great regret that the number of attendants "on my Lecture in the Ethics is almost doubled, as I approach the analysis of the more technical and obscure passages of the work, which I know to be useless, or nearly "useless, to the Student." He goes on to make similar remarks on the manner in which the Examination is conducted in Logic and in History.

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It is manifest that many of these evils will be obviated, if our recommendations be adopted. If, as we have advised, the Final Examination be divided into several Schools, and the subjects of each School be studied under the superintendence of able Professors, knowledge of a higher character will be sought, and the spurious arts of preparation will fall into discredit. But to secure this result more completely, the Professors must not only preside over the teaching of the Schools, but must also have a voice in the appointment of Examiners, and some power of superintending the Examinations. "I feel (says Professor Vaughan)* that there is "nothing upon which the success of the University system "more materially depends. To exclude so far as possible "the favours or injuries of chance-to foil the arts of 'cram' -to apportion the success to the industry, the talent, and "the good sense of the Students is, in effect, and indirectly, "to secure good teaching, and good, energetic, honest "learning. Good Examinations can help to effect all this, " and good Examiners only can produce good Examinations; "and masterly knowledge, aided by high talent and discre"tion, alone can make good Examiners. The Professors, "therefore, ought, I think, to exercise a constant, though "not an exclusive control over the Examinations."

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So far as the Final Examination is concerned, we may expect that a better arrangement of Study under the superEvidence, p. 87.

vision of a well-organised Professoriate will remedy many evils. But an important question remains, whether two Examinations or one shall intervene between the Examination at Matriculation, and that previous to the B.A. Degree; and also whether all young men should be compelled to pass their previous Examinations at the same time and in the same manner, or whether some mode may be devised of emancipating the diligent Student at an early period of his career. It is certain that the great mass of young men require the stimulus of constant Examinations; that the greater part of them who contract habits of idleness or extravagance, or vice, do so in the early part of their career, when the First Examination seems very distant, or just after they have passed this ordeal, and the Final Examination is too far removed to excite any present terror. To remedy this evil, was one of the motives that induced the framers of the new Statute, to place the Responsions earlier, and to establish the Moderations, as an additional Examination between the Responsions and Degree. It was argued that, if at the close of every year a public Examination was to be passed, many youths would be prevented from wasting so many months, as they had hitherto imagined they could waste with impunity.

On this point, however, it might be well not to disturb the arrangements so recently made, until they shall have been tested by experience. It will perhaps be found that a

Student who has satisfied the Examiners at Matriculation, that he possesses a good grammatical knowledge of the Ancient Tongues, should be allowed to pass his Responsions at an early period; or he might be allowed to proceed to the Intermediate Examination without passing Responsions. He would thus be enabled to devote more time to Studies preparatory to his future course of life.

Present State of the higher Degrees.

We have hitherto spoken only of the Examinations for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts. It has often been a matter of

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