Medical College of Virginia - X Ray Yearbook (Richmond, VA)

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Oe I=Uap, ns L. W. Chamberlayne, iM. D., Professor of Materia Medica and Therapeutics. Thomas Johnson, M. D., Professor of Anatomy and Physiology. Socrates Maupln, M. D., Professor of Chemistry and Pharmacy. Dr. Augustus L. Warner was the first Dean, and con- tinued in this capacity until his death, in 1845. Owing to differences between the Trustees of Hamp- den-Sidney College and the Faculty of the Medical De- partment, the latter applied to the General Assembly for a charter as a separate institution, and by an act passed February 25, 1854, the school was incorporated under the name of The Medical College of Virginia. During the session of i859- ' 6o, because of bitter sec- tional feeling, a large number of students from the South attending the medical colleges in Philadelphia withdrew from those colleges and entered the Medical College of Virginia, increasing the number of students to 228, the largest class in its history up to that time and until recent years. In i860, in consideration of an appropriation of $30,- 000 by the General Assembly, all of the property of the college was conveyed by deed to the Literary Fund, the college thus becoming a State institution. With this money a hospital, later known as the Old Dominion Hos- pital, and now occupied by the Dental Department, was erected and other necessary changes and improvements were made. During the war the Medical College of ' irginia con- ducted each year two sessions, of six months each, in order to supply the demand of the army and navj ' for surgeons. It was the only medical college in the Con- federate States which did not close its doors during this period, and enjoys the distinction of being the oldest medical college in the South which has been in continuous operation since its establishment. After the war the Faculty successfully resisted an at- tempt of the Readjuster party, which was then in power, to obtain control of the college by the substitution of a board of visitors, appointed by the Governor elected by that party, for the Board then in control. It was the only State school whose independence was maintained during that trying period. In 1879 an amendment to the charter was obtained, which enabled the Faculty to confer the degree of Grad- uate in Pharmacy, and for several years a course leading to this degree was conducted. In 1897 the college work was divided into three de- partments for the purpose of teaching medicine, den- tistry and pharmacy, and by an act of the General As- sembly, approved February 2, i8q8, the Faculty was authorized to coner the degree of doctor of dental sur- gery as well as the degrees of doctor of medicine and graduate in pharmacy.

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cm t=Uap, ' 13 History of College HREE quarters of a century ago last De- cember the question of establishing a medi- cal school in the city of Richmond was determined by the Board of Trustees of Hampden-Sidney College, and Regula- tions for the Medical Department of Hampden-Sidney College were adopted. One of these required the session to com- mence on the first Monday of November of each year and continue until the last week of March ensuing, mak- ing a term of five calendar months. At that time a student could get his degree in one session, the following being a part of the requirements for graduation: As attainment is the only just foundation for distinction, any student sh all be permitted to present himself for examination at the close of each session, provided, how- ever, he has previously attended in this department one full course of lectures on all the branches taught therein, together with attendance upon the dissecting room of the college for one session, and shall have studied medicine with a respectable practitioner for two years. Until the completion, in 1845, of the building in which the past session was held, lectures were given in what had formerly been the Union Hotel, located on the south- west corner of Nineteenth and Main Streets. Mordecai ' s History of Richmond refers to this as follows: The Medical College is of modern date, ha ing been established in 1837 by the united influence and exertions of Drs. Chamberlayne, Cullen, Warner, Maupin and Bohannon. The Union Hotel (Nineteenth and Main Streets) was con -erted into a medical school and hospital. Limbs, instead of cutting capers, were cut in pieces in the ballroom; potions were mixed instead of punches; poul- tices supplanted pudding and Seidlitz water, champagne. Now the former order of things is reinstated at the hotel, and young doctors are diplomatized and patients are phy- sicked in the Egyptian edifice on the old Academy or Theatre Square. The first session began on the first Monday in No- vember, 1838. There were 46 matriculates and 14 grad- uates this session. The Faculty, six in number, - ' as as follows : Augustus L. Warner, M. D., Professor of Surgery. John Cullen, M. D., Professor of Theory and Prac- tice of Medicine. R. L. Bohannon, M. D., Professor of Obstetrics and Diseases of Women and Children.

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€i)t I=Uap, ns From its iirst session, beginning in 183S, to the present time, a period of se ' enty-hve years, the history of the college shows a spirit of self-sacrifice on the part of its Faculty which is probably unequalled by that of any other institution in this country. Both Faculty anil Ad- junct Faculty ha ' e given loyal ser ice to the institution without adequate remuneration for any teacher and with- out any remuneration at all for most of them. They have spent the meagre funds at their disposal to impro e the teaching facilities of the college. The success of the school in its competition with wealthy and hea ' ily en- dowed institutions is the best proof of the unselfish dexo- tion of its teachers. By no one has greater devotion been shown than by our Dean, Dr. Christopher Tompkins. Elected to the Fac- ulty in 1880 he became Dean in iSq , and has ser ' ed the college in that capacity for twenty years, more than one- fourth of the entire period of its existence. From the time of his election to the present the col- lege has steadily grown greater in faculty, teaching facili- ties, number of students and reputation, until to-dav it has achieved a distinguished position among the medical colleges of this country. This has been accomplished not through the gift of large sums of money to the institu- tion, but through the endowment of an unpaid Faculty, which has unselfishly worked to this end. Cniided by a wise and conservative Dean, whose reputation for honor and integrity has been a bul« ' ark of strength. As Sec- retary of the college I ha e been intimately associated with him in the conduct of its affairs since 1900 and know the truth of these statements. The Old School, in behalf of which we ha ' e success- fully striven, ends its existence as such with the conclusion of the present session. This end is not death, however, but the transition from an humble to a more glorious existence, let us hope. It will retain its name and part of its old Faculty, and will aci]uire the Memorial Hospital, a large part of the Faculty and all of the property of the L ' niversity College of Medicine, which passes out of existence, so far as its name is concerned. These gifts add to the equipment of the Medical College of Vir- ginia, property of the value of at least a half-million dol- lars. With these notable additions to the equipment and teaching corps of the college, it would seem that its honor- able past bids fair to be rewarded by a glorious future. F. M. Ri:.- ni:, M. D.