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

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y . r u iTimrTiTiriiW irrriiMMMgii Sketck of tke History of the Medical College of Virginia HE present Medical College of Virginia is the outgrowth of the medical department of Hampden-Sidney College. In 1835, that time honored institution established a medical department in Richmond. The old Union Hotel at Nineteenth and Main streets was the first hospital and school building. Due to a sacrificing and energetic faculty, the Medical College at Richmond, as it was called, made splendid progress. In 1844 the General Assembly of Virginia loaned, upon security of the faculty, sufficient money from the Literary Fund to erect the fine specimen of Egyptian style architecture building that now stands at the corner of Thirteenth and Marshall streets. During the next ten years, difference arose between the faculty of the Medical Department at Richmond and the Trustees of Hampden-Sidney College. Separation became necessary. In 1854 the connection with Hampden-Sidney was severed. By the act of the Legislature, the institution became the Medical College of Virginia. From that time on, it has been a corporation under State control and governed by a board of visitors, appointed by the Governor. In 1859-60 came one of the most familiar incidents in the history of the college. Disgusted with the attitude of Philadelphia and the incidents leading up to Brown ' s Raid at Harper ' s Ferry, the group of medical students, known as the Philadelphia Seceders, led by Hunter McGuire, came to the Medical College of Virginia. There were two hundred and fifty-nine of them. They received a great reception in Rich- mond. This sudden increase in the enrollment furnished the basis on which the college received an additional appropriation from the State Legislature. Then came the days of 1861-65. The Medical College of Virginia was the only medical college in the South to maintain its course of medical instruction during the entire war. It is also worthy of note that the professors, students and alumni of this institution cared for the greater number of sick and woun ded who were confined to Richmond during those arduous days. It is estimated that at times there must have been as many as 40,000 patients within the city. Dr. Douglas Freeman said, If this old college had nothing else to which to claim title, there would be a laurel of fame for it and there should be a lasting place for it among the great medical schools of this country for the manner in which it met in the sixties the overwhelming task of caring for the sick and wounded. In 1879 the General Assembly of Virginia gave the faculty the right to confer the degree of Graduate in Pharmacy upon such candidates as having attended two full iill IS! 13 BiaaMiMWttiiiint ' ii r Virginia yf n