University of Maryland School of Medicine - Terrae Mariae Medicus (Baltimore, MD)

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lowed and he died shortly after. During the second session, beginning in the Fall of 1808, the students increased to ten and the following year, to eighteen. In April of 1810, the College of Medicine of Maryland graduated five young men with the degree Doctor of Medicine. THE FIRST BUILDING A SUITABLE building for the college had been frequently discussed during these early years. No available structure seemed to suit the purpose adequately, so it was decided to provide a new building which would be both an outstanding piece of archi- tecture and a permanent home for the college. Early in the formation of the college, a lot on the corner of Greene and Lombard Streets had been purchased at a merely nominal amount from Colonel John Eager Howard. The contract with Col. Howard was signed by several of the professors, who made themselves individually responsible. Howard insisted that no stipulated time be established for termination of the debt which was eventually paid to him in full. Funds for the building, however, would be a little harder to come by, for the faculty at this time consisted of young men with little in the way of money. A common means of raising funds for any enterprise was by public lottery so it was decided that this would be appropriate. The first act audiorizing a lottery was passed by the legislature in January, 1808, and it provided a scheme for raising $40,- 000. Returns were slow until Dr. Cooke assumed charge and he is generally held responsible for die financial success. With the needed money at hand, R. Carey Long was commissioned as architect and the cornerstone was laid by Col. Howard in April, 1811. Like most prominent architec- ture of the time, the building was designed to imitate a classic: the Pantheon in Rome. At the time of construction, it was conceded to be the finest structure for medical educa- ion in the New World. Commanding an excellent view of the Patapsco and the Ches- apeake, it stood alone in the Western Pre- cinct overlooking the old Washington Road. For years it was a landmark to travellers from the capital. By November of 1812, the incomplete building was already being used for lectures. THE UNIVERSITY IS BORN Meanwhile, the expense of educating young doctors was proving a heavy burden to the men who were responsible for teach- ing them. In other quarters, the dream of a state university, comprising many schools, had long existed. In 1784, a state university had actually been created by act of legisla- ture, comprising Washington College on the eastern shore and St. John ' s College of An- napolis. Doomed by a top heavy organiza- tion, its endowments were withdrawn by the state in 1806 and the University Act re- pealed. Now spurred by the need for a firmer foundation, an act to create the University of Maryland was presented by the president 12

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this time, the medical and chirurgical fac- uhy numbered 240, of whom only 37 pos- sessed the degree of Doctor of Medicine. The subject of medical education was fre- quently discussed but little was done ac- tively. Meanwhile, Dr. Davidge in 1806 had erected an anatomical theater at his own expense and upon his own property. For the purpose of demonstrating anatomy, a body had been obtained. The discovery that dissection was taking place within the build- ing led to the gathering of a howling mob outside the building. As their numbers grew and the crowd became more inflamed, they smashed into the building, stole the cadaver and thoroughly demolished the whole struc- ture. ESTABLISHMENT OF A SCHOOL This outburst of violence frightened the physicians of the city and urged them final- ly into action for the purpose of obtaining legal protection. They unanimously re- solved to apply to the legislature for a char- ter for a medical college. Such a charter was prepared with haste by Dr. John Shaw and submitted to the legislature. After an amendment to unite the school with St. Mary ' s College was rejected, The Medical College Bill was passed by the legislature in its original form on December 18, 1807. This same act created a Board of Regents for the college consisting of the Board of Medical Examiners of Maryland. The Medical and Chirurgical Faculty of the state were considered the patrons of the col- lege. All expenses were to be borne by the faculty and Board of Regents. The faculty consisted of John Davidge and James Cocke, joint Professors of Anatomy, Sur- gery and Physiology; George Brown, Pro- fessor of Materia Medica; John Shaw, Pro- fessor of Chemistry; and William Donald- son, Professor of Institutes of Medicine. Dr. Brown soon resigned to assume the pres- idency of the Board of Regents and Na- thaniel Potter was named to fill his place. Dr. Davidge was elected dean of the medi- cal faculty. Seven students began the study of medi- cine in the first class, wi th lectures given in the homes of the faculty. In the Spring of 1808 the faculty secured an abandoned schoolhouse on Fayette Street and used this to teach anatomy and chemistry. In spite of the delapidated state of this building. Dr. Shaw maintained an excellent laboratory and worked diligently with his students. During the course of his chemistry demon- strations, he would plunge his arms repeat- edly into tubs of cold water and this prac- tice was believed the cause of the pleurisy he developed in the early winter months of 1809. Pulmonary consumption rapidly fol- Nathaniel Potter, m.d. 11

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and professors of the Medical College widi the approval of the Board of Regents and was passed in December, 1812. The word- ing of the bill is unique: Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Mary- land, That the college for the promotion of medical knowledge, by the name of the College of Medicine of Maryland, by and for the same is hereby authorized to constitute, appoint and annex to itself the other three colleges or facul- ties, viz: The Faculty of Divinity, The Faculty of Law and The Faculty of the Arts and Sci- ences; and that the four faculties or colleges, thus united, shall be and they are hereby, con- stituted in University by the name and under the title of the University of Maryland. Thus occurred the only known instance of a university being founded upon a medi- cal school which was already functioning. The original Board of Regents now ceased to exist and a new Board of Regents, com- posed of the Provost and the four faculties, assumed leadership. In January, 1813, the medical college an- nexed the other three faculties. Named as fust provost was Archbishop John Carroll, cousin of Charles Carroll of Carrollton. He declined the position and Robert Smith, former U. S. Secretary of State, took office. Although the other schools did not flour- ish during the 19th century, the medical school continued to expand. A library was begun in 1813 with the purchase of the books of Dr. John Crawford for five hun- dred dollars. Crawford had come to Balti- more at the same time as Davidge, had been a close friend of Benjamin Rush and had developed an extensive practice. His theory of the contagium animatum (that certain diseases were caused by microscopic organ- isms), published in 1800 had been de- nounced by leading medical figures of the day. The war with England touched Baltimore at this time and the faculty of the new school tended the wounded at the Battles of North Point and Fort McHenry. THE HOSPITAL A LACK of patients for the teaching of clini- cal medicine was soon appreciated, so to The first Baltimore Infirmary built in 1823. 13