The writer of a recent article in Lippincott’s Magazine (Dr. H.C.  Wood) on “Medical Education in the United States” seems to have been so lost in admiration at the methods of instruction followed in European medical colleges as to be utterly blind to the good in the system of medical education as it exists in this country—­a system the necessary result of our political, social, financial and territorial conditions; a system which, though in the abstract may not be the best, is certainly, judging from its results, the best possible under our peculiar circumstances.  This much abused system of medical education (only greatly improved in its extent and thoroughness—­improvements developed by the constant advances in knowledge) is the same system which has produced the great medical men of the United States during the past seventy-five years—­medical practitioners whose success has been surpassed by none in Europe; surgeons whose skill has been, and is, world-wide in reputation; authors whose works are standard authorities everywhere.  It is the same system of medical instruction—­I quote verbatim (italics mine) from this article that holds it up to scorn—­which “accomplished such splendid results during the late rebellion.”  The writer says:  “The great resources of the medical profession were proved during the civil war, when there was created in a few months a service which for magnitude and efficiency has rarely if ever been equaled.  Indeed, military medicine was raised by it to a point never reached before that time in Europe and the results achieved have, in many points, worked a revolution in science.”  After this frank declaration of the inestimable value and glorious results of American medical education, the writer draws the logical(?) sequence that it (American medical education) is responsible for a case of most heartrending malpractice, which he relates, compared to which the Japanese hari-kari were merciful mildness, and approaching more nearly the tortures by crucifixion as administered by this same kind-hearted people.  With about as much reason and justice might he conclude that the American system of Sunday-school education is lamentably inferior to that of Great Britain, because(!) Jesse Pomeroy was a possibility in that most respectable town of Boston.

Dr. Wood alludes to the ignorance of the American medical student, and makes a statement “not founded on the authority of official publication,” in which he endeavors to show that from “six to ten per cent.” of American medical students have an ignorance of vulgar fractions and rudimentary astronomy that would exclude them from an ordinary infant-school.  Every one familiar with the students attending our first-class American medical colleges knows perfectly well that in origin and in culture they compare favorably with the young men engaged in the study of law and divinity, or with those entering