struggling years after opening, the school had, for the first time in its history, a little roof of its own under which it could shelter its head. Three short years later, crippled by the death of its founder and best supporter, the indomitable SAMUEL GREGORY, bankrupt in finances, but with a noble history, this historic child of men's ungenerous exclusiveness and of men's inadequate chivalry, was laid as a sickly and perishing foundling upon the door-step of Boston University. It could not have fallen into better hands. Its case was quickly diagnosed, and suitable remedies applied. Men were at once admitted to instruction upon precisely the same terms as women. The new exclusivism and the older exclusivism that engendered it were alike consigned to oblivion. A larger and more progressive faculty was organized, a new and higher curriculum introduced. The building was promptly enlarged to nearly twice its original capacity. Clinical advantages were duly provided, chemical and other laboratories, apparatus, appliances for illustrating medical instruction. Then the school began to lead all others in requirements for graduation. It was the first in the country to reinstate the baccalaureate degree in medicine and surgery. It was the first to require three full years in a medical school; the first to introduce a graded four-years course; the first to make the four years course the only one conducting to the degree of doctor of medicine. Far-reaching has been the effect upon American medical education. At least eighteen other medical colleges have now followed our lead in presenting a four-years course of instruction, and in making its mastery the only road to the doctorate in medicine. Two of these institutions are among the very oldest and strongest in our land. To-night, as I think of the enlarged facilities and possibilities opened to the school by the new building, the future grows wonderfully bright. But as often as I try to picture it in any detail, I find my thoughts turning back to that day of small beginnings, forty-four years ago. I remember the brave trustees, who, with an empty treasury, planned and toiled to carry the institution forward from one year to another. I recall the vanished company of noble souls, who, year after year, made personal contribution to create the opportunities that here and now exist. Fain would I conduct them to-night through all these buildings, where school, and hosptial, and dispensary are established upon a scale they possibly hoped to see, but died without the sight. Noble, progressive souls they were, and we will not forget that we have entered into their labors. Let us summon a few of those grand pioneers out of the fading past, and pay them the honor they deserve. Let us ask them to survey our continuation of their work, and to enter into our rejoicings.

Among them I find the following representatives of the Christian ministry: Charles Lowell, father of James Russell Lowell; Ephraim Peabody, Lyman Beecher, Alexander H. Vinton, James Freeman Clarke; Gilbert Haven, later bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church; Thomas Starr King, George W. Blagden, Jacob Ide, Nathaniel L. Frothingham; Thomas M. Clark, later bishop of the Protestant Episocpal Church; Abraham D. Merrill, Dexter S. King, A. L. Stone, Azariah Eldridge, Eben Burgess, E. N. Kirk, Theodore Parker, with others who still linger to help in the world's work. Among public men I find the names of Josiah Quincy, Samuel E. Sewell, Horace Mann, Neal Dow, Charles Devens, Charles Francis Adams, Edward Everett, Wendell Phillips, and even Thomas H. Benton, of far-off Missouri. Among physicians I rejoice to find among many others the name of Samuel Gridley Howe. Among men of affairs and of wealth and social standing you may see on the precious records of our beginnings, representatives of the Amorys, the Appletons, the Aspinwalls, the Bowditchs, the Crowningshields, the Hunnewells, and I know not how many others. You will find there the names of Amos A. Lawrence, Lee Claflin, Alpheus Hardy, Jacob Sleeper, Samuel D. Warren, Augustus Hemenway, John Wade, Gardner Colby, Patrick Donahoe, Oliver Ames, Gardner Brewer, Stephen Salisbury, Theodore Lyman, David Snow, William Claflin, Alden Speare. Among educators: John Dempster and Stephen M. Vail, of the Concord Biblical Institute; Calvin E. Stowe and Austin Phelps, of the Andover Theological Seminary; Thomas C. Upham, of Bowdoin College; Edward Hitchcock, president of Amherst College; Francis Wayland, president of Brown University. Among honorable women: Sarah J. Hale, of Philadelphia; Mrs. L. H. Sigourney, of Hartford; Mrs. Lyman Beecher, Mrs. Henry W. Longfellow, Mrs. Andrews Norton, Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe, Mrs. Julia Ward Howe.

In memory of such far-sighted forerunners we would speak but modestly of anything we may have been permitted to accomplish in furtherance of their bold, prophetic planning. In memory of their service we humbly dedicate our newly-erected structure to their God and to our God, for the service of our common humanity.

The exercises of the evening were closed by a benediction pronounced by Rev. Dr. Parkhurst.

This occasion was but a fitting tribute from the friends of homœopathy to the work which has been accomplished, and for every one who was present we doubt not there was a score who would gladly have been there.

As everything beneficial to homœopathy in any one place increases its world-wide influence, so the erection of these extensive structures renders it more easy to secure similar ones in other parts of the world. If Australia can erect a fine Homœopathic Hospital and Liverpool an extensive Dispensary, why cannot San Francisco, Chicago, and Washington do likewise; hence these opening exercises possessed a more than local significance, and expressions of interest came from distant quarters. From Richard Hughes, Dyce Brown, Dudgeon, and Pope, of England, men who know better than many of our own countrymen what is going on in the homoeopathic ranks of America, we are not surprised to receive warm congratulations and appreciative words of cheer. Such came also from our own alumni, scattered far and wide; from public officials who saw the benefit to the State; from philanthropists who looked upon it from a still broader point of view; and not least in importance from recipients of the benefits these institutions confer. From the multitude of responses which came from the prominent members of our school throughout the country, it might seem invidious to mention the names or quote the expressions of such men as Dake, of Tennessee; Fisher, of Texas; Stout, of Florida; Orme, of Georgia; Custis, of Washington; Price and Chandler, of Baltimore; Dudley, Morgan, and James, of Philadelphia; McClelland, Cooper, and Willard, of Pittsburg; Mitchell and Ludlam, of Chicago; H. D. Paine and Kellogg, of New York; but we are quite justified in quoting from that veteran, Dr. J. V. Hobson, of Virginia, who says: "I am now nearing my eighty-second birthday, and an accidental fall on the ice has so disabled my spinal column that I can hardly expect to meet again any assemblage of my professional associates. But I do enjoy the perusal of the reports of their transactions and all the accounts of the progress of homœopathy, to which I have devoted my life interest. Most heartily do I congratulate you on your great success."

Dr. Charles Neidhard, of Philadelphia, wrote:

"My Dear Friends, - Your warm and heartfelt letter has been a source of great enjoyment to me, and if I was not in the 83rd year of my age, which few of us reach, it would be the greatest satisfaction to me to meet you on this festive occasion. You, however, have my warmest sympathy in your new undertaking. When I first commenced my homoeopathic career, some fiftyfour years ago, and can see now the rise of our great cause, I can be content to die with the knowledge that homoeopathy will continue to prosper and advance forever, until it has conquered. From the venerable Dr. James Kitchen, the following shows

that neither time nor age has dampened his ardor or lessened his faith in homœopathy: "My Dear Colleague, Were I a young man, my answer would be an easy one to your very flattering and gratifying communication to me, a few days ago, but having the heavy weight of 93 years to carry, and two attacks of the grippe, I find that I must reluctantly forego the pleasure of meeting you on the day of the dedication of your noble buildings. I cordially feel proud with you that such an event is to take place, and will, though distant in body, be present with you in spirit. Success to your noble efforts."

The following telegram and subsequent letter were received from Dr. J. N. Eckel, of San Francisco, who spent a post-graduate year in Boston University School of Medicine:

"I rejoice with you all. God bless the good people of Boston." "Your kind invitation to be present at the house warming,' I assure you, I appreciate, and thank you very much. What fine structures! If we only had some one here to stir up our wealthy people, we would get along much faster. However, we intend to build this year yet; the plans are ready. We are indebted to Mrs. Geo. Hearst, the widow of Senator Hearst, and the late Moses Hopkins; also to our active Ladies' Aid Society, who have secured two fifty-acre vacant lots, all paid for; besides, they have over ten thousand dollars cash on hand, and before the year is ended will add another large sum to their exchequer. We have a valuable friend in Mrs. Hearst, who, besides possessing great wealth, is noted for her generosity. I am afraid, owing to my serious accident three years ago, my visit to Boston will be postponed indefinitely, but you have my warmest wishes for the prosperity of those noble institutions."

Dr. G. W. Winterburn, of New York, wrote:

"I have received the invitation to the opening exercises in your new buildings, and it would afford me a distinct pleasure to be with you on March 16th. I am sorry that my engagements here will prevent my being present in body, as I certainly shall be in spirit. The Boston University School of Medicine has always been an object of sincere interest to me, and it was with great pleasure and satisfaction that I went through the buildings last year, as they then were, with Dr. Conrad Wesselhoeft. Your College has, since its inception, maintained so high a standard in its curriculum, and has thereby set so worthy an example to all other medical institutions in the land that to it is due the homage of every man who desires to see the profession of medicine take precedence for culture and sound learning. Those of your graduates who have come here to practice, and whom I have the pleasure of knowing personally, are all by

their good works honoring themselves, their alma mater, and the profession to which they have devoted their lives; and with the increased facilities which you henceforth possess for clinical work, we may look to you for still better equipped men and women to take the place of those upon whose heads time and death lay their heavy hands."

The following is from Dr. Munsell, an allopathic physician, who, as a member of the committee on public charitable institutions of the Legislature of 1890, was one of the most earnest and efficient members to secure aid from the State, which made it possible to erect these additional hospital buildings :

"To the Committee on New Buildings, etc. - Your kind invitation to be present at the 'grand opening' is gladly received, and it would give me especial pleasure to be with you; I fear, however, that the press of professional duties will prevent. But, whether present or absent, allow me to say that I heartily congratulate you upon the great success of your labors, and if there is one effort I made during my legislative term of which I am happy and proud, it is that I was given the opportunity to render some service whereby the honor and success of the Homoeopathic Medical Society can be so delightfully represented to-day in these elegant conveniences for hospital service and work. May God grant that from these dedicatory services to-day a beacon light may be set outside the crumbling walls of medical bigotry and superstition, and in its warm and cheering halo may be ever read, 'Our mission is to relieve suffering humanity.'

Had such sentiments as Dr. Munsell expresses prevailed in the medical profession years agone, homoeopathy would have had a much better chance of proving its real value, the whole profession would have been at liberty to adopt so much of its methods as they find valuable, and the Massachusetts Medical Society would have been saved the disgrace of expelling honorable members for practising what they believed to be true and best for their patients. Moreover, it would not to-day have a statute which makes the belief in and practice of homoeopathy a crime. Let us hope that a better day is dawning for liberality and generosity in the medical profession.

BOSTON HOMEOPATHIC MEDICAL SOCIETY.

The regular monthly meeting of the Boston Homœopathic Medical Society was held at the Women's Industrial Union, No. 264 Boylston street, Thursday evening, March 3rd, at 8 o'clock, the president, Henry A. Spalding, M.D., presiding.