want to do it right away; better wait a little while longer. Procrastination will not mend matters any. If you want this elevated standard, say so; if you don't want it, then stop talking about it for hours at a stretch. There are colleges in this country that would gladly do it; and they are surrounded by colleges that don't want to do it. Do something and stop talking about it. The discussion at this point became more informal, and the stenographers found it impossible to follow it. The amendment proposed by Dr. J. B. McClelland to make the four years' course elective and not mandatory was finally put to a vote and declared lost. The original proposition of the Intercollegiate Committee was then put and carried. Dr. Talbot then proposed the second resolution having reference to the establishment of Homœopathic chairs in State universities. The resolution was unanimously adopted. The entire report was then referred to the Committee of Publication. Dr. O. S. Runnels read the following: WHEREAS, The present condition of the Homoeopathic Medical Department of the University of Michigan is such as to warrant grave apprehension on the part of its friends and of this body; and, WHEREAS, It is evident that the sudden and remarkable shrinkage of its classes is a protest on the part of the profession in Michigan and elsewhere against any attempt to make the Homœopathic Medical College a part of the College of Medicine and Surgery of the University, a proposition which, of necessity, must rob the Homœopathic School of that distinctive character which it was the object of its founders and of the people of Michigan, as represented by consecutive legislatures, to ever keep intact; and, WHEREAS, This body, representing the American Homœopathic profession, feels the liveliest interest in the welfare and success of said college, and profound sympathy with the profession of the State of Michigan in its endeavor to maintain said school in accordance with the intents and purposes of its founders; therefore be it Resolved, That it is the sense of the American Institute of Homœopathy that no amalgamation of the two medical schools now on the campus of the University of Michigan, can be had without lessening the efficiency of both and without utterly destroying every opportunity for teaching them the doctrine which the Homœopathic College was created to represent and teach. Resolved, That it is the sense of the American Institute of Homceopathy that the profession will gladly and warmly support the Homœopathic Medical College of the University of Michigan so soon as it has proof that the future of the college is not endangered by further agitation pointing toward amalgamation with the College of Medicine and Surgery. Resolved, That the Honorable, the Board of Regents, in order to secure harmonious working within the faculty of the Homœopathic College, and to restore that harmony between the faculty and the profession upon which the success of the school so largely depends, are earnestly requested to remove from the faculty any member advocating or urging the amalgamation of the Homoeopathic Medical College with the College of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Michigan. J. M. LEE, Rochester, N. Y. E. H. PORTER, New York, N. Y. Dr. W. D. Foster moved the adoption of the resolutions as read, and the motion was numerously seconded. The question being called, the resolutions were unanimously adopted. Dr. Obetz rose to a personal explanation. He said: I have been a Homœopath all my life, and there is not a better one in this Institute than I am. There is not any question about that from any one who knows me. The only question is, How are we going to serve the cause in the best way? That is the only question in dispute here. There is a misunderstanding here, and it has existed for years. There was an unfortunate influence brought to bear when Homoeopathy was brought into the Michigan University. The re gents were perfectly helpless and unable to see how they could introduce it under the existing conditions. They were seriously embarrassed, and have ever since been seriously embarrassed by having two constituents-the one rich and old in alumni with a higher medical education, the other one young Dr. Roberts here raised the point of order that the gentleman was not talking to the question-if there be any question before the house. The chair decided that in absence of any special objection the gentleman might continue, as it may be viewed in the light of a question of privilege. Dr. Obetz (continuing): We don't want any gag-law here; we want the truth in full. I say that the board has been embarrassed in running these two schools side by side, dissimilar as they are. I have appealed to the board hundreds of times when students have appealed to me, and have realized, as the board has, time and time again, their great embarrassment when trying to do business on the same campus with a powerful organization that numbers over thirty-five hundred alumni, while we have less than three hundred. We haven't the same support that a school has that has been on the campus at Ann Arbor for thirty years. The board wanted to do everything they could for the Homeopathic College, and they wanted to do everything they could for the other side, and to be utterly and perfectly fair to both schools. Now you propose to tell them that this is a mistake, and that it is wrong. My personal interests I don't care that for (snap of the finger). My personal interest in the faculty must not be considered; but you are slapping the Board of Control of the greatest university in America in the face because they have attempted and are yet willing to give you every opportunity commensurate with exact fairness to make your school a success on the campus at Ann Arbor. Now I appeal to this Institute to select any number of its best and most trusted members-members in whom you have absolute confidence and that you know will look after the interests of the School of Homœopathy, after the best interests of the profession and of this Institute, and send them down and let them talk to the regents of the University of Michigan, and you will find that there is a great mistake here, because they are trying to help you along; they want to do just the best that can be done for the cause of Homoeopathy. I have been on the campus for eleven years and we never had a better board; never a fairer board; never a board that would do as much for Homœopathy as we have at this time, and at the head of them stands a regular physician, so-called, who believes that every student who graduates in medicine in this century should be taught Homœopathy-should pass his examination in Homœopathy, and then should be allowed to practice Homoeopathy if he sees fit. That is the position he takes. He says that no medical man now should be graduated without studying Homoeopathy. Can you afford to say to that Board that you won't help them? I don't think you can. You can sink me but you put yourselves in a worse predicament, because you say we will not meet the Old School half way even if they will meet us. But we must do it in Ann Arbor. We must meet them exactly on the same grounds, go into the same hospitals, practice side by side and to the same patients. I tell you I am not afraid to do it; and if the rest of your are, you are taking a position against your best interests. I know we can do it and what is more we ought to do it. In regard to the name; that is an unfortunate factor to introduce into this question. It really cuts no figure in this matter whatsoever if you consider what I have already told you. If Homoeopathy is a good thing it will win no matter what you call it. Let us drill the students in it; let us examine them in it; and I am not afraid of the result. Some of them will make mongrels perhaps-as some of our brethren call them,-I don't like the word-I don't call them so because it isn't right. I don't practice Allopathy because I know I have something better; and for that reason I ask you now in all fairness to select a committee of any size you wish-it doesn't make any difference to me how large of men in whom you have confidence. Don't consider me; consider the interests of the Homoeopathic School. It is unscientific for us in this country to stand up and say to the Old-School colleges "we won't let you take half of our burden; we want nothing in common with you; we don't want to lecture to your students; we don't want all the students to listen to Homœopathy; we don't want all the students to pass an examination in the study and practice of Homoeopathy." If every member of this Institute was ten members and they all opposed me in my present position I believe I would be right, just the same. Send your committee down there and see the regents and you will be talked to by an intelligent set of business men and will find that they are perfectly fair and that they mean the best thing that is possible for Homœopathy. You have just decided that the State Society shall not control the Institute, and yet that lack of control on their part, of the affairs of Ann Arbor, is made a great point against me. Why should they control a university that has 2700 students, and the Homoeopathic ranks have never had anything like that. Those faculties, and every member of those faculties, is absolutely controlled by the regents without the intervention of any outside party or power; and they say they will control the Homoeopathic department in the same way. Old School does not dare to dictate to the regents; why should the Homoeopaths ask for that dictatorial power? The regents will listen to anybody and will accord fair, even-handed justice; but they claim the power to control. The Supreme Court has decided that no body can control that Board. You are all willing and anxious that Homoeopathy should be taught to as many students as possible, why then refuse to let it be taught to the Old-School students. I believe that we should teach the other side the error of their ways. I shall always stand where I do. It would be just the same way if the whole Institute should oppose me. You couldn't change my opinion, because I believe it is right. But at the same time I stand here at the public bar perfectly honest in what I have to say-Dr. Talbot (interrupting): Dr. Obetz knows the purport of this resolution; he knows the purport of the resolution adopted by the I would like to have Dr. Obetz say Senate of Seniors last year. The whether he has ever represented that the resolutions adopted by the Seniors last year were in support of his position? Dr. Obetz: I don't recollect that I ever so claimed. I have no recollection of it. I don't know about that. Dr. Talbot: Do you consider it so now? Dr. Obetz: I don't consider it so. I consider that the resolution adopted last year was simply this: that the matter was one that couldn't be adjudicated last year; that in order to try this thing they would have to have the regents here, and the President of the University, and other men who know the situation, and have a fair investigation made by a committee to come to Ann Arbor and see all those gentlemen. They could see the Board of Regents and become satisfied as to the purpose of that Board; that their designs are perfectly honest and fair towards the Homœopathic School. I never understood that we had a trial of this matter, last year; the seniors simply decided that the matter could not be tried last year. Dr. Talbot: They passed a resolution that they thought was entirely condemnatory of your course in the matter. The resolutions which are now passed are considered by the Intercollegiate Committee condemnatory of the course pursued by Dr. Obetz. It has been represented as coming from him that he had represented that the resolutions formerly passed by the Senate of Seniors were commendatory of his course. Does he consider these resolutions and those passed last year as commendatory or condemnatory? Dr. Obetz: I don't consider them either. Dr. Talbot Then I am very sorry that the force of language is insufficient in those resolutions to express the opinion of all the Seniors of last year and of the Intercollegiate Committee of this session. Dr. Obetz: I appeal again to the fact that there has been no trial of this cause. The parties who are interested in it, as I could not ever hope to be, have not been summoned, and no effort has been made to sift the matter to the bottom; a determined effort has been made to make me personally responsible for this whole matter of the opinions of the Board of Control of the University of Michigan. Knowing, as I do, the backing that I have of the Board of Regents, who say they want to do the fair thing by the Homoeopathic school, I can see no cause for trouble, if you will appoint that committee, and send them to Ann Arbor to investigate the matter and report to you. Then, I am sure, you would see this matter in its true light, and not permit yourselves to be led by some few self-interested parties. In these resolutions that have been brought up by Dr. Talbot, there was a question involved concerning the plan that was supposed to have been presented by myself. I want to repeat, that the Board of Regents asked me to present rules to govern this possible change, and then the matter was to be worked out by the Board of Regents. |