Part 16

However, in reviewing all these influences, the prosperity of Lexington to-day (1904), her rapid growth, her increasing enterprise, her vigorous trade, the flourishing condition of her colleges and seminaries--all of which has come to her since the completion of the railroads centering in her--abundantly prove that this communication, above everything else, was her indispensable requirement.

While the medical school was closed in 1857, the Academical Department of Transylvania University continued to be conducted at the Morrison College as a State Normal School, under the Presidency of the distinguished Doctor Lewis W. Green, D. D., but was soon to be disorganized, after only two years of usefulness, on account of a supposed unconstitutionality. Thus Transylvania was again humbled to a low estate in educational distinction. Lexington herself was suffering an era of banishment, as we may say, for without proper railroad connections she was excluded from progress and rendered inaccessible to both labor and capital. The financial prosperity of her citizens was not such as to warrant the lavish hospitality formerly shown to strangers within her gates, and especially to the students in Transylvania. The enterprising individuals who remained to her were not sufficient in numbers to dispel by their most strenuous exertions the lethargy which had fallen upon the place.

Such was the state of affairs immediately preceding the Civil War. The immense Medical Hall had reverted to the city and was deserted, save the laboratory in which was still being busily conducted the chemical work of the first Geological Survey of Kentucky; and save perhaps one of the smaller rooms, rented to a lodger. The survey had just received a sudden check in the death of the lamented Doctor Owen when the war still further darkened the prospect, during which, as a matter of course, the resumption of the survey was out of the question. The Morrison College was almost immediately appropriated by the United States Government for a general hospital, and, some time after, the Medical Hall, which as before mentioned was utterly destroyed by fire during its occupation by the sick soldiers. The conflagration originated, it appeared, from a defective flue of a temporary frame kitchen, built adjoining.

The corner-stone of this Medical Hall had been laid July 4, 1839; Robert Wickliffe, junior, the well-beloved, making the address. It was dedicated November 2, 1840. Of Grecian architecture, massive and without ornamentation, it contained three great lecture rooms, with ample provision for light and ventilation. The amphitheatre was immediately below the cupola, being by this means lighted from above. There were three other large apartments--for the library, the anatomical museum, and for other medical teaching. Smaller rooms accommodated the laboratory, Faculty room, janitor's room, etc. Besides which were long halls or galleries utilized for natural history collections, museums of zoology, ornithology, geology, etc., as also for apparatus of divers sorts. The costly and complete chemical apparatus was well displayed and conveniently arranged in the immense lecture room for that department.

For many years Janitor at the Medical Hall of Transylvania University.]

In the spacious lecture-room in the front of the building many fashionable and distinguished audiences had assembled on various occasions, not only to hear the gifted incumbent professors in due discourse of introductory or valedictory, but to be charmed with concerts by Ole Bull, Strakosch, Adelina Patti--who sang there on her first tour in this country--and other celebrities of the period. There the learned Guyot had instructed in geology; there unique "Tom Marshall" had uniquely delivered a unique course of lectures on History. Over the rostrum hung the portrait of Doctor Samuel Brown--the first medical professor. This lecture hall was lighted for evening assemblages, from the sides mostly, by "scounches," as they were called by the "ole Virginny" negro janitor. This factotum, "Absolom Driver," is unforgotten by any whose path some time ran parallel with his. For many years the keeper of the Medical Hall, his zeal and vigilance were unimpeachable, his dignified solemnity on state occasions unsurpassed. Contemptuous of letters--except for doctors--and with unshakable prejudice against "book learnin' for niggers," he was faithful in trusts with the matchless fidelity of the dog. "Bad boys"--the problem of philosophers and ordinary folk in all ages--was one of easy solution by "Uncle Absolom" with a bent nail at the end of a long pole. Charged upon with elan with this unprecedented weapon, accompanied by an ominous war-cry, no truant could withstand, even though the artfully strewn broken bottles on the high back fence had been successfully outflanked. "Robbers" had their everlasting antidote at hand in the peculiarly uncanny, long, "one-barreled shotgun" with curious lock, which stood in the corner of the Faculty room. Nobody ever heard it "go off," but the mystery of it was what appalled one. Happily "Uncle Absolom's" death was nearly coeval with the closing of the medical school. To have witnessed the burning of his sacred temple, the Medical Hall, after all his "keer," would have broken his heart indeed.

And now, bidding adieu to the shades of the grand old Transylvania Medical Department, conjured from the past by one now numbered with them, may the earnest wish be permitted with hope of realization, that some other hand with cunning in such craft will unveil to us the portraits of that bygone throng of brilliant men which constituted and which were the exponents of the honored Transylvania Law School.

APPENDIX

SCHEDULE A.

SUCCESSION OF THE MEDICAL PROFESSORS IN THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT OF TRANSYLVANIA UNIVERSITY, FROM 1799 TO 1857, INCLUSIVE.

------------------------------------------------------------------- -----+--------------------+-------------+------------+------------+ | | |Theory and |Institutes, | | Year.|Surgery.| Anatomy. |Practice of |Physiology, |Obstretics, | | | |Medicine. | etc. | etc. | -----+--------------------+-------------+------------+------------+ 1799 | Samuel | Samuel | Fred'ck | | Fred'ck | | Brown | Brown | Ridgely | | Ridgely | 1805 | | | James | | | | | | Fishback | | | 1809 | B. W. | B. W. | James |J. Buchanan | | | Dudley | Dudley | Overton | | | 1815 | " | " | " | | W. H. | | | | | |Richardson | 1817 | " | " | | | " | 1818 | " | " | " | | " | 1819 | " | " |Saumel Brown | Chas. | " | | | | | Caldwell | | 1820 | " | " | " | " | " | 1821 | " | " | " | " | " | 1822 | " | " | " | " | " | 1823 | " | " | " | " | " | 1824 | " | " | " | " | " | 1825 | " | " |Daniel Drake | " | " | 1826 | " | " | " | " | " | 1827 | " | " | J. E. Cooke | " | " | 1828 | " | " | " | " | " | 1829 | " | " | " | " | " | 1830 | " | " | " | " | " | 1831 | " | " | " | " | " | | | | | | | 1832 | " | " | " | " | " | 1833 | " | " | " | " | " | 1834 | " | " | " | " | " | 1835 | " | " | " | " | " | 1836 | " | " | " | " | " | 1837 | " | " |John Eberle |J. C. Cross | " | | | | | | | 1838 |" | " |N. R. Smith | " | " | | | | | | | 1839 |" | " | " | " | " | 1840 |" | " | " | " | " | 1841 |" | " | Elisha | " | " | | | | Bartlett | | | 1842 |" | " | " | " | " | 1843 |" | " | " |L. M. Lawson| " | 1844 | " |J. M. Bush | L. Watson | " | " | 1845 | " | " | " | " | T. D. | | | | | | Mitchell | 1846 | " | " | Elisha | " | Samuel | | | | Bartlett | " | Annan | 1847 | " | " | " |E. L. Dudley| " | 1848 | " | " | " | " | " | 1849 | " | " |Samuel Annan | " |W. M. Boling| 1850 |No winte|r session | of the Medi |cal College.| | 1851 | E. L. |J. M. Bush |Samuel Annan | H. M. | S. M. | | Dudley | | | Skillman | Letcher | 1852 | " | " | " | " | " | 1853 | " | " | " | " | " | 1854 | " | " |W. S. Chipley| " | " | 1855 | " | " | " | " | " | 1856 | " | " | " | " | " | | | | | | | 1857 | " | " | " | " | " | -------------------------------------------------------------------

SCHEDULE A. (Continued)

SUCCESSION OF THE MEDICAL PROFESSORS IN THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT OF TRANSYLVANIA UNIVERSITY, FROM 1799 TO 1857, INCLUSIVE.

----------------------------------------- -----+------------+---------+------------ | Materia |Chemistry|Demonstrator Year.| Medica, | and | of |Botany, etc.|Pharmacy.| Anatomy. -----+------------+---------+------------ 1799 | | Samuel | | | Brown | 1805 | | | | | | 1809 | | | | | | 1815 | | James | | | Blythe | 1817 |Daniel Drake| " | 1818 | | " | 1819 | Chas. | " | | Caldwell | | 1820 | " | " | 1821 | " | " | 1822 | " | " | 1823 |Daniel Drake| " | 1824 | " | " | 1825 | " | " | 1826 | C. W. Short| | 1827 | " | | 1828 | " | | 1829 | " | | 1830 | " | | 1831 | " | L. P.| | | Yandell | 1832 | " | " | 1833 | " | " | 1834 | " | " | 1835 | " | " | 1836 | " | " | 1837 | " | T. D. | | | Mitchell| 1838 | T. D. | Robert | | Mitchell | Peter | 1839 | " | " | 1840 | " | " | 1841 | " | " | | | | 1842 | " | " | 1843 | " | " | 1844 | " | " | 1845 | " | " | | | | 1846 | " | " | | | | 1847 | " | " | 1848 | " | " | 1849 |H.M. Bullitt| " | 1850 | | | 1851 |J. R. Allen | Robert |J. M. Bruce | | Peter | " 1852 | " | " | " 1853 | " | " | " 1854 | " | " | " 1855 | " | " | " 1856 | A. K. | " | " | Marshall | | 1857 | B. P. Drake| " | " -----------------------------------------

SCHEDULE B

OF THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT OF TRANSYLVANIA UNIVERSITY FOR THIRTY-NINE YEARS.

----------------------------------- -----------+-----------+----------- Year. | Pupils. | Graduates. 1817-18 | 20 | 1 1819-20 | 37 | 7 1820-21 | 93 | 14 1821-22 | 138 | 37 1822-23 | 171 | 51 1823-24 | 200 | 46 1824-25 | 234 | 56 1825-26 | 281 | 65 1826-27 | 190 | 53 1827-28 | 152 | 53 1828-29 | 206 | 40 1829-30 | 199 | 72 1830-31 | 210 | 54 1831-32 | 215 | 74 1832-33 | 222 | 69 1833-34 | 262 | 66 1834-35 | 259 | 83 1835-36 | 262 | 75 1836-37 | 242 | 78 1837-38 | 227 | 84 1838-39 | 211 | 51 1839-40 | 257 | 62 1840-41 | 254 | 64 1841-42 | 271 | 57 1842-43 | 204 | 60 1843-44 | 214 | 59 1844-45 | 156 | 38 1845-46 | 171 | 64 1846-47 | 205 | 68 1847-48 | 169 | 53 1848-49 | 120 | 49 1849-50 | 92 | 35 1850-51 | 50 | 21 1851-52 | 50 | 23 1853 | 51 | 19 1854 | 53 | 31 1855 | 38 | 29 1855-56 | 38 | 11 1856-57 | 32 | 9 +-----------+----------- Totals | 6,456 | 1,881 -----------------------------------

Thus the records show that in thirty-nine years of the existence of the Medical Department of Transylvania University it taught six thousand four hundred and fifty-six pupils and conferred the degree of Doctor of Medicine on one thousand eight hundred and eighty-one of that number. The late Professor Thomas D. Mitchell, in speaking of its record, made the following remark: "That for its vigorous prosperity and the rapid increase of its classes, the medical school of Transylvania is without a parallel. Certainly in the United States there is nothing comparable to it. This is the highest eulogy the institution can receive. The most eloquent and forcible language in praise of it would be spiritless and feeble contrasted with the power of the foregoing figures."

SCHEDULE OF THE SEVERAL ENDOWMENTS OF TRANSYLVANIA UNIVERSITY.

======================================================================== Date of | | | Donation| |Character of | Conditions Under or | |Donations or | Which they Grant. |Donors. |Grants. | were Given. --------+------------------+----------------------+--------------------- | | | 1780 |State of Virginia |8,000 acres escheated |For the purposes | | lands in Kentucky, | of a "Public | | value unknown | School" or seminary | | | of learning in | | | Kentucky. | | | 1783 |State of Virginia |12,000 acres escheated|For the purposes | | lands in Kentucky, | of a "Public | | value unknown | School" or seminary | | | of learning in | | | Kentucky. | | | 1783 |Individuals |Books, etc., value not|For the purposes | | known | of a "Public | | | School" or seminary | | | of learning in | | | Kentucky. | | | 1784 |Reverend John Todd|Small library and |"As an encouragement | | apparatus | to science." | | | 1787 |State of Virginia |One sixth surveyors' |For the public | | fees in Kentucky | school, etc. | | | 1791 |State of Virginia |A lottery grant to |To establish | | raise money | the school. | | | 1792-3 |Transylvania Land |Lot in Lexington |For the permanent | Co. | (5 acres) | site of the | | | Seminary. | | | 1795-8 |State of Kentucky |12,000 acres of land, | | | 6,000 acres to | | | Kentucky Academy and| | | 6,000 acres to the | | | Seminary | | | | 1794-5 |Individuals in |$14,000 in money and |Promotion of science, | various parts | books and apparatus | learning, and | and States | | virtue. | | | 1804 |State of Kentucky |A lottery grant |To build a Medical | | | College. | | | 1819 |State of Kentucky |Bonus of F. & M. Bank,|To aid the | | $3,000 | University. | | | 1820 |State of Kentucky |$5,000 in paper |To Medical College | | | for library, etc. | | | 1820 |City of Lexington |$6,000 in paper |To Medical College | | | for library, etc. | | | 1820 |State of Kentucky |Half profits of | | | Commercial Bank, | | | $20,000 in paper, 2 | | | per cent on auction |To aid the | | sales to law library| University. | | | 1822 |Citizens of |$4,832 |To aid the Medical | Lexington | | Department. | | | 1823 |Colonel James |$20,000 in money |To found a "Morrison" | Morrison | | professorship or | | | library. | | | 1823 |Colonel James |$50,000 residuary |To erect a "Morrison | Morrison | estate | College." | | | 1823 |State of Kentucky |A lottery grant |To build a medical | | |college at Lexington. | | | 1827 |Citizens and city |$3,000 per annum, the |To pay salaries of to 1829 | of Lexington | city giving $500 | President and | | | professors of the | | | University. | | | 1827 |Citizens and city |Insurance policy for | | to 1829 | of Lexington | $10,000 on the | | | burned University | | | edifice | | | | 1830 |W. C. C. Claiborne|$50 |To help build the | | | above. | | | 1839 |City of Lexington |$70,000 to build new |On condition to elect | | medical college, | Trustees and send | | enlarge library, | free scholarships. | | etc. | | | | 1839 |Transylvania |About $35,000 |To endow Morrison | Institute | | College, etc. | | | 1839 |Citizens of |$3000 |To purchase a lot | Lexington | | for the site of the | | | Medical College. | | | 1839 | | | to 1850 |Medical professors|Residuary debt on new | | | Medical College in | | | lieu of rent | | | | 1855-6 |State of Kentucky |$12,000 per annum for |Support of Normal | | two years | College in | | | Transylvania | | | University. | | | 1834 |His Britannic |Numerous old legal | | majesty | record books | --------+------------------+----------------------+---------------------

Many other persons, as Honorable Edward Everett, Mr. Swan, of France, etc., have at various times made valuable contributions to the Library.

INDEX

* Before figures means that the reference is to a foot-note on the pages indicated.

PAGE

Academical Department of Transylvania in 1857 160

Account rendered of books, etc., purchased by Doctors Bush and Peter *91

Act endowing Transylvania University 1

Allen, Doctor John Rowan *147