At their first meeting the Association of American Medical Colleges adopted the following:

Whereas a knowledge of the elementary branches of medicine should precede a study of the practical branches :

Resolved. That in the hope of inducing students to prolong and systematise their studies, this convention recommends to all medical colleges to offer to students the option of three courses of lectures, after a plan similar to the following: Students who have attended two full courses on anatomy, chemistry, materia medica, and physiology may be examined upon any of these subjects at the end of their second course. During their third course such students may devote themselves to the lectures upon the theory and practice of medicine, surgery, obstretrics, and diseases of women and children, upon which subjects only they shall be examined at the final examination for the degree of M. D., their standing, however, to be determined by the results of both examinations.

We now turn to the examination of the curricula of the schools having graded courses. In the first year we find invariably instruction in chemistry, anatomy, physiology and histology, and dissection. Materia medica in the majority of cases also comes in the first year. In half a dozen instances minor surgery is introduced thus early, and in eleven cases, at least, clinics, "general and surgical," as at the University of Pennsylvania, or medical, surgical, eye,and gynecological, as at the University of Wooster, are also held. At least 9 colleges have instruction in hygiene during the year. Gynecology, physical diagnosis, pathology, principles of surgery, medical jurisprudence, ethics, and physics have place in the first-year course of one or more colleges.

Comparing these figures with those of ten years ago, and remembering that 43 graded courses (several not obligatory) are represented now against 13 in 1881, it appears that in the main features no change has been made and that chemistry, anatomy, and physiology are the groundwork of medical instruction.

Twenty-six schools report definitely as to the examination at the close of the first year. General chemistry is disposed of by the great majority of the 26 schools and normal histology and materia medica by a great many. Several schools have a final examination on the bones and ligatures. It is impossible to speak with more -than approximate accuracy on the character of the examinations of the first year except to say that the final examinations on the fundamental subjects of anatomy, and physiology, and the subject of materia medica are passed during the second year, to the curriculum of which we now turn.

The principal studies of the second year are anatomy, theory and practice of medicine, surgery, therapeutics and materia medica, obstetrics, medical chemistry, and physiology. Clinical instruction is very generally given during this year. In twenty cases diseases of women and in fifteen, diseases of children are a part of the curriculum, and in ten physical diagnosis and hygiene. The special branches-eye, ear, throat, chest, and nervous disease-are represented in from three to five schools, and medical jurisprudence in six schools. Minor surgery and toxicology are each represented in four schools.

The language used by the schools in their curriculums is not uniform, but it appears that of 43 schools having graded or progressive courses but 3 do not have anatomy during the second year. One of these has "surgical pathology," another pathological anatomy, and the third pathology illustrated with morbid specimens. Ten schools do not report physiology, at least under that name, though it may be included in "medical chemistry," which is specifically named by 8 of these 10 schools. But the new studies of importance of the year are theory and practice of medicine, surgery, and therapeutics. Pathology and clinical instruction are also mentioned, in many cases alone, in others in connection with medicine and surgery. Occasionally there is a term such as this: "Theoretical, operative, and clinical surgery," or "theoretical and clinical medicine or obstetrics."

At the close of the second year the final examinations in anatomy, physiology, materia medica and therapeutics, pathological anatomy, and chemistry take place, and in several schools an examination in medicine and in surgery occurs. The third is the practical year of the three-year course. Medicine, surgery, and obstetrics are represented in the curriculum of every school, while the subjects diseases of women and of children are not reported by 4 and 12 respectively. The new subjects of the year are the special branches, which are clinically taught, to wit, diseases of the eye, ear, throat, skin, nose, and nervous and mental diseases. Pathology, materia medica, medical jurisprudence, and hygiene are important features. In several schools orthopædiatrics, electrotherapeutics, and bacteriology are mentioned as subjects of study.

The character of the four years' course is illustrated by the following pro

grammes:

HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL.

The following tabular view illustrates the distribution of studies throughout the year.

a Till February in sections.

b In first half-year,

c Till January in sections.

d Examination in February.

e In second half-year in sections.

Each half of the class on alternate weeks till February.

g In sections of half the class till March.

In sections.

NOTE.-The time at which each exercise begins is shown in the margin at the left of each page; the time of its ending is subject to the instructor's convenience.