Homeopathic

It is lioped that the end of the long and vigorous flght that has been made against the Homeopathie department is now near at hand. This department has been, as one might say, on the "ragged edge of nothing" for so man y years that the prospeets ahead of it now are very encouraging to its friends. A determined effort has been made for a long time to conipel its rernoval to Detroit. Jt is not our purpose to go into the argumenta pro and con, but we believe the best intébests of the department would be met by leaving it where it is, an integral part of the great Uniyersity. with all the other departments in wliich students can have so many advantages right at hand. Last week tliere was; given to the public the following letter í'rom a number ot' the leading Homeopathie physicians of the state, which is self explanatory: - "My Dear Doctor: -We write you concerning' the homeopathie college at Ann Arbor. Whatever niay be our individual views of the question. we consider it unwise to further publicly agítate the reinoval. The regents are demonstrating their intention to treat the homeopathie department fairly. and the nevv faculty members are administering its affairs in a way to command universal respect. So long as this happy combination continúes, it seems clêar to us that the profession should give unqualified support to the existing order of things. When there is greater cause and more urgent demand. there is vet time and opportunity to seek legislative action. That the united profession gains its wish is well said, but let us not hazard our future prospeets by too frequent demanda upon our friends. For the time let us defer action and give, if not support, at least opportunfty for favorable developinents at the University. For ourselves, we believe it our duty to most cordially and enthusiastically support the homeopathie college as at I present administered." Dr. D. A. McLachlan, formerly of the University, now of Detroit, and president of the state association.answers it in the Saturday Free Press in a letter setting f orth the work that is being done to compel its reinoval, and denying that the letter is what it is affirmêd to be, the concluding chapter. As president of the association he has been sending out a number of circular letters, and the answers to the questions -thereiu contained will probably form the basis of such action as the state association may take at its next meeting, and that meeting will probably decide the ques tion finally. We trust the association will allow the facultv as it is now stituted to do the best they can to put the department into the position it shouldoccupy. The Midwinter Bulletin of that department just issued, gives sorae interesting statistics of its standing at this time. It presents good reasons, it seems to us, why the department should remain undisturbed until it at least has a fair opportunity to demónstrate its ability to take care of itself. The number of students is increasing, the clinie work is improving in quant. tv and quality, the faculty is united and earnest in its efforts for the department, and the prospeets for the school never Avere better. The opinions of a number of the leading physiciana are given, and it seems to be the opinión of most of them that the best thing to do is to give the department a period of rest from disturbance. and of active work. Theannouncement eontained in the Bulletin gives several yery good reasons why the department is all right where it is: "Alibrary of 100,000 volumes for f ree use of students; the linest chemie il, histological, pa hological, and bacteriological laboratories in ponnection with any homeopathie institution; a special pharmacological laboratory exclusively homeopathie in nature; a large hospital under exclusive control of the faculty; cost of living flí'ty per cent less than in any college town." The Kegents at their meeting this week considered the matter very fully, and decided that the department shouíd reinain where it is. The question of the additional expense is thorouglily canvassed in the report of the committee, the provisions oí the one-sixth mili bilí entering very iargely into the matter. Uut even more serious than the financia] question, is the result upon the future welfare of the University. Upon this point the committee says: "Your committee h;is thus far considered mainly the mei e question of dollars and cents. Behind all these and above all these is the more important luestion of i:s effect upon the University. Long ago the people of this state abandoned the idea of a University with separate branches in its different cities, and adopted the policy of iig a 1 its departments in its present ocation. ïhere, where each department hasadded to tliedevelopmentand prowth of all the rest, it has grown (o ts present position of eminenceamong the universities of the yold. If it is proper to satisfy a few of the rnembers of one of the great professions to renove one of its dpartments to Detroit, t is on the request of oiher of the citizens of the state proper to remove other departments to other eities and once commenced there is no visible opportunity for pausing in the process of disntegration. Itwould be the beginning of the end. In the opinión of your committee, to grant the pryer of the petitioners would be not oiily a most flagrant breach of the duty laid upon usbythe legislature of this state, not only impossible with any fonda within the control of this board, and not only unadvisable for the real interest of the school itself, but dangerous as the firet step in a policy which. once entered upon, eould not easily be abandoned and which would ultimately lead to the destructioo of this University."