in medical schools corresponds to the new departure in American medical education; these post-graduate schools supply an acknowledged want in our opportunities for medical instruction, whereby men, newly graduated, may continue further the study of their profession, or may supplement, during a few months of study, their own experience as practitioners, by reviewing the collated and systematic presentation of all new discoveries in remedies, appliances, and methods of cure. The number of medical schools proper has diminished by two, one eclectic and one homœopathic school, both connected with the University of Nebraska, not appearing in this Report. Four new schools of pharmacy make up this loss of numbers in the table, and supply the rest of the increase noted for the year. TABLE XIII.—Summary of statistics of schools of medicine, of dentistry, and of pharmacy. TABLE XIII.-Summary of statistics of schools of medicine, &c.-Continued. The following summary shows for 1885 the number and kind of degrees, in course and honorary, that were conferred in the United States. The number of degrees noted as conferred in theology does not really represent the number of graduates in that faculty, because many of the best schools mention in their graduation certificates no particular degree as conferred on the graduate. All such cases, whenever they can be ascertained, should be classed as bachelors of divinity. As most of these graduates were also preliminarily educated in a classical collegiate course, ending with the bachelorship of arts, and as they usually receive, three years later, the mastership of arts as a matter of course, they have no need of a professional degree. Of the grand total "in course" the learned professions obtained 47 per cent., of which theology received 3 per cent., medicine 36 per cent., and law 8 per cent. Of the honorary degrees in the grand total, the learned professions obtained 58 per cent., of which theology received 37 per cent., medicine 1 per cent., and law 20 per cent. By comparing this table with that of 1880, it will be perceived that the different departments have gained, in degrees conferred, from 21 per cent. to 77 per cent., the exception of the law, which has lost 6 per cent. TABLE XV.-Statistical summary of all degrees conferred. with GRAND TOTAL.................. Total in classical and scientific colleges. a12, C37 6549 4, 569 185 1, 640 16 453 25 56 4 334 204 4, 591 976 107 c8, 276 533 3, 620 185 1,572 16 452 25 28 4 167 190 1,570 6 861 107 |