DR. LAUDER LINDSAY v. THE UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3247, 3 July 1872, Page 5

DR. LAUDER LINDSAY v. THE UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO.

TO THE EDITOR.

S»«—Your correspondent "M.D." calls on me for some notice of the subject mi which he writes in your paper of .Saturday last. J respond to his call, merely to disabuse the ioiinds of your readers of the impresßifm that I have sustained, deservedly or otherwise, "such" disparagement and degradation at the hands of our quondam friend and visitor, Or Lauder Liml«ay. On referring to the number of the Edinburgh Medical Journal—the jjeriodioal in which I irai " mentioned in such disparaging term*"—l find nothing to justify the anxiety that "M. I)." manifesto on my account. IM' Lauder Lindsay, iv an article that appears in that journal, enumerates what he supposes to be tho subjects that I profess to teach in the University of Otago. In tin's list are included Chemistry, (ieology, J'otnny, Zoology, Agriculture, Mineralogy, Meteorology. ?>ow, Dr Lindsay knows, and all the readers of the periodical named must be supposed to know, that in the University of Edinburgh each of the five subjects iimt mentioned in the above list has tho time, tf'.leuts, and energy of one Professor devoted to itaelf alone.

Or Lindsay's assertion, therefore, that I, fiingle-handed, cannot perform satisfactorily in the University of Otago the work that^ is done in the University of Edinburgh by live eminent Professors and their assistants, in no disparagement nor degradation to me. It was not intended as such by Dr Lindsay. It will not be received as suoh by tl c "medical," " influential," and other readers of the Edinburgh McdicalJoumaK nor, after this explanation, by those of your readers who have seen the Fetter of my apologist— your correspondent, " M.D." If f r Lindsay founded his estimate of tho status of oar University on the assumption that on me devolves the duty of teaching all the subjects he enumerates, and that all the other J'rofesnors arc over-weighted in the came degree, his strictures arc not altogether unjustifiable. He will, however, be glad to know—and perhaps the knowledge will lead him to recast his estimate of the status of our University—that my class of "Chemistry and Mineralogy," though the only one in the department of Natural Science, does not impose on me the duty of teaching all the subjects included under that term. —I am, &c., J. G'ow Black.

TO THE EDITOR,

Bn:—ln a lecture by Dr Lindsay, prepared for mid at the request of the Young Men's Christian Association of Dunediu, and published in 1862,. the following passage respecting a University for Otago occurs : —" Not less important as a means of promoting (science in your Province than either a Museum or Botanic Garden, at the same time not as superseding these, would Iks tho establishment of a University, or at all events the first nucleus thereof. Such an institution is desirable on many other and more important grounds. A University in Dunedin might become not only the Provincial University, or the University of the Middle Island, but the UnicersHu of New Zraland. . . . If a Museum or Botanic

Garden appear to you ueces-arily expensive, I fear, a University will appear much more so, if you think of it as a massive pile, richly ornamented, its niches containing statues of the great and good, with endless lecture rooms, a commodious library, and an imposing Senate hall, two or three dozen learned professors, and a venerable principal. It is, however, far from necessary —it is not, perhaps, desirable that you should at once establish a University complete in all its parts. All I would recommend, so far as Natural History is concerned, is the appointment of two or three professors, who would be easily accommodated, and who might be most useful Government officers, independent altogether of their 'chairs.' No separate buildings would be necessary at first. I would house the professors in the Museum, though this would imply your making this building commodious. Your Provincial Geologist might be Profimor of a certain section of the Natural Sciences—certainly of O't-oloffi/ and Muutraloyy, with their economical" applications. He might act :w Government referee on all questions referring to mining and quarrying in their scientific aspects. The Director of your Botanic Garden might be your Proftmor if Botany, and perhaps also of Zoology, with their economical applications. He might also hold oflice as Couiermfor of Fornstx, or have a seat on a Board of Woods and For?*!* as professional referee. Ho wonld be a useful authority in all questions relating to the acclimatisation of plants or animals, agriculture and arboriculture, iv their scientific aspects. Another Professor could hardly bo dispensed with ; indeed his I usefulness is, perhaps, more evident than in the case of'the other two. 1 refer to a Profi<xsor of Chemistry, who might also be <!ovcrniiieut' Aw.dijxt and A>txiiyn: At present, 1 believe you'send your gold for assay to Sydney ; and you are dependent, entirely on Australia and Britain for chemical reports on the percentage of iron in your iron Baud or ochres, sulphur in your sulphur mines, lime in your limestones, gas in your lignites. Would it. not save time and trouble, delay and suspense, as well as expense, to have your analyst always at hand-always at your service. He would be ready to act as agricultural chemist, making analyses of soils for settlers. He would bo a valuable referee in medico-legal cases, in judicial examinations in case of poisoning for instance, and in similar cases where the chemical would necessarily be the chief evidence. He would act as a detector of adulterations in your foodsarid drinks- adulterations which are generally rife in such a state of society as exists in Duncdin at present. Such Professors might.give systematic instruction in their respective sciences to all who desired to take advantage thereof, as well as more general and popular courses of lectures to the public at large. The contents of the Museum would afford abundance of suitable

illustrations. All three I*rofessors might, if necessary, occupy the same lecture room at different horn's, or at different seasons, though there is no doubt, separate and ample accommodation would be desirable. The Professor of Chemistry "would, in addition, require- a small Laboratory, the coat whereof would reside chifcily in its fittings, which, however, may be had at a very moderate ou'Jay." I venture to say that we have carried oiit the suggestions of the learned doctor in this spirit. We have provided for instruction by

competent Prof censors in CiassicH, Mathematics pure and applied, Philosophy, Mental and Monti, Chemistry and Mineralogy. Nor i» thia all. Oar representative!}, at the recent meeting of the Provincial Council, made a handsome appropriation of 100,000 acres of pastoral country, mainly with a view to the addition of Medical ana Law .Schools. It is known to many here that Dr Lindsay not only approved of the establishment of our Univermty upon the modest scale on which it was projected, but took great paina lo get a distinguished friend of hin into one of the chairs. He could not, therefore, at that, time have regarded our University as only on a par with a .'Mechanics' Institute. It is annoying to have the doctor write of our imfcituliou in straitiß which he must have known oh a complete misrepresentation.—X am, kc. t Patkbfamilias.