2

Botanical Garden, upon condition that within twelve years buildings should be erected upon these grounds and the establishment moved thither. This obligation was released February 19, 1819.' The Botanical Garden, then a rural spot some three miles "out of town,” is now in the midst of a densely-built and wealthy part of the city, and affords the source of a most substantial income to the College. From 1817 to 1820, extensive alterations and repairs were made, and new buildings were erected. In 1827 it was resolved to establish a grammar school, and in 1829 a building was erected upon the college grounds for this use. It shared in the distribution of the Literature Fund many years and was continued until 1864.

In 1830 extensive modifications were made in the course of studies, and the time of daily attendance of the professors was much increased. The course of study in existence at the time was denominated the full course, and a scientific and literary course was introduced, the latter being open to other than matriculated students, and to such extent as they might think proper to attend. This arrangement did not, however, appear to meet with public favor, and in 1843 it was discontinued.'

In 1843 Mr. Frederick Gebhard endowed a professorship of the German language and literature by giving $20,000. It was first filled in 1844 by the appointment of John Louis Tellkampf, J. U. D.

In 1852 the restriction in the act of 1810, in relation to land received from Trinity Church, might be released with the consent of its corporation, and in 1857' the trustees were allowed to purchase land in the nineteenth ward, between Forty-ninth and Fiftieth streets, including the premises of the New York Institution for the

Report in the Literary and Scientific course of Columbia College.

Deaf and Dumb.

This purchase, since extended,' now includes the ground between Madison and Fourth avenues. The College was removed from its down-town location, where it had remained for more than a century, and the premises there are now covered with fine blocks of buildings devoted to business purposes. The course of study was much enlarged at this time and new professorships created.

In 1872' permission was given to sell the lands then owned and remove to a new site, but the buildings since erected seem to indicate that this intention was abandoned.

In the fall of 1858 a post graduate course of instruction was opened, but the time had not yet come for success, and after one year the scheme was relinquished. During the year a course of lectures was delivered by Prof. Arnold Guyot upon Comparative Physical Geography, in its relations to History and Modern Civilization, and by George P. Marsh upon the English Language. In May, 1858, a Department of Law was established, and in 1860 the College of Physicians and Surgeons was united with the College, as we shall separately notice. In 1863 a School of Mines was established, and in 1880 a School of Political Science. In 1881 a new library building was erected, and on its completion, the several libraries of the College were consolidated into one collection and placed under efficient management.

Early in 1884 Lewis M. Rutherford, of New York city, presented to the College an equatorial refracting telescope, of thirteen inches aperture, supplied with a correcting lens for photographic work, to which belong two micrometers for position measurements; a transit instrument of three inches aperture, by Stackpole & Bro.; a Dent siderial clock; a micrometer for measuring photographic plates, and other apparatus- the whole increasing the value of the instruments in the Observatory by about $20,000.

Columbia College has, at the present time, a School of Arts, a School of Mines, a School of Law, a School of Political Science, and a School of Medicine, employing a President and one hundred and forty-five Professors, Instructors and Assistants, and had the last year, in all its departments, 1,456 students."

By chap. 51, Laws of 1860, power was granted to acquire adjacent lands. *Chap. 96, Laws of 1872.

3 We are indebted to Moore's Historical Sketch of Columbia College, and a volume issued in April, 1884, entitled "Hand-book of Information as to the Course of Instruction in Columbia College, and its Several Schools," for much of the information given in the above sketch.

Alumni Association.

"The Association of the Alumni of Columbia College," was incorporated May 21, 1874, with corporate powers, limited as to income to $20,000 a year.

The Elgin Botanic Garden.

In 1801 Dr. David Hosack, Professor of Botany and Materia Medica in Columbia College, having made an unsuccessful attempt to secure aid from the State, undertook at his own expense to establish a Botanical Garden, as subservient to the purposes of medicine, agriculture and the arts.' He purchased from the corporation twenty acres of ground, on the Middle Road between Bloomingdale and Kingsbridge, and distant from the city as then settled, about three miles and a half. From the diversity of soil and surface it was thought well adapted to most kinds of plants growing in temperate climates. For those requiring protection, hot-houses were to be erected.

As described by Dr. Hosack, in the spring of 1811, there had then been erected a conservatory and two spacious hot-houses, the whole having a front of one hundred and eighty feet; and the entire establishment was surrounded by a belt of forest trees and shrubs, both native and exotic. Outside of these was a stone wall, two and a half feet thick, and seven feet high.

It being deemed an object of public utility, the Medical Society of the city and county of New York, the Common Council, the Governors of the New York Hospital, the State Medical Society, and many citizens, in 1810, memorialized the Legislature for its purchase. These efforts led to the passage of "An Act for promoting Medical Science in the State of New York," dated March 12, 1810, and directing the Commissioners of the Land Office to

The project of a Botanical Garden was brought before the Legislature in 1794, by the 'Society for the Promotion of Agriculture and Manufactures," at the instance of Dr. Samuel L. Mitchill, but without success. In an address delivered by him in February, 1798, before that Society and Members of the Legislature, he expressed regrets that their efforts to establish a Botanical Garden and Experimental Farm had been unsuccessful, and refers to the efforts made in foreign countries for the support of botanical gardens, as worthy of imitation.

Dr. David Hosack was elected Professor of Botany in the Medical School of Columbia College in 1795, and soon after made application to the State for aid in the establishment of a Botanical Garden in the interest of Agriculture and Medical Science. Failing to obtain public aid, yet strong in faith that the measure would be duly appreciated when it became better known, he undertook its establishment from his private means in 1801, with the result stated in the text.

purchase the premises at a fair value for the land, without estimating the worth of the trees and plants, which were, however, to be included. The money for this purchase was to be raised by lottery. The garden when purchased was to be placed in care of the Regents of the University, who were to take measures for its support, for the benefit of the medical schools of New York, but in such manner that it should be of no further charge to the State. Physicians and medical students were to have free access, and the right of future disposal was reserved by the Legislature'.

By a section in "an act instituting a Lottery for the promotion of Literature and for other purposes," passed April 13, 1814, this garden was granted to Columbia College upon condition that the College should be removed to the premises within twelve years. Specimens of living plants were to be delivered within one year to each of the other Colleges upon application therefor.

By an act passed February 19, 1819, this condition of removal was released, and a grant of $10,000 was made to the College, to be applied as the interests of the institution might require.

The lands thus given to Columbia College, and then valued at $2,500 an acre, or $50,000 in all,' included the area between Fifth and Sixth avenues, between Forty-seventh and Fifty-first streets. It is now wholly occupied and of immense value. It is understood that the improvements upon it are chiefly upon leases for a long period, with the prospects of still greater benefits to the College when they expire.

Early Medical School of Columbia College.

The first medical instruction given the city of New York was by Dr. Samuel Clossy, a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, who, in 1764, began a course of lectures upon anatomy to private classes.

In 1767 the Governors of King's College established a Medical

'See "A Statement of Facts relative to the Establishment and Progress of the Elgin Botanical Garden, and the subsequent disposal of the same to the State of New York," and also “Hortus' Elginensis: or a Catalogue of Plants, Indigenous and Exotic, cultured in the Elgin Botanical Garden." 2d Ed. 1811. Both by Dr. David Hosack. The catalogue fills sixty closely printed pages. The first edition was printed in 1806 and contained about 2,000 species.

* The valuation fixed upon the garden was $49,968.75, aside from the fixtures and buildings, worth $24,300. An allowance for delay of payment would have brought up the amount to $103.137, but this was not granted, and the Commissioners accepted the deed at $74,268.75. The trees, plants, tools, etc., worth $12,600, were not paid for.

School, it being the second school of the kind in America and two years later than one at Philadelphia. The first faculty, and their successors down to the time of interruption by the Revolution, were as follows:

In 1769 a public address delivered by Dr. Samuel Bard led to the establishment of the New York Hospital. The impulse given by this memorable discourse was so strong that upon the same day a subscription was commenced by Governor Sir John Moore and the sum of £800 sterling was collected. The corporation of the city added £3,000, and the institution afterward received ample assistance from the Colonial General Assembly and the State Legislature.

The first degrees were conferred by the College upon SAMUEL KISSAM and ROBERT TUCKER as Bachelors of Medicine in 1769, and in 1770 they received the Doctor's degree. There were two graduates in 1771, five in 1772, one in 1773, and one in 1774. This school, like the college itself, was interrupted by the Revolution, and was not resumed until after reorganization under the Regents.

At a meeting of the Regents held December 14, 1784, the report of a committee of medical gentlemen of the Board of Regents as then organized was approved, in reference to the establishment of a Medical School, and during the month the several Professorships in the Faculty of Medicine were filled as follows:

Dr. Samuel Bard.

Dr. Benjamin Kissam.

Professor of Chemistry.

Professor of the Institutes of Medicine.

1 See a fuller account of this colonial School of Medicine in Historical Sketch of the State of Medicine in the American Colonies from their first Settlement to the Period of the Revolution. By John B. Beck, M. D., p. 52- American Medical and Philadelphia Register, II, 228. Also Annals of Medical Progress. By Dr. Joseph M. Toner, 1874.