the name of the medical school, but courses in anatomy, chemistry, physiology and surgery had been given in the academy since 1809.
The Fairfield Medical School grew rapidly and by 1825 was favorably known throughout the medical profession. It had teachers of capability and its graduates were successful. The policy of country medical schools grew in popularity in succeeding years and the Fairfield school became the accepted pattern.
It was into this school that Marcus Whitman entered early in October, 1825, after two years study under Dr. Ira Bryant as a preceptor, and we must now enquire something about this school, its teachers, and its curriculum in 1825-26.
It had an attendance in that year of one hundred and thirty students. This may seem small, but this attendance was exceeded in that year by but four of the seventeen medical schools in the United States. It had two good buildings and a dormitory, all situated near the buildings of the academy. However, the most important features of a medical school, then as now, are not its size nor its buildings, but the quality and experience of its teachers. The year that Marcus Whitman entered there were five professors.
Dr. Joseph White was president (an officer corresponding to our present dean) and professor of surgery. Born in Connecticut he settled for practice in northern New York in 1787, on the then extreme frontier. He developed an extensive practice, and was the most noted surgeon of his time in upstate New York. He was a brigade surgeon in the War of 1812. He was president of the State Medical Society and in 1812 the University of the State of New York conferred upon him the honorary degree of doctor of medicine. In 1825 he was sixty-two years of age, had had eight years experience on a medical faculty, but for twenty-five years previous he had been a popular preceptor and therefore had done much private teaching. Dr. Westel Willoughby was professor of midwifery—the term obstetrics being then little used. Born in Connecticut, in 1792 he went to northern New York where he developed a wide practice. He was a member of congress in 1815 to 1817. In the War of 1812 he was in command of the medical department
