University of Saint Thomas

University of Saint Thomas

(SANTO TOMÁS)

University in Manila, founded in 1619 by the Dominican Miguel de Benavides, Archbishop of Manila. In 1645 Innocent X granted it the title of pontifical university, and in the same year it received the title of royal university from Philip IV of Spain. Attached to the university is the College of San Juan de Letran. After a five years' course in this college, including Latin, Greek, English, mathematics, natural history, botany, mineralogy, physics, chemistry, and philosophy, the successful student receives the Degree of Bachelor of Arts. The university has the right of conferring the doctorate in theology, philosophy, in civil and canon law, medicine, pharmacy, literature, and science. The departments of the university are all within the "walled city". The university attained its greatest prosperity in 1897, just at the commencement of the Spanish-American war. In that year the number of students enrolled in the various courses was as follows: divinity, 15; canon law, 5; civil law, 572; medicine, 361; pharmacy, 90; philosophy and literature, 51; sciences, 14; that year, however, owing to the revolution, the numbers very notably decreased until within the last two years, when there was a marked increase in attendance, the schools of medicine and pharmacy being particularly well attended. In connection with the university there is an excellent museum of natural history. The exhibits of this museum have been awarded special premiums at the expositions of Paris, Madrid, the Philippine Islands, Hanoi in Cochinchina, and St. Louis. The museum contains excellent material for the study of anatomy, anthropology, diplogenesy, Philippine ethnology, zoology, botany, mineralogy, and numismatics. The zoological specimens and their varieties number over 10,000. These have been carefully catalogued in a notable work, "Catálogo sistemático de toda la fauna de Filipinas", arranged by the Reverend Casto de Elera, O.P., who for many years held the chair of natural history in the university. The classes of medicine are held in St. Joseph's College and in the San Juan de Dios hospital, both founded in the seventeenth century. The medical department has well-equipped laboratories. The courses of pharmacy are given in St. Joseph's College. The library contains more than 25,000 volumes. The university is under the direction of a corporation formed by Dominicans; the rector is always a member of that order, though secular professors are appointed for the chairs of civil law, medicine and pharmacy. The faculty numbers 60 professors and 220 assistant teachers and masters in the various departments of the university.

JOHN J. THOMPKINS