The First Examination at Harvard.

It was not until 1790 that the college authorities introduced examinations at Harvard. At first they were oral and public, and every student was required to attend under penalty of twenty shillings fine. How this system was first received is thus told by a writer some forty years ago. "Great discontent was immediately evinced by the students at this regulation, and as it was not with this understanding that they entered college, they considered it an ex post facto law, and, therefore, not binding on them. with these views, in the year 1791, the senior and junior classes petitioned for exemption from the examination, but their application was rejected by the overseers. When this was declared, some of the students determined to stop the exercises for that year, if possible. For this purpose they obtained six hundred grains of tartar, and early on the morning of April 12th, the day on which the examination was to begin, emptied it into the great cooking boilers in the kitchen. At breakfast, 150 or more students and officers being present, the coffee was brought on, made with the water from the boilers. Its effects were soon visible. One after another left the hall, some in a slow, others in a hurried manner, but all plainly showing that their situation was by no means a pleasant one. Out of the whole number there assembled, only four or five escaped without having been made unwell. Those who put the drug in the coffee had drunk the most, in order to escape detection, and were consequently severely affected. Unluckily, one of them was seen putting something into the boilers, and the names of the others were soon discovered. Although the examination was delayed for a day or two on account of these occurrences, it was again renewed and carried on during that year, although many attempts were made to stop it."