Wilder, Neural Terms. 333 



§263. Dr. Dwight's address was devoted mainly to what 

 he justly characterized as " a social question of the first impor- 

 tance, far transcending purely scientific discussion, viz., the 

 methods of obtaining and utilizing anatomical material." No- 

 menclature was considered briefly and almost incidentally. The 

 following commentaries are designed partly to reinforce some of 

 his remarks, and partly to avert possible misapprehension as to 

 both what he said and what he felt obliged to omit. 



§264. In the first place, as a member of the committee 

 on Nomenclature of the Association of American Anatomists 

 since 1889 (§81), Dr. Dwight recognizes with especial clearness 

 that the subject can no longer be ignored. Now that a score 

 of European anatomists have given more or less attention to it 

 during six years, and have expended upon it about 1^2500.00, 

 no individual or association can hereafter treat it as insignificant. 



§265. Secondly, the approximate completeness of the 

 German list of the visible parts of the entire body renders it a 

 substantial basis for discussion and a starting point for further 

 progress, 



§266. The two conditions just named will, as doubtless 

 anticipated by Dr. Dwight, lead anatomic writers and teachers 

 to pay more heed to their terminology, and to maintain at 

 least a temporary consistency, i. e., within the limits of a single 

 lecture, article or treatise. 



§267, Yet our gratification at the tardy German admission 

 of the need of terminologic improvement, and our recogni- 

 tion of the usefulness of the list compiled with such learning 

 and industry and at such expense, should not lead us to over- 

 look [a) the limitations of the German report in both intent and 

 performance ; (/;) the delay in its adoption by other nations; {c) 

 the qualifications of Americans for independent judgment. 



§268. The " B. N. A.", i. e., the Nomina Anatomica 

 adopted by the Anatomische Gesellschaft at Basel in 1895, is 

 regarded by the Germans themselves as provisional and subject 

 to modification. As stated officially {Anat. Anzeiger, Ergan- 

 zungsheft, X, i6[), and by Prof His (§§2, 228) there was ap- 

 pointed a standing committee of revision, which is to report 



