Literary Notices. xlix 



Neurologic Terminology.' 



If we may judge from a number of recent publications on nomen- 

 clature, in the minds of some at least, a critical point has been reached 

 in neurologic terminology in America in the recent report above indi- 

 cated. This is the last and most radical step in the direction of a simpli- 

 fication of existing anatomical nomenclature that has so far been made. 



The committee appointed by the Association of American Anato- 

 mists had previously made preliminary reports in 1889 and 1895 which 

 are embodied also in the present report. In addition to the Associa- 

 tion of American Anatomists, reports on Anatomical Nomenclature have 

 been adopted by the American Association for the Advancement of 

 Science in 1889, '90 and '93, and a more comprehensive report by the 

 committee of the American Neurological Association in 1896. All of 

 these embody the same tendencies and principles in nomenclature 

 which in the report now before us are given a broader application and 

 carried to a greater extent. In preparing the present report of the 

 Association of American Anatomists there has been a sharp divergence 

 of opinion in the committee ; hence the list of recommendations offered 

 is presented by the majority of the committee composed of Prof. F. 

 H. Gerrish of the Medical School of Maine ; Prof. G. S. Huntington 

 of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New York, and Prof. B. 

 G. Wilder of Cornell University ; against which report are voiced the 

 protestations of the minority, — Prof. Dwight of Harvard Medical 

 School, and Dr. Baker of Washington. It should be further noted 

 that the list of the majority is based upon the list of terms recommend- 

 ed and employed by the secretary of the committee. Dr. Wilder, as 

 published recently in this Journal (Neural Terms, National and Inter- 

 national). The only other list published by an association of anatomists 

 is the report of the German Nomenclature Commission adopted by the 

 Anatomische Gesellschaft m. 1895 embodying a list of some 500 neural 

 terms which are recommended for use. 



As compared with the list of the German Nomenclature Commis- 

 sion, which aims to present a complete system of nomenclature for 

 human anatomy, the report adopted by the Association of American 

 Anatomists is a fragment; it comprises 475 terms which may be 

 grouped as follows : 23 terms identical with those of the Ger- 

 man Commission ; 78 which are the same as those of the German 



' Reports of the Majority and Minority of the Committee on Anatomical 

 Nomenclature, and Comments of the Secretary of the Committee. Proc. Assoc. 

 Am. Anatomists, lOlli Annual Session, December, 1897, pp. 27-60. 



