tllACTlCAL HISTOLOGY FOR MEDICAL STUDENTS. 3 



stupid Students, but are free to go on with the programme, 

 and to execute it as rapidly as they like. 



This plan is good when you have not more than half a 

 dozen pupils and plenty of time to teach them. It involves 

 your repeating to every student the remarks you may have to 

 make. In my opinion, the plan is an utter failure if your 

 time is limited, and the number of your students more than 

 six or so. I have tried it with the number fourteen, and the 

 best part of a day to teach them not a very long lesson. 

 Nothing would tempt me to try it again in the tuition of an 

 ordinary class. The plan I now adopt on all occasions is to 

 treat my class like a regiment of soldiers, making every one 

 do the same thing at the same time. The interest is 

 thoroughly kept up by making the class a sort of debating 

 society. While every one looks at the same object, I ask 

 one student after another to describe what he sees. The 

 observations of one student are in this Avay checked by the 

 observations of another. The class resembles a little army 

 of investigators — it is, in fact, a miniature of the histological 

 world. The power that every student has^of criticising the 

 observations of his fellows makes, as might be supposed, 

 every one exceedingly careful. A simple object like yeast is 

 taken first. I give no description of the torula, but I ask the 

 student to describe and then to draw what he sees. Any one 

 may be called upon to do this. Any one who disagrees with 

 any statement is asked to do so, and to give a demonstration 

 in support of his opinio:!. To facilitate such descriptions 

 every student has a card on Avhich are printed the following 

 points: — 1. Shape. 2. Edge. o. Colour. 4. Transparency. 

 5. Contents. 6. Size. 7. Effects of reagents. The card 

 prevents the student from getting bewildered, and teaches 

 him method and thoroughness. Care is taken that no one 

 ever becomes idle. If his preparation is made, and he be 

 waiting on his neighbours, he occupies his time in drawing. 

 When we come to complex structures, such as bone, I give a 

 brief preliminary account of the subject, in order that every 

 one may understand what he sees. By questioning the 

 student as the demonstration goes on, it is easily ascer- 

 tained whether he understands w'hat he is about. On all 

 occasions, however, I endeavour to make the student describe 

 Avhat he sees. This method really educates him in a way 

 such as no other method, in my opinion, can. When neces- 

 sary I show preparations which have been previously made. 

 With a subject like teeth this is, of course, necessary, but 

 whenever it is possible each student makes his own prepara- 

 tions, and preserves them when they are worth keeping. 



