39 
Work or THE PatHonocicat, LABORATORY OF THE CENTRAL 
Inpiana Hosprrau ror [ysane, INDIANAPOLIS. 
By Dr. Gro. F. EDENHARTER, SUPERINTENDENT. 
The time allotted to review the work of our Pathological Department 
barely permits even a brief presentation of its policies, methods and _ re- 
sults. 
It should not be inferred from the name that the work therein is 
purely of a pathological character, because in addition thereto all methods 
of clinical investigation—psychical, physiological, chemical, bacteriolog- 
ical, ete—are employed. 
This department had its inception in a desire to establish the work 
of this hospital upon a scientific basis—to provide our medical staff with 
facilities for the accurate determination of the character of the diseases 
met with in institutional life. 
a medical 
It was also our ambition to create a scientific department 
center—for the use of the physicians and medical students of the State, 
wherein the diseases of the mind and nervous system could be clinically 
studied and, if possible, to determine their cause and formulate methods 
for their prevention and cure. 
We recognized that ultimate success in preventing and controlling 
these diseases could only be achieved by providing every community with 
practitioners who had been thoroughly taught the most approved methods 
of care and treatment of the incipient stages in these cases, and this in 
connection with a close clinical study of the various forms of insanity. 
We knew that the greatest opportunity for successful results pre- 
sented itself in the early stages of these maladies and therefore determined 
to exert our energies in an endeavor to provide facilities for the educa- 
tion of the individual who expected at some future time to assume the role 
of a family physician. 
Students who interest themselves in this specialty are urged to visit 
this department, where every effort will be made to assist them in obtain- 
ing a knowledge of the laboratory and clinical methods in vogue. 
When requested, our pathologist properly directs their efforts in re- 
search in any desired direction. 
