250 HUMAN DISSECTION. ITS DRAMA AND STRUGGLE 



should be devoted to teaching what is known of human indi- 

 viduality, growth, the aging process, the endocrines and heredity 

 at the expense of gross dissection, which he suggests should be 

 correspondingly reduced. The incoming students should be taught 

 to be thorough and observe accurately and also where and how 

 to find the anatomical facts they need to know. Dock ('42) states 

 that anatomy has never been thought of as a cultural subject, 

 that its present teachers have been mostly students of biology and 

 physiology who have no practical interest in the subject, that 

 human dissection is far from being an ideal starting point for the 

 medical student, and that histology is of value only in connection 

 with the physiological activity of cells and gross anatomy with 

 the functions of the body. He feels that anatomy and physiology 

 should be combined into one department and that histology and 

 gross anatomical demonstration should introduce each field in 

 physiology. The dissection should be placed in the curriculum 

 where it would be most valuable; it should be completed before 

 the students graduate and should be taught by young internists, 

 radiologists and surgeons. Further views are expressed by this 

 writer. 



Using as an example the methods employed in teaching bi- 

 ology to college students, Johnson ('45) advocates collaboration 

 of teachers in medical schools for the purpose of presenting an 

 integrated picture of the human body in health and disease. In 

 this scheme, anatomy would be abolished as a course along with 

 physiology and pathology and would be taught over a period of 

 five quarters by members of a committee chosen to teach con- 

 joint courses during the first and second years. In all the basic 

 sciences, appropriate clinical material should be presented. 



Carpenter ('47) believes it is no longer justifiable to devote 

 long hours to detailed study of anatomy and other medical sub- 

 jects because the extent of knowledge today prohibits memorizing. 

 The important thing is to know where the essential facts are re- 

 corded. He groups the various courses in anatomy in a division 

 of "structure" which includes pathology and radiology. An eleven- 

 weeks course in gross anatomy is recommended which is con- 

 sidered to be a guide to understanding morphology and its relation 

 to health and disease. The anatomist should teach throughout 



