TO THE TEACHER. ix 



DICTIONARIES. For the definition and pronunciation of tech- 

 nical terms consult The Century Dictionary, or Gould's 

 Illustrated Dictionary of Medicine. 



Methods of Instruction. What we wish to have the 

 pupil learn is the natural action of each organ, that he may 

 understand how to keep it in good working order. Now a 

 very common way of looking at the matter is as follows : to 

 understand the action we must first know the structure. So 

 the anatomy is first studied. But the child has little natural 

 interest in anatomy, and, in fact, he needs to know compara- 

 tively little of it to understand the working of many of the 

 organs. If we can rouse in his mind the question, "What 

 work has this part to do, and how does it do that work ? " we 

 shall have a good starting-point, especially if we have really 

 created in his mind a desire to get the true answer to the question. 

 An older student may learn a good deal of anatomy patiently 

 keeping in mind that it is the function of the organ he is seek- 

 ing after all, but the younger mind has not this long foresight 

 and patience. So, if we fail to interest him at the start, we 

 are likely to fail in getting him to do the work in the proper 

 way. 



This method of presenting a series of problems for the 

 student to work out under the guidance of the teacher is almost 

 sure, with a teacher of any skill whatsoever, to give good re- 

 sults. Let us suppose the question to have been roused in the 

 child's mind, "How do I raise my forearm, as in taking a 

 mouthful of food ? " we may proceed as follows : 



1. Observation of the body. Ask each pupil to feel the 

 front of his upper arm. He observes certain changes there. 

 (See directions in Chapter II.) 



2. Dissection. A leg of a rabbit, or a sheep shank, may be 

 brought into the class-room, and the form and general relations 

 of a muscle seen. 



