ON DISSECTION. 



No man can ever expect to become a 

 practical anatomist or pathologist, unless 

 he practise dissection. It is the only possi- 

 ble way by which he can familiarize him- 

 self with the healthy structural organiza- 

 tion of the horse. Having made himself 

 acquainted with the healthy aspect of the 

 various parts, their uses, etc., he next is 

 able to judge of the various grades of 

 textural change Vviiich occur and exist, 

 between the part that has been studied 

 under its healthy aspect, and that which 

 has now departed from its healthy con- 

 dition. Thus, in the prosecution of the 

 study of anatomy, the student finally be- 

 comes a pathologist ; and, although he may 

 be a beginner, he places himself in a posi- 

 tion only a few removes from the old and 

 experienced practitioner, and can venture 

 to " measure a lance " with the renoiuned 

 knights of the healing art. 



DISSECTING INSTRUMENTS. 



The dissector should supply himself with 

 a beak-pointed scalpel (which is one of Ger- 

 man origin), for superficial dissection, and 

 a myology knife, strong and rounded at its 

 point. For the dissection of blood-vessels 

 and nerves, a more delicate and pointed 

 scalpel is needed. The forceps should be 

 strong, and armed at the points with teeth ; 

 two pair of scissors are needed, one 

 pointed and the other blunt ; a saw and 

 blunt chisel, for opening the cranium. A 

 blow-pipe, curved needles, and a few extra 

 scalpels, are all that the student requires. 



SUBJECTS SUITABLE FOR DISSECTION. 



For demonstration of the muscular sys- 

 tem, a well-proportioned and fully-developed 

 subject should, if possible, be selected, and 



one that has died suddenly, or been killed 

 in consequence of some accident, is to be 

 preferred. For making wet and dry prepa- 

 rations, lean, emaciated subjects should be 

 selected. The lymphatic system is best 

 shown on animals of a flabby and cedema- 

 tous organization. Young animals are the 

 best subjects for dissection, in view of de- 

 monstrating the circulatory and nervous 

 systems. 



RULES IN REFERENCE TO DISSECTION OF THE 



MUSCLES.. 



As there are abundance of subjects to be 

 had in the United States, and it being in- 

 convenient for one individual to dissect a 

 whole subject, he had better divide it into 

 six parts, viz. : 1st, The head and neck. 

 2nd and 3rd, The anterior extremities, 

 wliich include the thorax, its contents, and 

 the diaphragm. 4th' and 5th, The poste- 

 rior extremities, to which belong the pelvic 

 and abdominal viscera. 6th, Those viscera 

 which cannot be advantageously divided, 

 as the heart, stomach, bladder, organs of 

 generation, &c. Should the dissector de- 

 cide to commence on the lohole subject, he 

 first removes the sldn, in order to expose 

 the panniculous carnosus ; this will require 

 some care, as some of the fibres of this 

 subcutaneous muscle are intimately con- 

 nected with the former. There are various 

 ways of removing the skin : the author pre- 

 fers to commence on the back, and dissect 

 off towards the feet. Supposing th^ sub- 

 ject to lie on the off"-side, we commence an 

 incision at the anterior part of the nasal re- 

 gion, and continue the same upward until 

 we arrive at the occiput ; we then in- 

 cline the scalpel from the superior part of 

 the neck, in order to avoid the mane, and 



(70) 



