MOUNTING 



hands may bo supported when working upon tho stage- 

 They should be weighty enough to be free from danger of 

 moving. These supports will also be found to remedy 

 much of the weariness which inevitably arises from having 

 to sustain the hands as well as work with them. The 

 erector, as I before observed, is necessary to a young student; 

 but with a little practice he may work very well without it. 



We will now notice some of the instruments which are 

 most useful in dissection. Two or three different sizes of 

 ordinary scissors should be possessed, but the shapes must 

 be as modified in others for many purposes, as those used by 

 surgeons; a pair with the cutting parts bent in a hori- 

 zontal direction, and another pair slightly curved in a 

 perpendicular ; so that parts of the substance operated upon 

 may be reached, which it would be impossible to touch with 

 straight scissors. One point of these is sometimes blunt, 

 and the other acute, being thus made rery useful in opening 

 tubular formations. Another form of these is made, where 

 the blades of the scissors are kept open by a spring, the 

 handles being pressed together by the fingers. Where it is 

 desirable, one or both of these handles may be lengthened to 

 uy degree by the addition of small pieces of wood. 



THE KNIVES which are most useful are those of the 

 smallest kind which surgeons employ in very delicate opera- 

 tions. These are made about the length of an ordinary 

 pen-knife, and are fixed in rather long flattish handles; 

 some are curved inwards, like the blade of a scythe, others 

 backwards ; some taper to a point, whilst others again are 

 broad and very much rounded. Complete boxes are 

 now fitted up by the cutlers, of excellent quality and sur- 

 prisingly cheap. 



NEEDLES. These are rery useful and should be firmly 

 fixed in handles as recommended in Chapter II. It is con- 

 venient to have them of various lengths and thicknesses. If 

 curved by heating and bending to any required shape they 

 may be re-hardened by putting them whilst hot into cold 

 water. Dr. Carpenter also makes edged instruments bj 



