20 INTRODUCTION 



1. One cartilage-knife (with bellied blade). 



2. Three dissecting scalpels with bellied blades, one large, one of medium 



size, and one small. 



3. Two dissecting scalpels with straight edges and sharp points, one long 



and one short. 



4. One pair of medium-sized scissors. 



5. One pair of small scissors. 



6. One blunt probe (Mall's). 



7. One large dissecting forceps. 



8. One tubulus or blowpipe. 



9. One sound (fishbone or metal). 



10. One good curved needle and sutures. 



11. One good razor-strop. 



12. A medium-sized sponge. 



Other instruments, including mallet and chisels, saws, rhachi- 

 otome, myelotome, enterotomes, and bronchial scissors, will be 

 supplied by the laboratory. 



The student may find it desirable to have more scalpels than 

 are required above ; if so, he will find it best to have more belly- 

 bladed knives than knives with straight edges. 



When purchasing forceps, the greatest care should be ex- 

 ercised, for it is rare to find properly constructed samples. The 

 branches should be relatively strong, not too flimsy; on closing 

 they should come together almost with the weight of the thumb 

 and finger, as nothing grows more tiresome than forceps which 

 are too stiff to close easily. Forceps with well-worked-out points 

 should be chosen, so that they will grasp fine structures with cer- 

 tainty. The points should not slide over one another on closing. 



CAKE OF INSTRUMENTS. 



The best instruments are quickly ruined where no care is 

 taken to prevent injury or deterioration. If scalpels and forceps 

 are permitted to fall frequently to the floor, or if cutting instru- 

 ments are thrown carelessly in contact with other instruments, 

 their value as dissecting implements rapidly diminishes. 



Knives should be kept sharp and smooth-cutting. This is 

 absolutely necessary if the student is to do good work, for it is 

 impossible to dissect neatly and quickly with dull knives. The 

 strop, if used at short intervals, say, every ten or fifteen min- 

 utes, will keep a smooth-cutting edge on a sharp knife and 

 increase its power of penetration. A knife properly sharpened 

 and preserved from gross injury may be kept in good condition 

 for a long time without honing or grinding if it be properly and 

 frequently stropped. 



