vii ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS 87 



useless, there will still be found some worthy of attention in 

 the rail cases round the galleries which contain the spirit 

 preparation. While speaking of the contents of these cases 

 I would specially call attention to the series showing the 

 modifications of the small bones of the ear, throughout the 

 mammalian class, arranged a few years ago by Mr. Alban 

 Doran, one of the assistants in the museum, which is probably 

 not surpassed in extent or variety and method of arrangement 

 anywhere else. 



The Histological Collection is contained in a separate small 

 room adjoining the physiological galleries, and consists of 

 upwards of 12,000 specimens, illustrating the minute structure 

 of the tissues of plants and animals, mostly prepared under 

 the direction of Professor Quekett, the third conservator of the 

 museum, who devoted the greater part of his life to this work. 

 Since his death in 1861, it has been rearranged and kept in 

 order ; but the additions have not been numerous, chiefly in 

 consequence of the practical difficulties in exhibiting such a 

 collection to visitors to a public museum. 



Although the anatomy of man naturally takes its place 

 among that of other species in the Physiological series, the 

 preparations illustrating it were chiefly confined to viscera 

 the details of regional anatomy, and of the arrangement and 

 distribution of muscles, vessels, and nerves, not finding a 

 natural place in the scheme upon which that department of 

 the museum was organised. It was, however, a few years ago 

 thought desirable that human anatomy, in consideration of its 

 great importance to our profession, should be exhibited on a 

 much more extended scale than it had been hitherto, and that 

 a ready demonstration should be afforded by means of per- 

 manent preparations of the structure of all parts of the human 

 frame. To those who have already learnt their anatomy, and 

 who wish to refresh their memory, or verify a fact about 

 which some passing doubt may be felt, or those who are pre- 

 cluded by circumstances from visiting the dissecting-room, the 

 preparations of this series must prove of great value. The 

 series of dissections already made with this end, commenced by 

 a former able assistant in the museum, Dr. J. Bell Pettigrew, 

 and carried on to their present perfection by Mr. W. Pearson, 



