January 20, 1899.] 



SCIENCE. 



87 



the details of the didactic course. It is 

 probabl}' true that, under proper conditious 

 of environment, a parrot could be taught a 

 h^'mn, for we have proof of his power in 

 acquiring a secular vocabulary. In the 

 same way, undoubtedly, a student can be 

 taught a certain kind of anatomy by lecture, 

 diagrams and models. But I question 

 whether he will find this knowledge much 

 more useful than the parrot his hymn. As- 

 similation of anatomical knowledge requires 

 demonstration of the actual structures, to a 

 limited number of students, for the purpose 

 of enabling each to see and examine the 

 objects themselves with which he is to be- 

 come familiar, not models or diagrams. "I 

 asked for bread and they gave me a stone" 

 — or a model — is a saying which no student 

 of anatomy should have occasion to apply 

 to his own case. 



This reason has led to the replacement of 

 the didactic lecture by the section demon- 

 stration. I still concede to the lecture, 

 modified and supplemented by demonstra- 

 tion, an important function in furnishing 

 the orderly, logical and systematic presen- 

 tation of the subject which is to serve as 

 the guiding thread in the student's individ- 

 ual examination of the structures. It is the 

 proper place for the elaboration of the broad 

 morphological principles of vertebrate struc- 

 ture, but these should be illustrated and 

 emphasized by the direct examination of 

 the structures involved. The lecture should 

 indicate clearly the main facts of which the 

 student is to satisfy himself by personal 

 observation in the demonstration. Both 

 conducted side by side are mutual supple- 

 ments. 



Such, in brief, I conceive to be the main 

 factors in the advance of anatomical teach- 

 ing. Many secondary aids, such as the 

 complete pedagogic separation of elemen- 

 tary and advanced students, the modern 

 methods of preservation of material, the im- 

 proved technique of preparations, the intro- 



duction of elective and optional courses in 

 general morphology and others would de- 

 mand consideration if more time were at 

 our disposal. 



But, however brief and insufficient my 

 presentation of the subject may appear, 

 teachers of anatomical science feel that the 

 advance along the lines indicated is a ma- 

 teria,l gain and that, under the broad spirit 

 of our universities, it will be progressive. 

 Geo. S. Huntington. 



physiology in medical schools. 



The paper which I have had the honor 

 of preparing for this occasion consists of 

 three parts ; the first gives a critical review 

 of the present unsatisfactory methods of 

 teaching physiology in medical schools (in 

 which institutions most of the physiological 

 teaching is done) ; the second presents a 

 detailed proposal for instruction in accord- 

 ance with what are believed to be correct 

 pedagogical principles ; and the third dis- 

 cusses ways and means, and demonstrates 

 that the proposed changes are within the 

 present means of any successful school. 

 The time allotted to each speaker requires 

 the omission of the critical account of 

 present methods and the discussion of ways 

 and means. Only the second part of the 

 paper can be given here.* 



The picture I have drawn of the instruc- 

 tion in physiology in medical schools will 

 not be challenged by teachers of that science. 

 The sense that our methods of instruction 

 neither develop nor much inform the mind 

 is general. It is time that discussion of the 

 difficulties and the way to remedy them 

 should also be general. Physiology is the 

 most highly developed rational discipline in 

 medicine — not a merely descriptive science 

 like anatomy and is well adapted to train 

 the mind in scientific procedure, in the 

 setting of problems for research, in the 



* The full paper is printed in the Boston Medical 

 and Surgical Journal, December 29, 1898. 



