OOTOBEE 9, 1908] 



SCIENCE 



473 



born. But the old man has never 

 changed his view-point, and to this day 

 a schematic drawing, done in sober black- 

 and-white, remains the only kind of scien- 

 tific illustration that he can tolerate. And 

 yet he has done some very good investiga- 

 tive work, is an excellent educator of con- 

 siderable reputation and has been success- 

 ful in the financial side of life. So, he can 

 not be counted below par in mental attri- 

 butes. He was simply not properly trained 

 to appreciate the value of realistic draw- 

 ing. Let us guard against such a poverty 

 of understanding in ourselves, and, by 

 word and example, help root it out of 

 others with whom we come in contact. 



It is hardly necessary to defend the 

 practise of drawing as an adjunct toward 

 explaining an idea, as surely every one 

 here has convinced himself of that fact 

 long ago, even while reading an ordinary 

 daily newspaper. And much more wel- 

 come is an illustration in some com- 

 plex scientific discussion, where words 

 alone so often fail completely to tell the 

 story, or merely give a faint outline of 

 what the observer wishes to convey. But, 

 until quite recently, the practise of draw- 

 ing was not accorded its deserved recog- 

 nition in the teaching of scientific subjects. 

 What physician of fifty years ago was 

 obliged to systematically draw the bones 

 he studied? Or, what one of thirty years 

 ago was obliged to draw the preparations 

 he investigated with the help of high-power 

 lenses? Comparatively, they were good 

 men, it is true, but one can always im- 

 prove, and at this time there is hardly a 

 medical school of any merit where drawing 

 is neglected as part of the routine labora- 

 tory work, and this is a very happy con- 

 dition, indeed, for it exacts the closest 

 scrutiny of objects examined by the stu- 

 dent. His attempt to picture on paper 

 some particular object reveals character- 

 istics of that object which would assur- 



edly have escaped his observation if its 

 graphic illustration were not exacted. 



But, in spite of this general recognition 

 accorded to drawing as a teaching method, 

 as far as I can learn, there is not a single 

 text-book or laboratory guide of any prac- 

 tical completeness in microscopical draw- 

 ing, and this is only one division of graphic 

 art as employed in the scientific world.. 

 Students in the laboratory are told to get 

 this pen or that, this grade of pencil, such: 

 and such a kind of ink and paper. Per^ 

 haps blenders, erasers and thumb-tacks are- 

 alluded to. But, aside from this, the be- 

 ginner seldom receives further instruction' 

 as to how he is to go about the diificult task 

 of drawing what he sees through the micro- 

 scope. His looks and actions often show 

 how much he would welcome any advice 

 concerning a method of approaching this 

 new work. He is alone in a strange coun- 

 try without a road in sight. 



Feeling that something should be done 

 to contend against this unfortunate .state 

 of afl'airs, I determined to prepare a short 

 description of some materials and methods 

 commonly used in the drawing of micro- 

 scopical preparations, and Professor Har- 

 desty has thought this sufficiently worthy 

 to give it a place in his "Laboratory Guide 

 in Histology." 



The condition should prevail, however,, 

 that when a student has brought his ca- 

 reer so far forward as to be admitted to 

 the study of medicine, he should then be 

 trained already in microscopical drawing. 

 He has so much to do in this highly com- 

 plex problem that the extra time spent in 

 acquiring an illustrative technie is given 

 at the expense of more important matters. 



Let us now drop the student and his 

 troubles for a time, and turn to the field 

 where graphic art finds its most dignified 

 and important employment in the sciences, 

 that is, in the illustration of investigative 

 and teaching publications. 



