78 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. III. No. 55. 



state their composition and the methods 

 of use, at what point injections are made, 

 whether at the heart or in the large arter- 

 ies, and their effect in accomplishing the 

 preservation, with any changes in the color 

 or character of the tissues. What length of 

 time can material be used in dissection em- 

 ployed by you ? If pAservation by means 

 of cold storage is employed please state the 

 cost of the machinery which it was neces- 

 sary to construct for this purpose, and what 

 means are taken to prevent decomposition 

 after the subject is placed upon the table 

 for dissection. 



6. Please state the cost by the method 

 employed by you, for the reception, the in- 

 jection and preservation of each subject. 



7. Do you obtain an adequate supply of 

 material for the purposes of anatomical in- 

 struction? How many students are as- 

 signed to each subject, and what is the 

 method of allotment? 



8. Please give any further information 

 which you may deem of importance. 



This letter was sent to the professors of 

 anatomy in 148 colleges in the United 

 states ; 25 in foreign countries, and 25 

 copies were sent to the medical journals in 

 this country and abroad. Forty- two re- 

 plies have been received by the committee 

 containing more or less specific answer to 

 the questions propounded in the circular. 

 An analysis of the replies received presents 

 the following results : 



1. Anatomical material is received wholly 

 under the provisions of the law in thirty 

 States and countries, in part by law, in 

 seven ; and without law, in five. 



2. In reply to the second question pro- 

 posed, fifteen copies of the laws which are 

 in force, have been sent to the chairman of 

 the committee, thirteen of them being the 

 laws of States of this country, and two of 

 foreign countries. With regard to the 

 execution of the law, information was given 

 to the effect that the provisions of the law 



were satisfactorily complied with in ten, 

 fairly so in ten, not satisfactory in twelve, 

 and no replies were given in ten. In eight 

 the provisions of the law were stated to be 

 obligatory, and in six the provisions were 

 optional. In considering the subject of the 

 report so far as it relates to the collection 

 of anatomical material by law, the com- 

 mittee has confined itself to the examina- 

 tion of and report on the anatomical laws 

 of the States of this country. 



3. The report as to condition in which 

 anatomical material was received was that 

 in twenty instances it was good; in twenty- 

 one, fair; and in one, bad. 



4. As to the disposition of the remains, 

 in twenty-seven institutions they were re- 

 ported buried; in ten, cremated; and in four, 

 thrown away. 



5. The answers received to the question 

 with regard to the agents employed in ac- 

 complishing the preservation of subjects, 

 gave information as to quite a large number 

 employed and in various combinations. An 

 analysis shows that of the agents used car- 

 bolic acid stands first, and that it was used 

 not alone but in combination with other 

 agents. Glycerine was reported as an in- 

 gredient in the next highest number. It 

 was also employed in combination with 

 other agents. The next in frequency was 

 reported to be arsenic, and this agent was 

 used also in combination. Chloral hydrate 

 and chloride of zinc and bichloride of mer- 

 cury come next in the order of use. Alcohol, 

 either pure or in combination, carbonate of 

 potassium, bicarbonate of sodium, chloride 

 of sodium, methyl spirit, formalin, nitrate 

 of potassium, brown sugar, boric acid, were 

 reported as used in numbers varying from 

 four to one. The preservation of subjects 

 by cold storage was reported in five in- 

 stances. Some of the agents above noted 

 wei'e used in combination to preserve the 

 subject, which had been kept in cold storage 

 after it was placed upon the table for dis- 



