850 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XV. No. 387. 



Rules for Note-keeping. — The principal 

 rules for governing note-keeping are as 

 follows: The notes must be a synopsis of 

 the actual work performed and not a de- 

 scription of the experiment. They must 

 be entered in pencil at the time when the 

 experiment is performed, and in accordance 

 with a simple form adopted. Also, they 

 must be accompanied by diagrams illus- 

 trating the work, and systematic tabula- 

 tions of the observations made in the ex- 

 periments. 



The Experiments Performed by the 

 Medical Students.—'Each. student performs 

 twenty-five experiments, twenty of which 

 are prescribed and five of which he himself 

 selects from the remaining experiments on 

 the course-list. The prescribed experi- 

 ments have been selected for the purpose 

 of illustrating the important principles 

 of physics which are of value in the study 

 and practice of medicine. These experi- 

 ments are divided between mechanics, heat, 

 light and electricity. The present list is 

 as follows: 



Mechanics and heat : 



1. Measurement of distances, inch and milli- 

 meter scales. 



2. Measurement with the vernier. 



3. Measurement with calipers and micrometers. 



4. The barometer; reducing the reading to zero 

 temperature C. 



5. The analytical balance; weighing by swings 

 and interpolation. 



6. The Mohr balance; density of liquids. 



7. The thermometer; correction of the boiling- 

 point mark. 



Light : 



8. Focal length of a convex lens (three 

 methods ) . 



9. Focal length of a concave mirror (three 

 methods) . 



10. Microscope; magnifying power (two 

 methods). 



11. Microscope objectives; tests for spherical 

 and chromatic aberrations. 



12. The spectrometer; complete adjustment. 



13. The spectrometer; measurement of the 

 angle of a prism. 



14. The spectroscope; spectra of metals. 



15. The spectroscope; absorption spectra of 

 liquids. 



Electricity : 



16. Measurement of resistance by the substi- 

 tution method. 



17. Measurement of resistance by the ditrer- 

 ence of potential method. 



18. Measurement of resistance by the Wheat- 

 stone bridge. 



19. Measurement of electromotive force by the 

 high resistance method. 



20. Measurement of current by the voltmeter 

 and the ammeter. 



Approximately 160 medical students 

 take the laboratory course each year. On 

 account of this large number it has been 

 found necessary to divide the class into 

 four sections, which attend the laboratory 

 on different days. 



SYSTEM OF INSTRUCTION. 



Time for completing experiments can be 

 economized by proper direction of the in- 

 structor in charge and by proper appli- 

 ances. In the present case, twenty-five ex- 

 periments are performed in thirty-six 

 hours, which is less time than is generally 

 allotted to that number of experiments: 

 yet perfectly satisfactory work is done by 

 the medical students. This result is ac- 

 complished by the system of instruction em- 

 ployed, which is as follows: To each ex- 

 periment is assigned a special table in the 

 laboratory on which is permanently kept 

 a set of the requisite apparatus. After the 

 students have attended the introductory 

 lecture they go from one experiment to an- 

 other until they have completed the list. 

 During the periods of laboratory work, 

 there is one instructor to about every ten 

 medical students, who is constantly giving 

 instruction and directing the work. 



Experiment Directions. —TyTpewritten ex- 

 periment directions, concise and illustrated 

 by diagrams, are used also, and so placed 

 on the tables that students may easily re- 



