On Anatomical Nomenclature 



by 

 W. Krause. 



(Eead at tlie 61 «t Meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science 

 in Cardiff, 22 "^^ Aug. 1891; Section D, Biology). 



The subject on which I wish to speak is that of Anatomical 

 Nomenclature, and may seem to be only of interest to the anatomist 

 in the dissecting room. This is however an error, for the names of 

 the several parts of the body occur in every branch of Biological 

 Science, in Zoology, Embryology etc., and especially in the practice of 

 medicine and surgery. There have been and there are many com- 

 plaiats that a great many anatomical parts of the body have not one 

 but several different names, for instance as the Conarium, Pineal 

 Body, Epiphysis. This state of things has every year become worse 

 and worse,'^especially in Germany it has become almost insupportable. 

 The reason is obvious. Germany was not and it is not united in the 

 administration of the domestic affairs of the single states, and every 

 state, even every little university has had and has to-day its own 

 anatomical nomenclature. If one compares the anatomical papers and 

 the handbooks of different nations, one meets with the same difficulties, 

 but in Germany we have still greater differences to face. Here in 

 the same university sometimes different anatomical nomenclatures exist. 

 Much time and labour are lost, by student and teacher, by these 

 differences. This labour is completely lost, because it is and it must 



