THE STUDY OF MEDICINE 69 



Quantitative analysis is important in another way. It gives valu- 

 able training to the hand and eye, and develops a particular form of 

 accuracy which is required in biochemical work, and which enables the 

 student to interpret justly the work of others. 



Physical chemistry to-day contains a mass of material of the 

 highest importance in all branches of biological science. An elementary 

 acquaintance with it is essential for understanding such subjects as the 

 physiology of the blood and the functional activity of the kidney and 

 lung, since it explains the nature of solutions and the conditions 

 governing the passage of substances through membranes. 



Many medical schools require for entrance, work in general chem- 

 istry and qualitative analysis, and a few call for organic chemistry. 

 These are essential. A half course in quantitative analysis and a half 

 course in physical chemistry are desirable. 



Physics. — Many students who are careful to take courses in biology 

 and chemistry in preparation for medicine neglect physics entirely, or 

 think that the elementary work done for admission to college is suffi- 

 cient. A thorough college course, with laboratory work consisting of 

 accurate measurements, is necessary for certain branches of medical 

 practise and for the fundamental study, physiology. Physics is related 

 to physiology in many ways. In studying muscular contraction the 

 elements that constitute mechanical work and the action of levers 

 should be known. For the study of the circulation it is necessary to 

 understand the principles of hydraulics and the transmission of pres- 

 sure in fluids; the laws of osmosis (studied in physical chemistry) aid 

 in interpreting the diffusion of fluids between vessels and tissues. In 

 considering the constructive and destructive changes in the body, the 

 principle of the conservation of energy should be kept constantly in 

 mind. To understand the maintenance of normal temperature and 

 the changes in fever, some knowledge of the physics of heat is needed. 

 An understanding of electricity is necessary for explaining the electrical 

 changes produced in living tissues, and in order to stimulate tissues ex- 

 perimentally so that their activities may be studied. Electrical stimula- 

 tion is used in treating certain diseases, and the physiological labora- 

 tory contains many pieces of electrical apparatus. The importance 

 of the X-ray in medicine is sufficiently well known. In order to under- 

 stand vision and the application of lenses to the eye, the principles of 

 reflection and refraction must be understood. The nature of sound 

 and its transmission through various media is similarly related to the 

 physiology of hearing. It is a serious mistake to begin work in a 

 modern laboratory of physiology before taking a thorough college course 

 in general physics. 



Mathematics. — The value of mathematics for medicine is indirect, 

 since it is required chiefly in preparation for physics. The student 



