216 
IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE Voi. XXVIII, 1921 
the object of adequately covering the subject and at the same time 
not to encroachmpon the time which seems essential to be devoted 
to other studies. This becomes a very difficult problem when we 
stop to consider the number of animal parasites found affecting 
the different species of domestic animals which must necessarily 
be covered or dealt with in a course in veterinary medicine. In 
that the subject can receive only its apportioned amount of time 
as related to other subjects in a veterinary curriculum, the general 
tendency to limit the number of credit hours a student can carry, 
and the need for the introduction of new subjects and more time 
for certain subjects already offered, makes it necessary for one 
teaching parasitology to be very careful in the arrangement of 
the subject matter’ to be given, to find time to cover even the more 
important phases. This includes the laboratory work, the subject 
matter of the lectures, the selection of the parasites and organs 
to be used for study and demonstration in the laboratory work and 
the listing of references. In those cases where condensed and up- 
to-date material is not available for reading, the instructor should 
compile such materials for the students, with the object that a 
maximum amount of ground may be covered in a minimum time. 
Time may further be conserved by the use of drawings and charts 
in connection with fresh and preserved specimens studied in the 
laboratory, by the study and comparisons in all classes in path- 
ology of tissue changes resulting from animal parasites with le- 
sions due to other causes, and lastly by having the students make 
personal use of all the parasites and parasitic conditions met with 
in the animals that come under their observation in the clinic 
and post-mortem work. Such procedure is strictly clinic work, 
is supplementary to parasitology, and is the ideal way for a stu- 
dent to become familiar with all phases of a particular form of 
parasitism. 
PREPARATION OF THE STUDENT 
In taking up the subject of parasitology with veterinary students, 
it is essential that they have had some general and fundamental 
work in zoology. The teacher must assume this. The work in 
general zoology given to veterinary students should be of such a 
nature as to familiarize them with methods of study, classification, 
life history, biological laws, morphology, and the general prin- 
ciples of zoology, including both vertebrates and invertebrates in 
a way that would serve as a foundation to the principle of struc- 
ture and function in anatomy and physiology, and to the study of 
the various forms of life found parasitic on our domestic animals. 
