878 
W. L. WILLIAMS. 
been suspected until after the accident, when chemical tests 
clearly demonstrated its impurity. 
The second cat was chloroformed in a box which had been 
previously used for killing cats with illuminating gas. 
Considering that these results have been attained in a new 
institution under a wholly inexperienced teacher of surgery, we 
believe it must be admitted that student operations are not ex¬ 
tra-hazardous. 
Certainly we shall not permit some of the accidents related 
above to recur, but shall constantly endeavor to fortify our 
methods with every possible safeguard which experience can 
suggest. Were we to view our results above tabulated from the 
commercial standpoint of the owner, rating the spaying of 
bitches and cats at $1.00 and the mares at $10.00 each and esti¬ 
mating the value of the cats and dogs which succumbed at $2.50 
each, by securing free operations the owners have saved $338.00 
in fees over all losses suffered, assuming that there would have 
been no casualties at all had the operations been performed by 
graduates instead of students. 
In the meantime students enter upon their work with the 
highest enthusiasm, feeling that they are doing actual practice 
with definite results of value as their goal, and they vie good 
naturedly with each other in the aseptic or rapid healing of the 
wounds they have made, each student following and caring for 
his case which is detained in the hospital. 
At the same time each student sees much of every opera¬ 
tion, appreciates the errors and difficulties encountered by his 
fellows and seeks a way to avoid them for himself. 
These among other considerations lead us to believe that 
after the proper preparation in anatomy, histology, pathology, 
and other foundation studies, a proper course in practical sur¬ 
gery should consist in addition to all that can be shown by the 
teacher in the lecture room or by operating upon animals in 
the presence of the students, of the following laboratory work 
by the student himself under proper supervision, in properly 
arranged course in logical sequence. 
