Proceedings - Association of American Anatomists (Volume 11) (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1899. Excerpt: ... THE DEFECTS OF OUR PRESENT METHODS OF TEACHING ANATOMY IN OUR MEDICAL, SCHOOLS. Edmund W. Holmes, M. D., Un1vers1ty Of Pennsylvan1a. Upon looking over the membership of the Association of American Anatomists, the individuals seem to fall into one of two classes: (i) scientific investigators; (2) those engaged in teaching. Each group overlaps the other, for in a country as crude as ours it too often happens that we harness the race horse to the cart; the scientific investigator with soaring thought and delving brain must keep himself buckled down to the common level in order to teach elementary facts to the beginner. We shoitld not, however, in our medical teaching be too rigorous in excluding advanced ideas, for it should be recognized that we have no right to reject any class of facts as absolutely impracticable, because the commercialism of to-day is the theoretical of yesterday; the ultra-scientific of to-day the commomplace of to-morrow. I had thought, therefore, it might subserve the interest in our meetings if on this occasion some definite topic were proposed sufficiently comprehensive to concentrate the attention of our composite membership, realizing that the question is a practical one, limited to the question of teaching anatomy--not what we might wish our students to know, but what they can fairly accomplish, taking into consideration all that an intelligent mind might be expected to grasp in the time allotted, under modern methods, with skilled teaching, making allowance for the class of practitioner asked for by popular demand, with due regard for thc scientific basis of knowledge, and for the dignity and honor of our noble profession. To me falls the ungrateful and ungracious mission of setting forth, somewhat sententiously, certain defects...