A letter to the Right Hon. the Secretary of State for the Home Department, containing remarks on the report of the Select Committee of the House of Commons, on anatomy, and pointing out the means by which the science may be cultivated with advantage and safety to the public / by G.J. Guthrie.

  • Guthrie, G. J. (George James), 1785-1856.
Date:
1829
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A letter to the Right Hon. the Secretary of State for the Home Department, containing remarks on the report of the Select Committee of the House of Commons, on anatomy, and pointing out the means by which the science may be cultivated with advantage and safety to the public / by G.J. Guthrie. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    with the bones ? they ought to be in the posses- sion of the surgeon, articulated (as it is termed) or made into a skeleton, so that at all times they may be referred to. No surgeon is com- petent to the exercise of his profession, who has not a set of bones for this purpose; they are more important to him than his amputating knife. No serious accident can befal a patient under his charge, in which any of the gi'eat joints are impli- cated, that he will not be glad to refer to the skeleton. Men of the greatest ability, of the most extensive practice, often resort to this study in doubtful cases. How much more necessary then must it be for those of inferior talents and little practice, to have recourse under similar circum- stances to this memorial ? They ought to have in their possession, the half of a body, with the bones articulated by wires, and capable of being easily separated; a second half should be connected by the natural ligaments, dried; and they should have a third portion of another body, showing the blood- vessels and muscles, either dried or in spirits. These preparations should be made by every sur- geon ; and that they have been made by the indivi- dual student himself, and are in his possession, ought, in my opinion, to be certified to the College of Surgeons by the anatomical teacher, previously to any candidate for the diploma being admitted to an examination. It should form part of his pro- fessional acquirements. I do not wish to enter