On the absolute necessity of encouraging, instead of preventing or embarrassing the study of anatomy : with a plan to prevent violating the dormitories of the defunct : addressed to the legislature of Great Britain / by William Rowley.

  • Rowley, William, 1742 or 1743-1806.
Date:
1795
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the absolute necessity of encouraging, instead of preventing or embarrassing the study of anatomy : with a plan to prevent violating the dormitories of the defunct : addressed to the legislature of Great Britain / by William Rowley. 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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    r 41 Tlic ieglflature of Great Britain, and the public! in general, therefore, fhould be informed of the jieceility of encouraging, inftead of impeding ana- tomical fludies.* * It may be folemnly aflorted, that anatomical fcrutiny is car* ried on^ in general, ivith' the greateft decorum and circumfpec- tion} the fcrutinifed parts of the dcfnnft are generally buried, iinlefs preferved for Ikeletons or other demonftrative purpofes. What furgeon would beikilfully able to reduce fra£tures or dillo- cations without an accurate knowledge of the bones, joints, mufcles, ligaments, &c.? How could fra£^ures of the ikuU be • treated without a knowledge of the bones of the head, their fu- tures, &c. ? How could the wounded foldier or failor have balls, or extraneous bodies extrafted, or the lacerated wounds of the latter be treated judicloufly, if furgeons did not previoufly know and refleft on the courfe of the large veffels, nerves, mufcles, tendons, &c. in the neccffary dilatations of gun-fliot wounds, and all operations ? Is the brave foldier or failor, after the well- fought battle, to be left a facrifice to the ignorance of uninformed furgeons, or rather pretenders to fnrgery > There have lately been poured forth lamentable complaints on this fubjedt; and to what can this be attributed, but the true eaufe, the want of due encouragement and opportunities of becoming expert anatomifts and praftical furgeons, before young artifts are fent into the fer- vice ? One of the greateft objections to the medical education at Edinburgh, where are many ingenious profeflbrs, is, the want of fubjefts for anatomical difTeftion, without which, no perfon, however ingenious and learned in other refpeds, can be a fkdlul praaical furgeon or phyfician. Indeed, to fpeak truth, univerfi- ties are not the beft places for acquiring medical knowledge ; but large cities, where the obfervations of numbers of praftitionera concentrate, and, as it were, form one ufeful whole, that adds to our daily ftock of knowledge. For anatomy clears up doubts, purges the mind from all vifionaiy or fanciful prejudices, pe- 'netrates anddifcovers the fallacy of various hypothefes and injuri- ous fyftems. With that knowledge the art of phyfic is a blef- ' finir. without it a peft or curfe to manlcind.