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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    On the general Utilily of Anatomy. No medical or chirurgical author can be under- ftood without a previous acquaintance with anatomy. Surgery, that ineftimable art, on the Ikilful adminif- tration of which, the lives of all ranks, from the bigheft to the lowed, the foldier and thefailor, fre- quently depend, would be totally incapable of per- formingitsfalutary fundtions without thefafeguide of anatomical fcience. From the common operation of bleeding, to the higher and more difficult opera- tions of furgery, the knowledge of anatomy guides the hand of the artiit, to avoid fatal errors, and enfure probable fuccefs. In thofe moments of alarm and danger attendant on childbirth, where frequently both infant and mother muft perifh in difficult labour, a fkilful artifl, fraught with previous anatomical knowledge and refle6lion, fre- quently faves the lives of both. An ignorance in anatomy, therefore, muft produce ignorance in the pra6licc of furgery, midwifery, and phylic ; an ignorance in thefe may prove fatally deflructive to every individual at one time of life or other ; for who can with truth declare, while men arcliableto ficknefs, accidents, or wounds in war, that he ffiall be exempt- ed from requiring medical affiftance ? The human fa- crilices to ignorance in anatomy muft have been innumerable in former ages, and if anatomical purfuits be, by law, prevented or abridged, barba- rous ignorance muft again return, and all mankind fufftr from the officious, though well-intentioned pr'ojedls of the uninformed few. A3 A know-