Introductory address to the students of the Extra-Academical School of Medicine : Edinburgh, session 1853-4 / by R.J. Mackenzie.
- Mackenzie, Richard James, 1821-1854.
- Date:
- 1853
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Introductory address to the students of the Extra-Academical School of Medicine : Edinburgh, session 1853-4 / by R.J. Mackenzie. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.
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![Davidson, in advising me on the subject of my studies, said, tlmt the loss of his knowledge of anatomy was a constantly recurrino- som'ce of annoyance to him in practice. (He practised jnu-ely as a physician, and was between Hfty and sixty years of age.) So seriously indeed did he feel this deficiency, that, at his request, I ])rocxired an entire set of bones for him, and with his manual of anatomy before him, he set to work on the skeleton with all the zeal of a young student. After spending some weeks in diligently studying the bones, he next procured a foHo volume of plates of the muscles, nerves, and blootl-vessels; but his energy now very soon began to flag, and with unfeigned expressions of regret that his ])rofessional avocations would not allow him leism-e to dissect, he presented me with his anatomical plates, adding that books and pictm-es alone could not teach anatomy. The gift'too was bm-dened with the con(htion that 1 would make no use of the plates, till I had carefully dissected everything which they depicted. If the want of anatomy was felt by a physician of such acknow- ledged reputation, surely I need say little of its necessity for the general practitioner, and as w^ell might I dilate on the absm-dity of an engineer practising his profession with little knowdedge of mathematics, as on that of a surgeon following his vocation meagrely instructed in anatomy. A lively picture of such a siu-geon, on tbe eve of an emban-assing operation, is given by John Bell, one of the most shrewd and observant sm-geons, and one of the most powei-ful and sarcastic writers of his day. How, says he, must he tremlde at the thoughts of what he has to do ! Falterhig and disconcerted ! Hesitating at every step ! Acting only as he has seen others act, he is interrupted, startled, ])erplexe(l wnh every new occuirence. He has foreseen nothino- provided for no accident, and every accident alarms him. He moves feai-ftdly and tnnorously forwards Hke a bhnd man, who walks with an an- of confidence on an accustomed road, but Avhen any new object presents itself, or the road is changed, is bewildered and lost. _ liie senior student, in jirosecuting his studies, is veiy apt to fall into an error, against which it behoves him to guard. He finds, lierhaps,^ that one of the practical departments of the profession is more suit:ed to his taste than the others, and he cultivates that taste by devoting his attention to his fiivom-ite subject to the too m-eat exclusion of other matters of equal importance to him. To a certain extent tins always be so, and to a certain extent, perhaps, the tendency need not be discouraged. But beware of allowing it to c^rry you too far. The first inconvenience which may result fi'om this eiTor IS your rejection by the board of examiners. You will tmcl no allowance made there for your tastes and inclinations, where your proficiency m every department wHl be equally weighed in rne balance. But of far gi-eater importance than this is the effect wnicn a too exclusive attention to one or other branch may have on your future professional success. Be not misled by the bi^h-sound-](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21464959_0015.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
