The brain of the cat (Felis domestica). 1. Preliminary account of the gross anatomy / by Burt G. Wilder.

  • Burt Green Wilder
Date:
[1881]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The brain of the cat (Felis domestica). 1. Preliminary account of the gross anatomy / by Burt G. Wilder. 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.

    8/48 (page 530)
    l)y an anatomical teaclier, from which I quote the following: “There is certainly ample room for it [the reform proposed], hut one cannot help thinking that in his desire for set names, Professor Wilder approaches pedantry.” In view of what might have been expected from so critical a journal, I am disposed to feel more encouraged hy the admission than dis- heartened by the objection. Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote me the following letter upon the sub- ject, which, with his permission, was printed in “Science” for June 4, and is here, in part, reproduced :— Boston, May 30, 1881. Dear Dr. Wilder :—I have read carefully your paper on Nomencla- ture. I entirely approve of it as an attempt—an attempt which I hope will be partially successful, for no such sweeping change is, I think, ever adopted as a whole. But I am struck with the reasonableness of the system of changes you propose, and the fitness of many of the special terms you have suggested. The last thing an old teacher wants is, as you know full well, a new set of names for a fixmiliar set of objects. It is hard teaching old professors new tricks. So my approbation of your attempt is a sic vos non nobis case so far as I am concerned. ^ * What you have to do is to keep agitating the subject, to go on training your students to the new terms—some of which you or others will doubt- less see reasons for changing—to improve as far as possible, fill up blanks, perhaps get up a small Manual in which the new terms shall be practically applied, and have faith that sooner or later the best part of your innova- tions will find their way into scientific use. * * * The plan is an excellent one—it is a new garment which will fit Science well, if that capricious and fantastic and old-fashioned-dressing lady can only be induced to try it on. Always very truly yours, O. W. Holmes. Dr. Holmes’s literary authority, as well as the fact, perhaps less generally known, that for 33 years he has been the Professor of Anatomy in the Medical School of Harvard University, will give great weight to his ap- probation of my undertaking. In Science for April 39, 1881, Dr. E. C. Spitzka of New York, well- known as an indefatigable worker in encephalic anatomj’’ and histology, published (7) a letter to the Editor respecting my article. Dr. Spitzka generously puts aside the natural feeling of disappointment that a task which he had contemplated for several years should he, however imper- fectly, performed by another, and, together with valuable practicable suggestions upon several important points, comments as follows upon the general subject:— “It is with mingled pleasure and profit that I have read the very sugges- tive paper on Cerebral Nomenclature contributed to your latest issues by Prof. Wilder. Some of the suggestions which he has made have been