Essays and observations on natural history, anatomy, physiology, psychology, and geology / by John Hunter, being his posthumous papers on those subjects, arranged and revised, with notes ; to which are added the introductory lectures on the Hunterian collection of fossil remains delivered in the theatre of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, March 8th, 10th and 12th, 1855 / by Richard Owen.
- John Hunter
- Date:
- 1861
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Essays and observations on natural history, anatomy, physiology, psychology, and geology / by John Hunter, being his posthumous papers on those subjects, arranged and revised, with notes ; to which are added the introductory lectures on the Hunterian collection of fossil remains delivered in the theatre of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, March 8th, 10th and 12th, 1855 / by Richard Owen. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![In large animals we are obliged to have recourse only to parts to make preparations of, and for convenience; but in small ones we are led to preserve the whole, and expose as much as possible; which breaks in upon the arrangement and classing of specimens: but it is some- what like nature herself; one property belonging to more animals than one1. On making Anatomical Preparations, by Injection, fyc. The proper house.—A skylight is very improper: a side- or front- light should be preferred. The proper place for keeping Preparations.—Both wet and dry should be kept in a cool place. If on a ground floor, and towards the north, so much the better; as the evaporation from the wet, and the throwing out of the wax from the dry, at cut parts, will be less. The proper subjects.—Animals which have been bled to death are not so fit for minute injections as those which have died a natural death, because the vessels contract to adapt themselves to the quantity of blood contained in the body while bleeding; and all the muscular parts con- tract after death; therefore, if there is no blood in the arteries, they will become almost impervious. In such cases, steep the parts for some time till a species of putrefaction begins to take place. The parts should likewise be gently squeezed, to relax the muscular contraction of the vessels. These two last circumstances should be punctually attended to; for if it is a part of a newly dead animal, it will not allow the in- jection to go so far as when the animal has been dead some time : but great care should be taken not to allow putrefaction to go too far. Parts of bodies that are to be injected and shown in their natural form, should be parts of young and healthy subjects; as they will be less altered from their form than by disease, and the vessels will better bear the injection. If possible, the water that preparations should be steeped in should be distilled, for it preserves animal bodies above six times longer from putrefaction than common water; and by this means the parts will have time to become more free of blood, especially thick parts. If not distilled, it should be clear and often changed. If the part be suspended near the surface of the water, so much the better, as the part will not be allowed to soak in its own blood, which will gravi- tate to the bottom. In all injections use a pipe as large as you can get into the vessel, as 1 [The degree in which Hunter overcame these impediments in carrying out his great idea of a physiological collection of anatomical preparations, may be estimated by a study of that part of his museum containing his dissections of animals of every class, and of plants; or of its Catalogue, ' Physiological Series,'5 vols. 4to. 1833— 1840.] 2c](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21182656_0411.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
