The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1826-08-30

with the same colour.
Besides the bones thus painted, prep
aratlons are made of the muscles dis
sected from each other, dried and paint
ed in colours corresponding with the
co!onred patches ON the skeletons.
The colours employed, are,
Deep red, Light green,
Light red, Deep blue or Indjoo
Dull red, Light blue orAzure,
Deep orange, Purple,
Light do. Dark brown,
Yellow, Light do.
Deep green, Ash.
/! may seem that this LIST of colours is
too small 10 prevent confusion from the
frequent repetition Of them in their
application to the muscles. On trial,
however, il has been found to be nearly
or quite as large as is compatible with
dlstlnctness, especially when The paint
ed bones or muscles are viewed at the
distance of several feet, as it is often
necessary in a lecture room and even
the necessary reiteration of few strong
and distinct colours is attended with less
inconvenience than large variety. the
hues of which must approximate each
other, The difficulty of Distinguishing
them increasing as their number is mui,
lipied.
With a skeleton thus painted, while
going over with his Osteology, the stu
dent obtains permanent knowledge of
very large number of muscular at
tachments and when the dissected and
painted muscles come 10 be studied, an
almost indelible acquaintance with their
connexions, their position ia ISOLATION to
each other, and 10 the blood vessels and
nerves, if these textures are preserved
as they ought 10 be, is soon acquired.
For the last three years | have taught
myology TO the summer classes, exclu-
sively upon this apparatus and in the
lectures in autumn and winter, have
made constant use of it joined with re-
cent dissections. With these facilities,
am confident that the labor of acquiring
a knowledge Of the muscles is greatly
diminished. Several of our students,
who, previous TO their coming here, had
paid considerable attention to anatomy,
have expressed their full conviction
that the labor is reduced more than one
half from that which is ordinarily nee
essary. 1t is true that disse ctions, indie
fatigably pursued, will give more &C.
curate knowledge of all the soft tex
lures, than dried preparations but when
1t is recollected that large proportion
of students who attend lectures cannot
OF do not avail themselves of the beue-
fiji ofprivate dissections, when ii is borne
in mind that dried preparations of the
blood-vessels have long been found of
unspeakable advantage TO the student,
and that a good knowledge of the mus
cles is essential 10 an acquaintance with
those very important textures, the blood
vessels and nerves-it will not be denied
that this method promises much 10 one
Of the most important and laborious de-
partments of anatomical study.
will here remark, that The same
method adopted with the nerves, will be
found exceedingly useful. The dried
and painted nerves, like the coloured
muscles, catch the eye aud make an i'm
preston and soon the colour of par
ticular nerve becomes associated with
the parts 10 which it is distributed. On
these preparations, | find, that even the
complicated nerves of the head and
trunk admit of comparatively easy and
distinct demonstration and consider
them as altogether preferable to wer
preparations for students who do not en-.
! joy great facilities for private disco.
lions. Yours, sc.
r. D. MUSSEY.
Dartmouth College, Harorer, N. Fl. Aug. 3.