The Arkansas advocate., 1831-04-06
From the Massachusetts Journal.
 ANATOMY.

ANATOMY.
 We have on repeated occasions urged the necessity of legislative provisions to facilitate the study of anatomy. The alternative lies betweenthc leealization iof dissection and the frequent violation of the grave. The aaatomist will al- ways have too much humanity for the living, not to seek, at any and every ha- gard, in the dissection of the bodies of the dead, for that knowledge, to the ai- sence of which perhaps their death
 was attributable. No penalties, how eversevere, will eyerputanend toaprac- tiee which the interest of the great fam lily of the living invites and requires.- The subject of legalizing dissection is now before the legislature. 4 report has been presented accompanied by an act, the leading provisions of which may be stated in few words.
 Severe penalties are in the ist section enacted againstthe violationo ofthe gray e. In the 2d, accessaries aie placed on the footing of principals in this offence; and in the 3d, the Boards of Health, Over |seers of the Poor, de. are authorized to surrender the dead bodies of such persons as may be required to be buried at the public expense, to any regular physician, to be used for the advance ment of anatomical science; preference being given to the medical schools, dur ing the periods in which subjects are required for instruction; prouided that no such dead body shall in any case be surrendered, sif within twenty four hours from the time of its death, any ono or more persons, claiming to be kin. friend or acquaintance to the deceased, shall reqiure to have the said body inhumed.
 lti is further provided, that the physi- elan receiving the body, shall first give sufficient bonds that it stall be used on- ly for the purposes of anatomical sci ence. and that within the Common wealth, and in such q manner as in no event to outrage the public feeling. It is also provided that after having been so used, the remains shall l,e decently' iis- humed.
 The report of Mir. Davis, from which We subjoin q few detached extracts be- low. is malicious compilation of facts and ree:ases.i;s-s oii this this interesting and important subject. Our extracts are from that part of the report which is de- |signed 10 show that "a knowledge of anat- |omy is the basis of safe medical prac- |tice.
 Not only is this knowledge of anato- my necessary to the surgeon, but 1t is ot |so fleeting a nature as to require cor |stantpractice to keep it fresh and bright. The oldest, most practised and adroit- est surgeon will never essay an ofdina- ry operation on a living subject, before he first has traced out his track, with the |certainty, and all the solemn sanction of life and death, on the dead subject. IL js dissection, repeated and reiterated dissection alone, that can teach him, where he may cut the living body with freedom and despatch: where he may venture only with great circumsnection and delicacy;a where he must not on any consideration attempt what mans organization would render fatal.
 sIn the disease of the liver, pain is generally felt at tfIc top of the right shoulder. The right plrenc nerve sends a branch to the liver. The third ccr- vical nerve from which the phrenic ari- ses, sends numerous branches to the neighborhood of the shoulder: thus is established .a nervous communication between the shoulder and the liver.- This is fact, which nothing but anat- omy could teach, and affords the expla- nation of a symptom, which nothing but anatomy could give. The knowledge of 1t would infalIibly correct mistake, into which a person, who is s;gnorant of it, would he sure to fall: ii, fact, persons ignorant of it do constantly commit the error.
 sDisease of the liver has been known to be enormously treated as rheumatism in the shoulder. and this error may have been fatal to the patient, by giving to q fatal and asiduous disease an opportuni- ty of taking root in the system. Dis ease ofthelive is simultaneously taken for disease of the lungs. So too, per- sons treated fordisease of the liver have been found tohave no disease of the liver, but disease of the brain.
 spersons are often attacked with con