Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-27
MEDICAL STUDENT.
.,u,r TaE FIRsT-yEAR MAN mas
TO DO AT COLLEGE.
nv THEY DISSECT THE CsDAYER.
,nc First Week in the Dissecting
nall noes Not Increase Their Appc-
ute-Thcy study Hard, But Are n
Lively Lot.

49,
WHY II Is that medical students. IA a
r..,. are such merry and lively lot 60
,,arcss it mildly, though engaged IN so
serious a science. cannot be accounted
,,r. bat certainly no one will deny that
such IS the case. And to say that they
are only merry and lively" is. indeed.
I..Nrg az them in a charitable light. II
81. not 90 be understood that they are
chad" fellows by any means. but as one
Of The professors, who for years has lee
t.-.5 before them. said recently, they are
h-y terrors in the classroom, and no
thing but iron furniture would prove dura-
bic In @ medical college.
The only reason that can be given in
explanation Of such tendency on the
mart Of the medical student is that the
sawrc Of his work. and the strain upon
as mind, Is so great, that some such re-
taxation as that afforded by the wild
s.rks DE plays is necessary to counter
al The morbid state IN which he would
Otherwise live.
a SERIOUS BUSINESS.
Tie life of the man who is engaged in
tfr study Of the science OF medicine Is
nd an easy one. There are professions
A. which. n the practitioner can do no
g--G 90 his client he can do little harm,
III medicine Is not one OF them.
I1 the physician is entrusted the great
EST 81. spons!hility that can be placed i'm
ne hands of man-that OF the care Of
o.. human life. 1t is a responsibility that
l..
e.rry way TO 90 so, and as far as IS pos
s.5.e. every State adopts all precautions
o. see that no man is licensed to prac-
ice medicine until he has thorough
knowledge OF the science.
therefore the man who begins the
study Of medicine vealizes the task he
has before him. and knows that TO pass
The rigid examinations he must devote
himself with untiring energy to his books,
and be a regular attendant upon the
course Of lectures.
FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS.
The arst-year student has to undergo
severe trial on his nerves, and it is
generally with a feeling of dread that he
prepares to go 10 the dissecting-room
after three months OF preparatory study.
They dissect the cadaver, a dead human
body. or, as the students call 1t,
generally from ten 10 fifteen cadavers,
AND eight students are assigned to one
"sIN" The professor leads the men up
10 the dissecting table which they APP
Ir1ach very much as though they were
being brought in close contact with
live rattlesnake Each man is attired
Ia a gown, which reaches to his feet,
and carues a scalpel in his hand, that
instrument being a short knire. The
man with the stoutest heart generally
makes the first iucision. The body is
cut only enough TO allow the skin TO be
drawn back in flaps" so that the mus
c.ss beneath may be disclosed. 1t is
not an uncommon occurrence for stu
dent 10 faint when he approaches for
the first time q dissecting table. The
bodies dissected have been dead any
where from one to six weeks. II usually
takes a class six weeks 10 dissect the
cadaver.
HOW THEY DISSECT.
They work upon the body two hours
and q half each day in the week, except
Saturday and Sunday. Every muscle and
artery is disclosed and carefully eX-
amined. Not until the bone is reached
have the students completed their task.
And by that time, so accustomed have
they become to the cadaver, and their
surroundings I'm the dissecung hall, that
the sight makes no impression whatever
upon them, and they leave the table at
the required hour, wash their hands,
and go home 10 eat hearty supper. II
Is not necessary to say, however,
mat during the first few days in
the dissecung hall their appetites are
not what they might be, and for once,
rH one gives "love" as a reason there
tor.
ahen dissecting, the greatest care has
-l be used not to accidentally receive a
cut. Sometimes such an accident proves
fatal 10 the unlucky student, as blood
poisoning sets in.
SOME ATTEND CLINICS.
Though a first-year student is not re-
CURED to attend the clinics, yet he may
d. so II Re desires and a majority avail
themselves Of the opportunity, TO wit
ness an operation is even more trying
on the nerves than dissecting. 1t is more
Interesting than the latter, however, and
A. rba evee can endure the sight there is
nothing 10 offend the other senses. Inc
s.gdent soon becomes able to watch the
sr8nfratiou Of a limb without ninching,
and witness other operations more DANCE
rgus. though the instruments useu are
less formidable looking.
When "A student enters a medical col
lege he generally finds that his time VIII
b. occupied as follows:
Five hours at lectures and in laoora-
tories. two and a half hours in the dis
sactlue hall. and four hours OF STUDY
Ha generally finds time enough outside
az the above hours 10 let every one know
that he is really a medical student ana
not an imitation, and those VINO nav
seen bis tribe before nave no Ie"9O" ~
doubt that he IS one.
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