Museum Techniques: A Review

The preservation of pathological material has never been of greater importance than at present, when the introduction of new, successful methods of therapy is changing the picture of disease out of all recognition. It is interesting to walk through any medical museum established a hundred years and to note how many specimens relate to conditions which are either never or rarely seen at necropsy to-day or which, if encountered, are greatly modified by treatment. On the other hand, surgical-treatment, by prolonging life, often permits of conditions not previously encountered; it is a matter of interesting conjecture to consider what disorders may in future manifest themselves in increasing numbers. Obvious examples are the degenerative conditions of old age, as the treatment of acute infections becomes progressively more effective. Pathological museums are in part historical, representing the pioneer work of diagnosticians and therapists; in part they are becoming museums in the generally accepted sense of the word, presenting records of past states not now encountered, or conditions of great rarity; and finally they provide the student with the basic material of his current