Prosector
Encyclopedia
A prosector is a person with the special task of preparing a dissection
for demonstration, usually in medical school
s or hospital
s. Many important anatomists began their careers as prosectors working for lecturers and demonstrators in anatomy
and pathology
.
The act of prosecting differs from that of dissecting. A prosection is a professionally prepared dissection prepared by a prosector – a person who is well versed in anatomy and who therefore prepares a specimen so that others may study and learn anatomy from it. A dissection is prepared by a student who is dissecting the specimen for the purpose of learning more about the anatomical structures pertaining to that specimen. The term dissection may also be used to describe the act of cutting. Therefore, a prosector dissects to prepare a prosection.
Prosecting is intricate work where numerous tools are used to produce a desired specimen. Scalpels and scissors allow for sharp dissection where tissue is cut, i.e. the biceps brachii muscle was removed from the specimen by cutting the origin and insertion with a scalpel blade. Probes and the prosector's own fingers are examples of tools used for blunt dissection where tissue may be separated from surrounding structures without cutting, i.e. the bellies of biceps brachii and coracobrachailis were made clearer by loosening the fascia between the two muscles with a blunt probe.
Further to the protection that embalming allows against disease, educational institutions take great care in screening the cadavers accepted into their body donation programs. Cadavers are not accepted if they have a medical history of infectious disease such as tuberculosis
and AIDs
/HIV
.
Prosectors for autopsies
of disease
d cadaver
s may run a high risk of suffering from health problems when caution is not used as cadavers are not fixed when being dissected for autopsy. At least two diseases are named after prosectors:
Contracting infections caused by contaminated cadavers is a constant danger among prosectors, particularly if a skin puncture accident results from the sharp surgical instruments
used in this kind of work (about 70% of pathology workers report having at least one percutaneous incident). In this case, thin surgical gloves are not enough to protect. There are many cases of pathologists who died of acute septicemia (blood poisoning) because of this. Another example, a famous historical case, is that of Dr. Ernst von Fleischl-Marxow
, an Austrian physician, pathologist and physiologist, who infected his finger during an autopsy and became dependent on morphine
, due to the pain
; and, later, on cocaine
, by instigation of his friend, Sigmund Freud
.
Presently, AIDS
presents a problem. Although it is difficult to contract it by a single puncture incident (the overall personal risk has been estimated to be 0.11%), at least one case has been reported among pathologists.
The continuous respiratory exposure to formaldehyde
, used to preserve cadaver
s, is also an occupational risk of prosectors as well as medical students, anatomists and pathologists. Inhaled formaldehyde can irritate the eyes and mucous membranes, resulting in watery eyes, headache
, a burning sensation in the throat, and difficulty breathing. Formaldehyde is listed as a potential human carcinogen
.
Dissection
Dissection is usually the process of disassembling and observing something to determine its internal structure and as an aid to discerning the functions and relationships of its components....
for demonstration, usually in medical school
Medical school
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine. Degree programs offered at medical schools often include Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy, master's degree, or other post-secondary...
s or hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
s. Many important anatomists began their careers as prosectors working for lecturers and demonstrators in anatomy
Anatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
and pathology
Pathology
Pathology is the precise study and diagnosis of disease. The word pathology is from Ancient Greek , pathos, "feeling, suffering"; and , -logia, "the study of". Pathologization, to pathologize, refers to the process of defining a condition or behavior as pathological, e.g. pathological gambling....
.
The act of prosecting differs from that of dissecting. A prosection is a professionally prepared dissection prepared by a prosector – a person who is well versed in anatomy and who therefore prepares a specimen so that others may study and learn anatomy from it. A dissection is prepared by a student who is dissecting the specimen for the purpose of learning more about the anatomical structures pertaining to that specimen. The term dissection may also be used to describe the act of cutting. Therefore, a prosector dissects to prepare a prosection.
Prosecting is intricate work where numerous tools are used to produce a desired specimen. Scalpels and scissors allow for sharp dissection where tissue is cut, i.e. the biceps brachii muscle was removed from the specimen by cutting the origin and insertion with a scalpel blade. Probes and the prosector's own fingers are examples of tools used for blunt dissection where tissue may be separated from surrounding structures without cutting, i.e. the bellies of biceps brachii and coracobrachailis were made clearer by loosening the fascia between the two muscles with a blunt probe.
Occupational risks
Generally, the risks to prosectors are low. Cadavers used for teaching purposes are embalmed before they are encountered by a prosector and students. Embalming fluid usually contains formaldehyde, phenol, dettol and glycerine which disinfect and kills pathogens within the cadaver. With exposure to embalming fluid, tissues and bodily fluids, such as blood, become fixed. Prosectors and students working with embalmed cadavers must always wear protective gloves, however this is more for protection against the harsh chemicals used in embalming such as formaldehyde and dettol which can cause moderate to severe skin irritation.Further to the protection that embalming allows against disease, educational institutions take great care in screening the cadavers accepted into their body donation programs. Cadavers are not accepted if they have a medical history of infectious disease such as tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
and AIDs
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
/HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
.
Prosectors for autopsies
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
of disease
Disease
A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune...
d cadaver
Cadaver
A cadaver is a dead human body.Cadaver may also refer to:* Cadaver tomb, tomb featuring an effigy in the form of a decomposing body* Cadaver , a video game* cadaver A command-line WebDAV client for Unix....
s may run a high risk of suffering from health problems when caution is not used as cadavers are not fixed when being dissected for autopsy. At least two diseases are named after prosectors:
- Prosector's paronychia: a primary inoculation of tuberculosisTuberculosisTuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
of the skinSkin-Dermis:The dermis is the layer of skin beneath the epidermis that consists of connective tissue and cushions the body from stress and strain. The dermis is tightly connected to the epidermis by a basement membrane. It also harbors many Mechanoreceptors that provide the sense of touch and heat...
and nailsNail (anatomy)A nail is a horn-like envelope covering the dorsal aspect of the terminal phalanges of fingers and toes in humans, most non-human primates, and a few other mammals. Nails are similar to claws, which are found on numerous other animals....
. - Prosector's wartProsector's wartTuberculosis verrucosa cutis is a rash of small, red papular nodules in the skin that may appear 2-4 weeks after inoculation by Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a previously infected and immunocompetent individual.It is so called because it was a common occupational disease of prosectors, the...
, a skin lesion, also caused by contamination with tuberculous material
Contracting infections caused by contaminated cadavers is a constant danger among prosectors, particularly if a skin puncture accident results from the sharp surgical instruments
Surgical instruments
A surgical instrument is a specially designed tool or device for performing specific actions of carrying out desired effects during a surgery or operation, such as modifying biological tissue, or to provide access for viewing it. Over time, many different kinds of surgical instruments and tools...
used in this kind of work (about 70% of pathology workers report having at least one percutaneous incident). In this case, thin surgical gloves are not enough to protect. There are many cases of pathologists who died of acute septicemia (blood poisoning) because of this. Another example, a famous historical case, is that of Dr. Ernst von Fleischl-Marxow
Ernst von Fleischl-Marxow
Ernst von Fleischl-Marxow, aka Ernst Fleischl von Marxow was an Austrian physiologist and physician who became known for his important investigations on the electrical activity of nerves and the brain...
, an Austrian physician, pathologist and physiologist, who infected his finger during an autopsy and became dependent on morphine
Morphine
Morphine is a potent opiate analgesic medication and is considered to be the prototypical opioid. It was first isolated in 1804 by Friedrich Sertürner, first distributed by same in 1817, and first commercially sold by Merck in 1827, which at the time was a single small chemists' shop. It was more...
, due to the pain
Pain
Pain is an unpleasant sensation often caused by intense or damaging stimuli such as stubbing a toe, burning a finger, putting iodine on a cut, and bumping the "funny bone."...
; and, later, on cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
, by instigation of his friend, Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis...
.
Presently, AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
presents a problem. Although it is difficult to contract it by a single puncture incident (the overall personal risk has been estimated to be 0.11%), at least one case has been reported among pathologists.
The continuous respiratory exposure to formaldehyde
Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is an organic compound with the formula CH2O. It is the simplest aldehyde, hence its systematic name methanal.Formaldehyde is a colorless gas with a characteristic pungent odor. It is an important precursor to many other chemical compounds, especially for polymers...
, used to preserve cadaver
Cadaver
A cadaver is a dead human body.Cadaver may also refer to:* Cadaver tomb, tomb featuring an effigy in the form of a decomposing body* Cadaver , a video game* cadaver A command-line WebDAV client for Unix....
s, is also an occupational risk of prosectors as well as medical students, anatomists and pathologists. Inhaled formaldehyde can irritate the eyes and mucous membranes, resulting in watery eyes, headache
Headache
A headache or cephalalgia is pain anywhere in the region of the head or neck. It can be a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head and neck. The brain tissue itself is not sensitive to pain because it lacks pain receptors. Rather, the pain is caused by disturbance of the...
, a burning sensation in the throat, and difficulty breathing. Formaldehyde is listed as a potential human carcinogen
Carcinogen
A carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that is an agent directly involved in causing cancer. This may be due to the ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of cellular metabolic processes...
.
Famous prosectors
- Jean Zuléma AmussatJean Zuléma AmussatJean Zuléma Amussat was a French surgeon.Amussat was born in Saint-Maixent, Deux-Sèvres. He became a renowned physician whose primary contributions were in the field of genitourinary surgery. Most of his work was through a private practice he held in Paris...
- Paul Clemens von BaumgartenPaul Clemens von BaumgartenPaul Clemens von Baumgarten was a German pathologist.He was the son of a physician, and was a pupil of Christian Wilhelm Braune and Ernst Leberecht Wagner in Leipzig, and Ernst Neumann . He received his doctorate in Leipzig on August 22, 1873...
- Christian Albert Theodor Billroth
- William Bowman
- Paul BrocaPaul BrocaPierre Paul Broca was a French physician, surgeon, anatomist, and anthropologist. He was born in Sainte-Foy-la-Grande, Gironde. He is best known for his research on Broca's area, a region of the frontal lobe that has been named after him. Broca’s Area is responsible for articulated language...
- Korbinian BrodmannKorbinian BrodmannKorbinian Brodmann was a German neurologist who became famous for his definition of the cerebral cortex into 52 distinct regions from their cytoarchitectonic characteristics.-Life:...
- Ernst Wilhelm von BrückeErnst Wilhelm von BrückeErnst Wilhelm Ritter von Brücke was a German physician and physiologist.He was born Ernst Wilhelm Brücke in Berlin. He graduated in medicine at University of Berlin in 1842, the following year he became esearch assistant to Johannes Peter Müller...
- Alexis CarrelAlexis CarrelAlexis Carrel was a French surgeon and biologist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1912 for pioneering vascular suturing techniques. He invented the first perfusion pump with Charles A. Lindbergh opening the way to organ transplantation...
- Niels Ryberg FinsenNiels Ryberg FinsenNiels Ryberg Finsen was a Faroese-Danish physician and scientist of Icelandic descent. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology in 1903 "in recognition of his contribution to the treatment of diseases, especially lupus vulgaris, with concentrated light radiation, whereby he has...
- Alessandra GilianiAlessandra GilianiAlessandra Giliani was born in 1307 and died on 26 March 1326, in a blazing inferno at age 19. She was an Italian anatomist, serving as the first female prosector in Italy....
- Friedrich Gustav Jakob HenleFriedrich Gustav Jakob HenleFriedrich Gustav Jakob Henle was a German physician, pathologist and anatomist. He is credited with the discovery of the loop of Henle in the kidney. His essay "On Miasma and Contagia" was an early argument for the germ theory of disease...
- Josef HyrtlJosef HyrtlJosef Hyrtl was an Austrian anatomist.Hyrtl was born at Kismarton, in Hungary. He began his medical studies in Vienna in 1831, having received his preliminary education in his native town. His parents were poor, and he had to find some means to help defray the expenses of his medical education...
- Eduard KaufmannEduard KaufmannEduard Kaufmann was a German physician.The disease Abderhalden-Kaufmann-Lignac syndrome is named for him.-Career:Kaufmann studied in Bonn and Berlin, and earned his doctorate from the University of Bonn in 1884...
- Albert von KöllikerAlbert von KöllikerAlbert von Kölliker was a Swiss anatomist and physiologist.-Biography:Albert Kölliker was born in Zurich, Switzerland. His early education was carried on in Zurich, and he entered the university there in 1836...
- Eber LandauEber LandauEber Landau was a Latvian physician from Rēzekne.In 1902 he graduated from the University of Tartu, and afterwards continued his studies of anatomy and histology at Villafrenk zoology station, at the histology laboratory in Munich, and in St. Petersburg under Peter Lesgaft...
- Paul LangerhansPaul LangerhansPaul Langerhans was a German pathologist, physiologist and biologist.-Eponymous terms:* Islets of Langerhans - Pancreatic cells which produce insulin...
- Giovanni Battista MorgagniGiovanni Battista MorgagniGiovanni Battista Morgagni was an Italian anatomist, celebrated as the father of modern anatomical pathology.-Education:...
- Jan Evangelista PurkyněJan Evangelista PurkyneJan Evangelista Purkyně was a Czech anatomist and physiologist. He was one of the best known scientists of his time. His son was the painter Karel Purkyně...
- Heinrich Christian Friedrich SchumacherHeinrich Christian Friedrich SchumacherHeinrich Christian Friedrich Schumacher , was a Danish surgeon, botanist and professor of anatomy at the University of Copenhagen...
- Rudolf VirchowRudolf VirchowRudolph Carl Virchow was a German doctor, anthropologist, pathologist, prehistorian, biologist and politician, known for his advancement of public health...