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Lm.DA OGLOV If Leonardo da Vinci could see the Working on a Bell Northern Re- acoustic space is an important and proliferous family tree of medical search page-creator terminal, the somewhat revolutionary aspect of illustrators that he engendered, he students created a drawing of a this development. would be amazed to find that the cervical cross-section of a spinal co- "To say this is the first time newest branch is wielding a comput- lumn that, in practice, could be medical illustrators have made use er - with the potential, of instantly transmitted by ordinary telephone of videotext communication is dan- transmitting their work around the lines to any point in the world. This gerous because in the field of com- world. means that a medical illustrator in puter communication discoveries are In one remarkable leap, which Toronto, for instance, would design being made almost every moment", could change the entire future of a drawing on a computer that could says Donald Forgie, a professor with medical illustration and its many be received by a doctor in Tokyo or the University of Toronto's faculty applications, the University of To- Lethbridge, within minutes. If they of library and information science ronto's Art as Applied to Medicine were using space sharing equipment, and a member of the social impact (AAM) students recently developed doctor and illustrator could discuss subcommittee of the Canadian vi- a page of medical illustration using and alter the drawing in the com- deotext consultative committee. the Telidon method of videotext puter to meet the specified need. "But to the best of our knowledge, it communication. Obviously, the medical advan- is a unique development." tages of such a system in treatment The system was developed in a Linda Oglov is a freelance writer living in and as a teaching tool are infinite. relatively short period of time by the Almonte, Ont. The element of shared visual and AAM .tudents, under the direction CAN MED ASSOC I, VOL. 128, JUNE 15, 1983 1477 of Profs. Forgie and Nancy Joy, who is the person who has been largely responsible for perpetuating medical-illustration education in Canada. Since 1962, Prof. Joy has been chairman of the University of Toronto's Art as Applied to Medi- cine department, the only school of * its kind in Canada. "It was the students themselves who asked for an assignment on Telidon", says Prof. Joy. "They know that it is in the best interests of their own fu- tures to become familiar with the world of computers." In effect, the AAM students were pioneering an entirely new concept for the University of Toronto since Telidon is not established on cam- pus. (One of several types of video- text communication on the market, Telidon is used by some large hospi- tal, including the Toronto General, as a drug directory.) While medical illustrating is a well-developed profession in the I United States, there are only 60 to 70 Videotext medical art developed by AAM students (foreground) and Profs. Forgie (left such artists in Canada. There is, background) and Nancy Joy (right background). however, an ever-increasing demand as new positions open up in medical information that' is not visible. Applied to Medicine (BSc/AAM). schools, large teaching hospitals and "Illustrating a surgical technique, In addition to being the only health clinics. It is very much a such as rebuilding a damaged shoul- school for medical illustrators in profession in which one can carve der joint, the artist will simplify the Canada, Toronto's department has one's own future. lighting to eliminate confusing shad- the distinction of being one of a few "If one is asked to forecast the ows and highlights, leave out hands in the world. The first school of need for medical illustrators, one and instruments that obscure the medical illustration was established can never predict an exponential field and the packing material and in 1911 by Max Brodel, an eminent curve, but in actual fact that is clamps used to control bleeding, and medical artist, at The Johns Hop- true", says Prof. Joy. "All of our may then add a dotted line or shad- kins University medical school in graduates are getting work, particu- ed area to indicate concealed skele- Baltimore, Md. That school still larly freelancers. And as hospitals tal or other structures." exists, along with several others in and universities are forced to cut A medical artist may be called the United States, some offering staff, it opens up even more possibil- upon to provide illustrations for pub- masters' level programs. A school in ities for freelancers." lications and lectures, to prepare Great Britain has a diploma course. Medical illustrators tend to be conference presentations and dis- "There are, of course, medical based in larger Canadian cities. plays and graphic materials for artists who are not graduates of a While the function of these profes- slide/tape, film and electronic me- medical art school", says Prof. Joy. sionals is basically to teach or re- dia. As possibly the only artist in the "It is possible to put together your cord, the applications of his or her smaller hospitals and universities, he own course of study by taking class- talents are numerous and varied. or she may also be asked to create es in such subjects as anatomy. The "Organizations that previously have everything from flyers advertising important thing is that the medical not hired medical artists may have hospital functions to cartoons for artist understand what he is illus- to be educated in the most effective in-house publications. trating." way to use their services", says Prof. Prof. Joy has often been quoted as At the University of Toronto Joy. saying: "Medical artists should be school strong emphasis is put on "The camera has eliminated, to a born teachers, artists by vocation developing the two professions of art large extent, the need for artists to and scientists by nature." Perhaps and medicine simultaneously. The reproduce reality exactly; indeed, Prof. Joy would now add "and com- AAM students are full members of medical photography has become a puter operators by necessity". the medical society and for the first profession in its own right. The The University of Toronto's Art 2 years of their program they study artist, however, is often called upon as Applied to Medicine program is a side by side with University of To- to do what the camera cannot, to graduate course of study, leading to ronto medical students and write the exclude unwanted detail or to fill in a Bachelor of Science in Art as same exams. 1478 CAN MED ASSOC J, VOL. 128, JUNE 15, 1983 The 3-year AAM program pro- take in preparation for the AAM artistic use of colour and texture. vides training in applied art, anato- program. On display at the recent Universi- my, neuroanatomy, dental anatomy Among the reasons that graduates ty of Toronto Art as Applied to and histology, physiology, pathology have little trouble in finding work is Medicine department's open house and special classes in ophthalmolo- that their interests and backgrounds were some excellent exercises in ani- gy, surgery, history of medicine, one are so varied. Currently enrolled in mation, alongside realistic portray- arts and science option and photog- the program is a student with a als of research in infant anatomy, raphy. doctorate in biology; two are doctors ophthalmological sketches and den- According to Prof. Joy, the Uni- of veterinary medicine, one of whom tal studies. versity of Toronto school was estab- holds her degree from the University One contemporary artist who has lished by "sheer good luck". In its of Madrid; another is a medical managed to marry successfully his early years, 1926 to 1945, the depart- doctor (the second MD to take the talents as a medical illustrator With ment was solely an art service for program) and still another is a suc- his other creative energies is Win- the faculty of medecine, under the cessful commercial artist. nipeg's J.K. (Jack) Butler. direction of Maria T. Wishart, who An artist may enter the course "Jack Butler is definitely one of is credited with establishing the pro- with a view toward pursuing such our most important artists and I fession of medical illustration in diversified careers as that of a wild- would suggest that he is in a class by Canada. Prof. Joy succeeded Miss life artist or museum prosector, himself', says Robert Enright, a Wishart when she retired in 1962. since this is the only course available well known art critic and western Nancy Joy knew from the age of in Canada for scientific illustrators. correspondent for CBC's Stereo 13 that she wanted to study medical One graduate of the AAM school is Morning. art. Her mother had studied art now in Israel where he is at work on Born in Pittsburg, Butler had a under Mary Winch Reid, along with the world's first atlas on camel anat- choice of a scholarship as a medical Maria Wishart. Another key influ- omy. Another is doing forensic art student or one in the visual arts ence was Nancy's grandfather, Dr. for use in court rooms. when he graduated from high Alexander Primrose, who was a While the main vocation of medi- school. He chose visual art. but, in well known Toronto surgeon and cal artists is to teach and communi- the mid 70s after a period of teach- chairman of the department of anat- cate, rather than to express them- ing in Canada and the United omy at the University of Toronto selves, many of these professionals States, he found himself launched as when Miss Wishart was first ap- also produce superb examples of a medical artist on a series of pro- pointed illustrator in 1926.

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