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 , 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 . 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 , 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. "fine art". jects at the Children's Hospital in Graduating from the Col- Historically, medical art includes . He has made a tremen- lege of Art in 1942, Miss Joy sat in all pictorial or sculptured represen- dous contribution both to medical on courses with University of Toron- tations that have connections with art and fine art. to medical students, learning anato- anatomy, bodily processes or dis- Butler's recent "Art/Science Ta- my, histology, neuroanatomy, em- ease. Much early medical art was bles" exhibit, seen at the University bryology and pathology, but earning created with no intent of communi- of Manitoba's school of art, was a no degree or credit course since cating medical fact, the medical as- mixed-media display described by there was none to receive. pect being incidental to the picture Robert Enright as "unlike anything At that time she began a nearly or sculpture. usually seen in galleries". He built 30-year association with Dr. J.C. The concept of scientific illustra- two wooden tables, 1.5 m high, 46 Boileau Grant, professor emeritus of tion originated in classical Greek cm across and 5 m long, on which anatomy at the University of Toron- thought. Leonardo da Vinci, howev- sat or hung 48 fantastical objects. to. She illustrated Dr. Grant's books er, is considered the "father of medi- What these objects - made of plas- Method of Anatomy and Atlas of cal illustration" since he was the ter, acrylic, castpaper, gauze, etc. Anatomy, including the subsequent first to explore systematically and to are is open to interpretation but editions. These books became medi- record pictorially the entire struc- Butler's connection with the field of cal best sellers and are still two of ture of man's body. medicine was strongly evident. the most widely used medical texts Renaissance artists such as da The two disciplines have frequent- on anatomy. Vinci, Durer, Michelangelo and Ra- ly overlapped in Butler's work, such The University of Toronto Art as phael, all of whom were concerned as in 1976 when he was working on Applied to Medicine program began with art and science, gave us some his Venus paintings while he was to offer a diploma in 1944 and by of that period's greatest art works. also engaged in the construction of a 1968, through Nancy Joy's efforts, We also have a legacy of medical series of models illustrating the em- became a degree-granting course. art in wood and metal engravings, bryonic development of the geni- Since 1968, the program has aver- including the marvellous woodcuts talia. aged about 13 to 15 students at any in Vesalius famous textbook of anat- Jack Butler is quite lucid on the one time, graduating 4 to 5 per year. omy "De humani corporis fabrica". subject of the intermingling of art The department reviews 7 to 12 Modern day medical artists dis- and science. He is quoted in the applications each year and usually play not only the meticulous atten- foreword to the book that accompa- accepts 5 to 6. There is frequent tion to detail and faithfulness to nies "Art/Science Tables" as saying: counselling with prospective stu- reality which their profession de- "I think that the day of art as a dents relating to courses they should mands, but also a highly appealing fundamental forming principle of CAN MED ASSOC J, VOL. 128, JUNE 15, 1983 1479 Prof. Joy: "Medical artists should be. . . artists by vocation and scientists by nature." culture on par with science is com- Emily Carr hangs in the National And office walls at McMaster ing. Science is going to have to take Gallery of Canada in Ottawa. Nan University in Hamilton are still the broad, general scanning, meta- Cheney studied under Max Brodel adorned with the humorous etchings phorical approach that art is using. at Johns Hopkins University and of cartoonist Lynn Johnston. Ms. It can't go on feeding itself into then worked as a medical illustrator Johnston, creator of the syndicated technology for ever. at McGill University in Montreal in comic strip "For Better of For "And art, conversely, is going to the 1920s. Worse" and several related books, have to take a firmer stand in be- Eila Hopper Ross, a noted medi- was a medical illustrator at McMas- lieving in its own products as true, cal illustrator and former associate ter until about 5 years ago. workable models for life and the of the University of Toronto Art as Obviously, the line between medi- world." Applied to Medicine school, found cal artist and fine artist is often Artists who set aside medical art more time for her wildlife paintings blurred. Which is a vocation and careers in pursuit of artistic expres- when she retired. Her work can be which an avocation is, in the words sion include artist Nan seen at the Burdette Wildlife Gal of Nancy Joy: "All in how you cut Cheney whose popular portrait of lery near Orangeville, Ont. it; both skills are necessary.". Inthe What are the risks ofsuicide? Although suicide is relatively infrequent, an understanding of suicide and of CMAJ theEnnis,individualsa psychiatristat riskatofTorontocommittingGeneralsuicideHospital,can decreaseoutlinesthehowrates.physiciansDr. Jon can be instrumental in preventing individual suicides and focuses on prevention and management within a medical practice. Pharmacists and the elderly Dr. J. Ronald D. Bayne and his colleagues, from McMaster University, Hamilton, have examined the results of a survey of 60 randomly selected pharmacists on their relationship with elderly patients. Although pharmacists are very aware of the dangers of overprescribing, noncompliance and inaccurate drug-taking among the elderly, they require greater assistance from physicians and other health professionals if such dangers are to be minimized. BC Medical Association's annual meeting Recommendations to increase the legal drinking age to 21 and to reassess the adequacy of the present 4 WLM standard for exposure to low-level ionizing radiation were the highlights of the health planning council's report at the BCMA annual meeting. News and Features Editor Brian B6rub. reports from Kelowna.