Pay Attention Students

[M5Man]

First-Year students at Oklahoma State Veterinary School were receiving their first anatomy class, with a real dead cow.

They all gathered around the surgery table with the body covered with a white sheet.

The visiting OU Professor (from Iowa) started the class by telling them, "In veterinary medicine, it is necessary to have two important qualities as a doctor:

The first is not to be disgusted by anything involving the animal's body. The Professor then pulled back the sheet, stuck his finger in the dead cow's butt, withdrew it, and stuck it in his mouth.

"Go ahead and do the same thing," he told his students.

The students freaked out, hesitating for several minutes; but, eventually, took turns sticking a finger in the dead cow's butt and then sticking it in their mouths.

When everyone finished, the visiting OU Professor looked at them and told them, "The second most important quality is observation. I stuck in my middle finger and sucked on my index finger. Now learn to pay attention."

[MAHLER]

How disgusting..... now I know why I have made law...

[cornerstone]

This joke actually has an interesting history. I say this, well, in case anyone is interested!

The person who originally did this was the inspiration for the character Sherlock Holmes.

Dr Joseph Bell was a medical professor at the University of Edinburgh

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, was from Edinburgh and studied medicine under Bell, and later worked with him (I believe) at the Royal Infirmary. He said that Bell was his inspiration.

Anyway, since at least the 1930's, the original version of this anecdote has been attributed to Bell, as something he would tell his medical students:

One day, in the lecture theatre, he gave the students a long talk on the necessity for the members of the medical profession cultivating their senses — sight, smell, taste, and hearing. Before him on a table stood a large tumbler filled with a dark, amber-colored liquid.

"This, gentleman," announced the Professor, "contains a very potent drug. To the taste it is intensely bitter. It is most offensive to the sense of smell. Yet, as far as the sense of sight is concerned — that is, in color — it is no different from dozens of other liquids.

"Now I want to see how many of you gentlemen have educated your powers of perception. Of course, we might easily analyze this chemically, and find out what it is. But I want you to test it by smell and taste; and, as I don't ask anything of my students which I wouldn't be willing to do myself, I will taste it before passing it round."

Here he dipped his finger in the liquid, and placed it in his mouth. The tumbler was passed round. With wry and sour faces the students followed the Professor's lead. One after another tasted the vile decoction; varied and amusing were the grimaces made. The tumbler, having gone the round, was returned to the Professor.

"Gentlemen," said he, with a laugh. "I am deeply grieved to find that not one of you has developed this power of perception, which I so often speak about; for if you had watched me closely, you would have found that, while I placed my forefinger in the medicine, it was the middle finger which found its way into my mouth."

[Johnkaz]

Holy cow!!!

Cheers Johnkaz.

[jimmytim]

Whichever version of the story I came across, always had a good laugh