The Anatomy of a Frog

By Sherene D'cruz alias Mary Bennet ('89 batch)

Science was not exactly my favourite subject, though I ended up drawing diagrams of cross sections for my friends who hated drawing. Strange enough, today when I go to pick up some reading material from the local book store, I always end up with a copy of ‘The Scientific American’.  Looks like I love science after all.

Back in school when Mrs. Cabot informed us that we would be dissecting a frog the following week, I’m sure the future surgeons and doctors may have rejoiced, but there were those of us who felt our stomachs churn.  Mrs. Cabot kept a close eye on everyone. As the brave cut them open we could feel our breakfast rising to our throats.

  
Strangely enough the chloroform began to wear off and the frogs with open bellies started to wake up. This caused a general panic and Mrs. Cabot went around with cotton dipped in chloroform to put them back to sleep. Once the entrails were examined, the beating heart, the lungs and diaphragms drawn and lessons learnt, the question that popped in our mind was, ‘do we stitch up the belly just like real surgery?’ Unfortunately no needle and thread was available as this was no SUPW class. Mrs. Cabot must have surely wondered why we were being so ridiculous. She asked us to just dump them in the garden for the birds and cats to eat. Now if we were in France someone would have taken them home to prepare some delicious ‘fried frogs legs’ (sorry my vegetarian friends!). Hands were washed thoroughly but somehow no one was in a mood to eat their lunch that day. I wonder why?

(Frogs are protected species, so try to stitch them up next time. Don’t forget the needle and the thread!)