The autopsy. Past, present, and future
R. E. Anderson, J. T. Weston, J. E. Craighead, P. E. Lacy, R. W. Wissler and R. B. Hill
The autopsy appears to be on the way to assuming an increasingly important
role in patient care, continuing education, education of medical students
and house staff, research in environmental pathology, and more fundamental
aspects of disease. This trend needs to be nurtured. Not only pathologists
but all physicians need to plan carefully to utilize autopsies to the
fullest possible extent. Interest will continue to grow only if autopsies
are performed or are closely supervised by highly motivated and experienced
pathologists asking critical questions of current medical, scientific, and
social concern. New, imaginative approaches are needed to develop the data
necessary to address these questions.
