Practical Lessons in Desensitization
Words 191
“Congratulations on making it to medical college. Let’s begin with a quick tour of the departments.
Heads held high, the new batch of fresh young budding doctors took the first steps of their journey to ease human suffering and save lives.
Eyes watering from the noxious fumes, they trooped out of the dissection hall muttering to each other.
“That was a real body?
“I thought it was a wooden model!”
“When he cut open the skin and flicked the flecks of fat, I nearly threw up.”
“When the professor made me hold and feel the nerve, I almost fainted.”
“Yuck!”
“I didn’t know Medical College was going to be so gross.”
“Duh. You can’t avoid human anatomy in medical college.”
“Nothing could be worse.”
“Yeah? Read this.”
Catch a frog from the tank.
Use the hammer to give a blow to its head.
Use a scalpel to sever the brain from the spinal cord.
Insert a pithing needle into the brain to destroy it.
Frog may squirm in your hand but don’t let go. It doesn’t feel a thing.
Now you may begin to learn physiological functions without cerebral control.
***
Note: The frog experiments have since been discontinued.
Written for the Sunday Photo Fiction – a story in 200 words or less. For the other stories on this prompt click here.
Thank you for dropping by – have a great day 🙂
Stories and more 
Excellent writing
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Thank you Neel 🙂
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Wow. That was … interesting lol. I imagine a lot of junior doctors drop out at that stage as they think that being a doctor is romantic, meeting nurses and running off to marry them, whilst just setting broken arms and legs. Nothing so intricate as opening up a body.
So glad the frog experiment has been discontinued.
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Yes indeed children often have no clue what they are letting themselves in for, especially in India where they can get into medical college straight after school. More often than not, they are just following their parents dreams.
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“Yuck” does not cover the feelings! Enjoyed!
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Thank you for reading 🙂
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That made me laugh out loud since it was something I could relate to. I’m (a little) squeamish and school is doing a great job of toughening me up 😀
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Yeah school is meant more for toughening and giving scars than academic grounding 😀
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Lol…”Frog may squirm in your hands, yet it won’t feel a thing”!!! ..guess the frog too would have thought the same about the person who deduced this theory
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Umm not really theory – once the brain is destroyed, it probably doesnt feel a thing but to hold a squirming writhing slimy frog in your hand….
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But if the brain is destroyed how does it move it’s limbs or rather squirm?
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Reflexes…
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Loved the take on it..loved your sattarical message…you are growing faster, carry on…run run run…
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Aww thank you 🙂
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