Jaison yelled out a shriek... 😊

Zoology Practical Exam | Cockroach Dissection

MCC School Days

#HSC Days #hostelyears

10th March 1995

Today, we had cockroach dissection as part of our final Zoology Practical Exam, for the year.

We were supposed to have with us, our dissection box set that contained a whole lot of dissection instruments like scissors, magnifying glass, knife, tweezers, gloves, and the like.

Previously, we had some little experience in the lab, practising how to dissect a frog, as well. 

And I remember this interesting incident that connects to our frog dissection! 

When we had our frog dissection, usually the frogs were given chloroform, and we had to pin its legs to the dissection board.

All was well, for my friend Jaison, who was busy taking out the dissection board to pin the frog to the board, when, suddenly, to everyone’s shock, the frog suddenly having come out of its stupor, pounced out of the dissection board, and into the huge sink, kept in the table.

Jaison yelled out a shriek in his distinct nasal voice, which caught the attention of our Zoology master in no time! He came straight up to Jaison’s table, and gave him minus marks for shouting! Albeit for no fault of Jaison, the poor boy was awarded a punishment!

Coming back - 

In like fashion, the cockroach was usually given chloroform. Then it became a ‘specimen’ on the dissection tray.

We were also supposed to bring our Zoology records along with us to the Practical Exam. There, it was pierced in the middle, by driving a sharp nail through the records, which for us, signalled the end of our Zoology practicals for the entire year! 😊

After all our Zoology records were pierced in the middle, the ‘record books’ were handed over to us.

Lovely drawings that took nights and nights of penciling, were here right in front of us, pierced unceremoniously, leaving the pencil sketches horrid and harrowed by all means. However, they had their own logic for that, I suppose. 😊

For more on our Zoology Master Mr. Soundarraj, and on Jaison’s shrieks on a previous occasion as well, you may want to read our past post HERE.