On Pithing Frogs

When I attended Manhattan College in the fall of 1978 it had only been co-ed for several years. Prior to that it had been all male. It was one of the reasons I chose to attend--the male to female ratio was 7:1. In the sciences and engineering it was even higher than that. It was not unusual, particularly in my upper level science classes to be the only female in the classroom. And it was common in those days as a female to withstand sexual harassment--women withstood behavior and comments that would not be tolerated today. So I did my best at all times not to act like a girl. I may have dressed like a girl, but I quickly learned how to be a man's man. And when I felt the girly-girl behavior kicking in, I knew to suppress it.

In physiology lab we studied cardiac responses to various stimuli. We measured changes on a cardiogram. To do so, it was necessary to pith not one but several frogs first. In case you are unfamiliar with pithing, it is when you take a live frog, hold it very still, use a metal probe to stab it though the back of the head and into the brain, and then roll the probe around for about 15 seconds to destroy the spinal nerves. The point is to have the frog completely paralyzed, but with maintained breathing and heart rate. And then the frog is surgically opened up so that the students can study whatever they are studying. It is quite gruesome and cruel. But is is done in the name of science. It is justifyable cruelty.

In a group of 4 lab partners--3 of which were male--I was the chosen pither. I was chosen because I was a girl. And even though the 3 guys were my friends, this was a test. They thought I would not be up for the challenge. They wanted to call me the p--- word---the one synonomous with a  cat. Now pithing did not appeal to me in any way. I liked frogs. I caught them as a child from my Aunt Jackie's pond. I considered them pets. So intentionally paralyzing them with a probe not only disgusted me, I thought it was ethically ill-advised.

But the guys were watching me (as was the professor). And I was never going to let them see me sweat. I was -no p--- word. I was a man---a fearless manly man. And I grabbed the frog, held him captive with my left hand, bent his head with my index finger while that frog tried every which way  to escape. And while carrying on a converstion about the weather, I took that probe and did the dastardly deed. And the frog fell limp. And the guys (and the professor) were impressed at my nonchalance and skill. And I was a bit nauseated although I didn't let on. Sometimes a man has to do what a man has to do. It was necessary to show that frog (and those guys) who was boss. And my guy friends slapped me on the back and said nice job Manello.

When Sam was little, she had lots of ear infections and consequently she took lots of antibiotics. Unlike many other children, Sam did not like fruit or bubble flavored things. This was problematic since most medicines were flavored with fruit or bubblegum. So extreme measures were required to get submission from Samantha during "medicine time."

My parents witnessed me sit on Samantha shen she was two, hold her head down with my left elbow, while my left hand held her left arm. Simultaneously my upper left arm held her right arm in place. Then I used my right hand, which was loaded with a safety spoonful of amoxicillin, to pour the medicine down the screaming child's throat. Which she promptly regurgitated and I re-caught in the safety spoon and threw down her throat again. My parents were appalled.

And I told them: sometimes a man has to do what a man has to do. The child needed her medicine, and there was no other way to make her take it. It was justifiable cruelty.

A relative once told me that I had wasted my education by staying home and being a Mom. I think not. All the pithing experience came in real handy when I needed Sam to take her meds. Education is never wasted---unless you do not how how to apply it--or unless you are a stupid relative in need of a pithing.