Abstract
Dear Dr. Alden,
I read with interest the article by Law et al 1 entitled “Necropsy or Autopsy? It’s All About Communication!” The authors make several good points regarding the diverging terms used for what is essentially the same process and state an interesting hypothesis that using “autopsy” will improve communication to clients and reinforce the universality of medical practice.
It was regrettable that the 1970 (and republished in 1976) book Autopsy of the Horse, by Dr. James R. Rooney, 2 was not included in either the discussion or the references of Law et al. Dr. Rooney was a gifted teacher of equine pathology and a member of the ACVP who unfortunately passed away in 2008. In the preface of his book, Dr. Rooney discussed his preference for the use of “autopsy” based on its derivation from the original Greek word. He considered the use of “necropsy” as “pedantic” and used “autopsy” in the title and throughout the book. Considering the definitions of “pedantic,” one might be further encouraged to use “autopsy.”