Remembering a Finn, a German and Tillie

Rosie Mestel, author of “Tricks to Remember Tricky Medical Facts” (Jan. 22), overlooked the two earliest mnemonic devices learned by entering medical and dental students--how to remember the names of the 12 cranial nerves and the bones of the wrist.

For the cranial nerves, we learned: “On old Olympus towering tops, a Finn and German views and hops.”

The names of the bones of the wrists were remembered by the mnemonic “Never lift Tillie’s pants. Mother may come home.”

I may have forgotten the names of all the nerves and wrist bones, but I’ll never forget the mnemonics.

--JOHN I. INGLE

San Diego

Former Dean

USC School of Dentistry