550 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



tuary, and then reported to the assistants, who were young medical 

 students, without long experience. It was alleged that the bodies 

 were brought fresh and warm, which was proof enough of the way 

 they had been obtained. But this was by no means a necessary con- 

 clusion. Some of Burke's contributions were fresh, Avhich created sur- 

 prise; but he made no secret tliat he was in league with the relatives 

 of the deceased or the owners of lodging-houses, for the prompt pos- 

 session of bodies as soon as life was extinct. " When his attention was 

 drawn to two apparently newly dead, his glib tongue and plausible 

 statement served his purpose so well as to lull all doubts. One of these 

 bodies was warm, on touching which the assistant expressed himself 

 much horrified. Burke, being challenged in the strongest terms, ad- 

 mitted the warmth, for the person died only a few hours previously, 

 and for secrecy the body had been in close contact with the fireplace. 

 His open manner and ready excuse, when so boldly taken to task, told 

 strongly in favor of the accuracy of his statement." 



To illustrate the facility with which irregular practices might be 

 carried on without public interference. Dr. Knox's biographer re- 

 marks : " There are no coroners' inquests in Scotland. Sudden death 

 of either stranger or citizen does not concern the public authorities, 

 unless suspicion is entertained and evidence can be ofiered to warrant 

 the attention of the procurator-fiscal, who then makes a most thorough 

 investigation in private, untrammeled by stupid juries and the com- 

 ments of the press." He adds : " With the exception of Episcopalians 

 and Roman Catholics, there is no burial service, either at the church 

 or at the grave-side, in Scotland. In lieu of this, a minister attends the 

 funeral, who ofiers a prayer or makes an address by the side of the bier 

 at the house of the deceased." This gave rise to mock or sham minis- 

 ters. HyjDOcritical wretches palmed ofl" their services in many cases 

 among the poor and ignorant to conduct funerals, and managed them 

 so as to play into the hands of the body-snatchers. 



The history is a peculiar one, and would require a volume to trace 

 its complications. But the main fact about it is, that the doctors stood 

 in peculiar relations, which exposed them to public animosity, and 

 put them to every disadvantage, when the most extravagant and futile 

 charges were made against them. A revolting and inhuman crime 

 had certainly been committed, and the Medical School had the benefit 

 of it. The conclusion that the head of the school had instigated it was 

 easy to draw, especially if there was the slightest inclination of unfavor- 

 able feeling toward him. 



Dr. Knox had therefore now to pay the penalty of his popularity. 

 There was a vast mass of indignant and exasperated feeling in the 

 university ready enough to be hos'tile, and easily turned in the direc- 

 tion of accusation and reprobation. The enemies of Dr. Knox, those 

 who had been irritated by his comments, and those who were jealous 

 of his influence, seized the opportunity to pay him off. It mattered 



