1828.) Report from the Dissection Committee. 343 
the surgeon-general of Ireland, carried on his anatomical pursuits with 
open doors—every one was at liberty to go in and look at his dissec- 
tions, and attend his lectures. The consequence was, that a great num- 
ber of porters, and ostlers, and the poorer people, came into his lec- 
tures, and when they were finished, he took the opportunity of pointing 
out to them the structure of the body, and the importance of such know- 
ledge, till they became so interested, and so favourably disposed to dis- 
section, that they brought him bodies themselves, and, in several instances, 
where bodies had been exhumed, the relations on discovering it, came 
with the greatest calmness, and said, they believed he had the body of a 
wife or child, but they did not wish to make any disturbance, and 
removed it without the slightest commotion. And ethers speak on their 
own knowledge, when delivering popular lectures on anatomy, of the 
prejudices of the lower classes being at once removed. 
But then—as to funeral rites-—why in God’s name let them be per- 
formed. But the bodies must be buried, and if you then exhume, you 
do the very thing which is obviously a thousand times more revolting 
than the act of dissection. Well, but cannot these rites be performed, in the 
house, and over the body, while in the coffin—as is the case every where 
with Catholics—and the remains, when examined and done with, con- 
signed to the earth? But even this is disturbing after the solemnities 
of religion, Still the case is not irremediable. The bodies may be 
buried with the usual solemnities, after dissection ; and security be taken 
from the anatomist for the due execution of them. The student, more- 
over, might pay the expences, and thus relieve the parishes. These 
expences seldom exceed a pound, and two would not be grudgingly 
given; and neglect might be punishable by a very severe fine. This 
good effect, also, might be worked upon the student—he would be made 
more careful—he would treat the remains with less indifference—and the 
wanton and hardening practices, which now prevail in the anatomical 
schools, would be usefully checked. 
But bodies, in dissection, are separated limb from limb—every muscle 
stripped, and every bone bared. No matter ; the parts are still easily 
collectable—few, comparatively, are required to be retained; and 
whether the parts are thus collected at the end ofa week, or of two, or 
of ten, seems of little importance, provided the remains are finally con- 
signed to the earth, in obedience to the demands of public decency, and 
in satisfaction of our cold but perhaps common sympathies. 
Still it may be said, that this exclusive usage of the bodies of the 
forlorn and forsaken, is fixing another stain upon poverty. Dissection 
is a part of the legal punishment for murder, and you thus confound the 
unfortunate with the criminal. Then put an end to it, as a penalty, 
altogether. Execution alone, will do as much in the way of deterring, 
as execution coupled with dissection. Does any one imagine the mur- 
derer thinks of his own dissection ?—that any one contemplating such 
an act is deterred by any earthly consequence but that of detection and 
his own consequent execution? For the service of the anatomists, the 
numbers from this source, it appears, is insignificant ; and it is, de- 
cidedly, of more importance to them to remove the prejudices which 
spring from this degrading cause, than to retain and vindicate their 
claims upon the bodies of murderers. 
But some superfine advocate for justice will interpose, and say, you 
are inflicting an evil exclusively on the poor ; whereas, if the object of 
dissection be calculated for the benefit of all, the rich should take their 
