RISE OF THE RESURRECTIONISTS IN GREAT BRITAIN 117 



of ground where strangers who died in the city of Jerusalem 

 could be buried. Accordingly, they purchased an abandoned field 

 for this purpose, land which had formerly been occupied by 

 makers of pottery; it lay on the slope of the Mount of Olives. This 

 eventually was bought as a place of public burial and the term 

 potter's field has been widely used to denote a place for the 

 interment of the poor. 



During the latter half of the 18th Century, the demand for 

 human subjects increased because of two factors: the appointment 

 of full-time professors and the rise of private and hospital medical 

 schools. The latter development was destined to play an impor- 

 tant role in medical education. 



This was made possible because of the manner in which 

 the hospitals handled their new found privilege: it became evi- 

 dent to members of the profession that corruption, bribery and 

 favoritism were being practiced in some respects, including the 

 appointments of professors of anatomy. Because of this, certain 

 surgeon-anatomists struck out for themselves and succeeded in 

 establishing their own dissecting and teaching centers. This 

 started a precedent which had widespread ramifications, because 

 it paved the way for the entrance of more medical students. 

 Among the pioneers in this movement were the following: Ed- 

 ward Nourse, Percival Pott, Caesar Hawkins and William Hunter. 

 It was the last who introduced a new approach in anatomical 

 pedagogy in Britain, in his school located on Great Windmill 

 Street (Guttmacher, '35). 



Flaming the conflict, was the requirement of the English 

 government (Scotland and England were in union) which had 

 half-heartedly sanctioned the aim of the medical profession for 

 higher standards in anatomical proficiency. Medical standard- 

 izing agencies demanded that each student produce a signed cer- 

 tificate from the anatomy professor stating that he had fully at- 

 tended two courses of lectures. The surgeon was also placed in 

 a precarious position: he was required to have an anatomical 

 background in order to practice his specialty. The statutes of his 

 government provided but a few bodies from the gallows and made 

 it a misdemeanor to disinter a corpse; such a violation was penal- 

 ized by a moderate fine plus imprisonment of a few months. The 



