HUMAN DISSECTION IN ENGLAND-A.D. 1510 to 1958 145 



As an anatomist, Brookes had numerous dealings with resur- 

 ctionists and sometimes became caught in a cross fire between 

 two rival gangs. In one instance, a disgruntled group tipped-off 

 the authorities that he had a stolen body in his laboratory; it was 

 removed by the police. To indicate the feelings of the populace, 

 the officer who conducted the investigation, was given a silver 

 staff by grateful citizens, the money having been obtained by 

 public subscription. Brookes lost 16 guineas on this development, 

 which he had paid to the body snatchers who had first contacted 

 him and made the sale. Another incident which involved him is 

 the following: having failed to pay an honorarium of 5 guineas 

 to a group of resurrectionists who had demanded it before prom- 

 ising to deliver cadavers, two putrid bodies were dumped at night 

 by them near his anatomical laboratory. The law enforcers were 

 notified by two horrified young ladies who had stumbled over 

 them; this affair aroused such a commotion among the citizenry 

 that an angry mob collected and had to be halted by the con- 

 stables, who in this situation, were on the side of the anatomist. 



Brookes was probably the only teacher who ever had a live 

 body sold to him as a cadaver. One night, during his active career, 

 he was awakened by a man who informed him that he had a 

 subject for him. "Bring it in," said the anatomist. This was done; 

 Brookes making a partial payment, told the seller to come back the 

 next day for the remainder of the money. He then gave the bundle 

 a strong kick which sent it tumbling down stairs to his dissecting- 

 room. As he turned to go, he heard sounds emanating from the 

 parcel. Without fear, he descended the steps to investigate and 

 ' found a man standing there erect and confused. When Brookes 

 accosted him, the individual begged off, complaining that he had 

 t)een put in the bag when drunk. The anatomist accepted this 

 as a trumped-up story and kicked the man, this time, out into 

 the street. Later he analyzed the situation thusly: the man was 

 primarily a housebreaker who had gained entrance in this man- 

 ner for the intent of thievery; he had not forecast that he would 

 ' be catapulted down a flight of stairs (Guttmacher, '35). 



Since autopsies were not permitted during the early modern 

 |)eriod in England, surgeons who were anxious to check the effect 

 ot operations performed months or years before, had mainly one 



