HUMAN DISSECTION IN ENGLAND-A.D. 1510 to 1958 I47 



I would make a good subject, they really would not have the 

 smallest scruple, if they could do the thing undiscovered, to make 

 a subject of me" (Cooper, 1843; Guttmacher, '35). 



Many eerie episodes occurred in those days when the practice 

 of grave robbing was at its height. Four parties, in particular, 

 were interested in the nocturnal events which transpired: the 

 relatives or friends of a newly buried deceased, the resurrection- 

 ists, the anatomists and the police. The evidence indicates that the 

 last tended to be rather tolerant with the ones most concerned, 

 the thieves and medical men; the law might even be sympathetic, 

 lenient and connive with others on occasion. This was true in 

 the case of Sir Astley Cooper. Without this contingency, it is very 

 likely that anatomical teaching would not have survived in Eng- 

 land. The incident described in the succeeding paragraph demon- 

 strates the cooperation between Cooper and a high-ranking offi- 

 cial, the Lord Mayor of London. It occurred in the year of 1801. 



By mutual understanding between hospital authorities and 

 resurrectionists, it was forbidden to deliver the subjects they un- 

 earthed directly to the dissecting-room. This policy had evolved 

 because of certain disagreements between the hospital porters and 

 the sack-em-up men. The solution which was adopted, to ease the 

 friction, was to have the bodies deposited in large baskets at 

 night in the courtyard of Cooper's home situated in St. Mary 

 Axe. From here, they were transported to the anatomical rooms 

 at St. Thomas Hospital via coach, under the supervision of a man 

 named Butler. 



One night while Butler was in charge of delivering three spec- 

 imens, he was apprehended by the police. He slipped out of the 

 carriage, returned quickly to report the incident to Charles, the 

 doorman of Sir Astley Cooper, who immediately conveyed the 

 message to his master. When the policeman appeared he in- 

 sisted on seeing the doctor. He was not able to get much satis- 

 faction out of the surgeon, who claimed that since the gates were 

 always left open until 11 p.m.^ he could not be responsible for 

 any parcel that might be deposited in his private hampers or for 

 their removal by anyone before that hour. The officer left, claim- 

 ing loudly that he was going to report the matter to the chief 

 magistrate, the Lord Mayor himself, early the next day. Cooper 



