200 



HUMAN DISSECTION. ITS DRAMA AND STRUGGLE 



he was highly pleased. The cadaver lasted throughout the entire 

 course. 



When John C. Warren opened his private laboratory at 41 

 Marlborough Street, an adequate supply of bodies was obtainec 

 for a number of years with the aid of students. As other medical 

 schools were opened in New England, pupils were sent fromi 

 Cambridge to Boston to procure subjects and apparently mad< 

 exhumations in a careless way. The suspicions of the polic< 

 were aroused; they took all preventive measures possible an< 

 watchers were hired to guard the cemeteries. This resulted in 

 scarcity of subjects. Agents were then sent on expeditions t< 

 regions located outside of the community, some going as far as 

 New York City. The latter was expensive and constituted a greal 

 hazard. Two or three times, resurrectionists foraging for cadavei 

 in that city, were seized by the police and brought to court. Som< 

 were judged guilty and punished by a small fine, since the officers- 

 were liberal. Constant efforts were necessary to carry on thisj 

 business. 



Still another incident was mentioned by John C. Warren, 

 which concerned two of his medical students. Both were de- 

 scribed as being remarkable for their strength of body and mind. 

 He requested them to obtain a subject for dissection to whici 

 they readily acquiesced. Spotting a pauper from an almshouse 

 being buried at the cemetery on the Neck, in Boston, they markec 

 the plot with a stick which could be easily identified. Shortly aftei 

 midnight, noting that the watch had departed, they opened th< 

 grave, removed the cadaver, and then refilled the excavation, 

 young man whom Warren labeled 'T" then went to town t< 

 obtain a wagon which had previously been engaged. The second* 

 designated as "T" remained in the vicinity to act as guard. Whei 

 the vehicle returned, a concealed group of watchmen spranj 

 upon them, seized "T" and attempted to arrest *T." The latter^ 

 however, evaded them, leaped upon the cart, lashed the horse an< 

 went off at a gallop, dragging several watchmen with him foi 

 some distance; they were finally dislodged and the driver con- 

 tinued on into the country since his horse was headed in that 

 direction. 



The student "T" who had been apprehended, was con- 



