230 HUMAN DISSECTION. ITS DRAMA AND STRUGGLE 



saleable. Her body was sold for $15 to the University of Mary- 

 land. On receipt, the condition of the subject aroused suspicion, 

 the police were called in to investigate, the murderers were ap- 

 prehended, convicted and hanged on September 9, 1887 (Ball, 

 '28; Guttmacher, '35). 



The 1882 Anatomy Act of Maryland did not function effec- 

 tively as far as providing sufficient cadavers was concerned. The 

 anatomical professors signed a petition in 1888 to modify the act, 

 claiming that shortages prevailed and that they had to rely on 

 body snatching. This led to the introduction of a bill in the state 

 senate providing for the use of bodies of tramps and vagabonds. 

 The teachers suggested that it be amended so that friends of de- 

 ceased persons could not claim subjects for burial. In March of 

 1890, a State Anatomical Board was formed, partly precipitated 

 by the "burking" incident quoted above (Cordell, '03; Kelly, '08; 

 Sabin, '34). 



Franklin Mall, selected as the Head of Anatomy at the newly 

 formed Johns Hopkins Medical School, complained that the ana- 

 tomical law of Maryland was inadequate. He wrote on November 

 15, 1893, that, "The problem now changes from teaching anatomy 

 to obtaining cadavers for a new school." He used only three for 

 sixteen students during his first term. One of those, he said he 

 got at the "risk of his life" (Guttmacher, '35). By the end of the 

 year, however, he was obtaining enough through legal channels. 



In 1897, Dr. Jones, the new Health Commissioner of Mary- 

 land, ordered all bodies turned over to the Anatomical Board for 

 disposal. If they were not claimed for educational purposes, they 

 had to be buried at public expense. In the four years prior to 

 this, the average number received by Mall per year was forty- 

 four. During Jones' tenure, it rose to 185. The last subject ac- 

 quired in Maryland by illegal means was in 1899. The anatomical 

 law of 1882 was revised in 1938 and again in 1949 (Figge, *57; 

 Guttmacher, '35; Mall, '05). 



B. Washington, D.C.-A.D. 1865 to 1900 



The history of dissection in Washington, D.C. was described 

 in 1896, by Dwight, as being particularly bad and disgraceful after 



