HUMAN DISSECTION IN THE NORTH CENTRAL STATES 241 



pardon from Governor Richard M. Bishop, who was sympathetic 

 and granted one eliminating the jail sentence. However, the 

 citizens of the commvmity were against the decision and the 

 sheriff, who was running for re-election, and wanted to stand 

 in good with the voters, refused twice to give up the prisoner on 

 the grounds that the governor's secretary had misspelled the name. 

 When it was considered for the third time, the appellation was 

 written with great care and the release also included the exclu- 

 sion of the fine. As a sidelight item, the sheriff was not re-elected. 



The attitude of the press towards medical colleges was re- 

 vealed by the following item in an Ohio newspaper, written on 

 November 18, 1878 (Edwards, '51): 



"In all parts of the country are established medical colleges. 

 In fact, a second class city is not thought to be complete unless a 

 medical college is established within its limits. Here collect ig- 

 norant professors to lecture to still more ignorant pupils. Sur- 

 gery! Not one in a hundred knows anything whatever about sur- 

 gery. But bodies must be secured to make the brainless youth be- 

 lieve the brainless professors know something about surgery. These 

 brainless youths, who will soon be turned out to prey, like a set 

 of harpies, upon the people, must be taught, however, to make 

 sport over the remains of some body, which has been stolen from 

 where relatives and friends have tenderly placed it. It is a most 

 disgraceful thing that the people are preyed upon by ignorant 

 blockheads who sail under the name of physicians." 



In 1880, the law was amended so that a more abundant sup- 

 ply of cadavers became available and resurrection was outlawed 

 completely. On February 19, 1881, all unclaimed bodies which 

 liad to be buried at the expense of the town became legally avail- 

 able for anatomical dissection. 



B. Dissection in lUinois-A.D. 1850 to 1900 



Forty-four medical schools have existed in the state of Illi- 

 nois, at one time or another, and only five survive. There is evi- 

 dence that grave robbing was an established practice as early as 

 the middle of the 19th Century. 



