Just wanted to share a time in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1828, when this skeleton still had life in its bones!
During this time, more people wanted to become doctors than there were cadavers legally available to dissect. This shortage was made worse by the Scottish law determining that the only bodies that could be used for this purpose were those of deceased prisoners and those with unknown or unclaimed identities.
Out of desperation, some doctors began paying a reward of £7 per corpse to any unscrupulous individual who would dig up a freshly-buried body and bring it to their anatomy lab. Two men, William Burke and William Hare, began working as bodysnatchers for a while before deciding they simply couldn’t wait for bodies to become “available” before collecting their reward. Instead of waiting for graves to have freshly deceased bodies in them, Burke and Hare began creating their own resources. The duo killed at least 16 people in 1828 for this reason.
Hare testified against his partner, leaving Burke to be the sole bearer of responsibility. Burke was hanged for his crimes and was given an ironic post-mortem punishment. His body was taken to the Edinburgh Surgeons’ Hall where it was dissected by medical students. Burke's skeleton was given to the Anatomical Museum of the Edinburgh Medical School, where it has remained on display to this day.
During this time, more people wanted to become doctors than there were cadavers legally available to dissect. This shortage was made worse by the Scottish law determining that the only bodies that could be used for this purpose were those of deceased prisoners and those with unknown or unclaimed identities.
Out of desperation, some doctors began paying a reward of £7 per corpse to any unscrupulous individual who would dig up a freshly-buried body and bring it to their anatomy lab. Two men, William Burke and William Hare, began working as bodysnatchers for a while before deciding they simply couldn’t wait for bodies to become “available” before collecting their reward. Instead of waiting for graves to have freshly deceased bodies in them, Burke and Hare began creating their own resources. The duo killed at least 16 people in 1828 for this reason.
Hare testified against his partner, leaving Burke to be the sole bearer of responsibility. Burke was hanged for his crimes and was given an ironic post-mortem punishment. His body was taken to the Edinburgh Surgeons’ Hall where it was dissected by medical students. Burke's skeleton was given to the Anatomical Museum of the Edinburgh Medical School, where it has remained on display to this day.
