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Although human corpses were opened in ancient Egypt as early as, autopsies have been terrifying and, above all, lacking in understanding for centuries. So much so that in order for science to move forward, it became necessary to desecrate corpses, steal bodies, and even, in extreme cases, kill innocent people.
- In the XNUMXth century, the autopsy became a real spectacle. Groups of students, eager for knowledge and sensation, began to gather in the houses of the professors conducting the autopsy
- In the UK, the authorities in the nineteenth century threatened criminals that for the gravest sins of their bodies (after death) they would go to autopsies
- Science knows also cases where bodies were stolen, and autopsies were learned on … members of their own families
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- You can find more such stories on the Onet homepage.
Autopsy, or desecration of a corpse
Today, the autopsy is a standard procedure used when the cause of death is not clear. Post-mortems are always performed in the case of infants, pregnant and puerperal women, patients who died on the way to hospital or within 12 hours of admission to the ward, and in cases of violent death. This examination is performed by a pathologist or forensic physician. The body of the deceased is opened to find out what caused the death. Of course, the procedure itself seems gruesome to many people, but we’ve come to terms with the idea that the section looks what it looks like and there’s usually no better solution.
But by the time we got to that point, the autopsy was simply beyond people’s minds. Mainly for religious reasons. The followers of various gods were convinced that the human body was, in a sense, sacred. Of course, the Egyptians, in the process of embalming the corpse, opened it and took the organs out of it, but it was related to specific rites, so it was basically an element of “burial” in accordance with the professed doctrine. Nobody, however, considered the possibility that the human body could be used for research and contribute to scientific progress. Although the first sections were carried out in Greece, the practice was quickly curtailed. He broke social taboos – it was believed not to be science but to desecrate a corpse.
The rest of the text is below the video.
The greatest anatomy revolutionist in ancient times turned out to be Galen. It was he who opened the carcasses of animals to conduct research on what is under the hair and skin. Scientists fascinated by human anatomy benefited from the fruits of his work in the Enlightenment. However, they soon realized that the data Galen had collected corresponded to apes rather than humans. And this meant that in the age of the glass and the eye, it became necessary to take a step forward and reach for a human corpse.
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There are never too many bodies
Religion, however, still stood in the way of science, though not as radically as in the Middle Ages. Ultimately, scientists were allowed to peek at the tissues and organs of criminals sentenced to death. And at the beginning, this alone was considered a breakthrough. In the XNUMXth century, the autopsy became a social event – groups of students eager to learn began to gather in the homes of professors who conducted autopsies. The interest in the trial itself was so great that it turned into a kind of spectacle. Not only for people associated with medicine, but also for philosophers and artists.
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The autopsies were transferred to the “boards” of anatomical theaters. The bodies were placed on the table, and the audience was seated as in Roman amphitheaters – so that all viewers could observe the course of the autopsy. The sublime atmosphere was complemented by lighting, a spray of perfume, and the voice of the professor reading from the cathedral works on anatomy – most often treatises by Galen. One had to pay for participation in such a “spectacle”. Tickets were sold in front of the entrance.
Eventually, the public enjoyed the sight of the corpse on the autopsy table, and anatomical theaters lost their popularity. However, the number of medical students who had to be taught continued to increase. There were also so many more questions to be investigated. And there was just a shortage of bodies for research.
Resurrecters and “armored” coffins
XNUMXth century, Great Britain. For three centuries, there has been a law in the UK, according to which only the bodies of convicts can be obtained for research. British authorities use this fact to discourage people from committing serious crimes: for a minor offense, the penalty is “only” hanging. However, when the condemned person committed particular wickedness, not only did he lose his life, but his body also fell into the hands of anatomists after death. And because in those days it was believed that on the day of the Last Judgment, not only the soul, but also the body, was formed from the grave, no one was pleased with the dismemberment or the lack of internal organs.
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In the country, more and more students wanted to learn medicine, which in turn led to serious deficits in research facilities postmortem. Therefore, the lecturers began obtaining bodies on their own by performing autopsies on members of their families. It was still only a drop in the ocean of the needs of the anatomists at the time, so it was time for the next step: openly encouraging students to visit cemeteries. It was enough to open the coffin and get the body out. Leaving, however, all valuables, so as not to be accused of a robbery motive. There was no penalty for the theft of a corpse without any other “goods”.
Over time, not only students and anatomists began visiting cemeteries at night. In 1828, a gang of the so-called resurrecters. Over 200 people professionally obtained corpses, which were later sold to anatomists. Scientists were not interested in where the bodies came from. The only thing that mattered was the indisputable fact that further research could be carried out.
Body theft became so common that carpenters even began to produce coffins to prevent this from happening. They had, for example, a complicated system of locks or gears. Such “armored” coffins were especially popular among… anatomists. Not all of them wanted their bodies to be abducted as well for the sake of science.
Murders in the Name of Progress
So British anatomists already had objects to study. It is true that they obtained them illegally, and the public still believed that autopsies had nothing to do with religion or eternal life. But nevertheless science could evolve, knowledge of the human body moved forward towards modern medicine. And here one could put the final point by saying that finally, slowly and, nomen omen, over the corpses, we managed to reach the goal. But there is another twist to this story, however. When William Hare and William Burke entered the scene. The former’s wife was the hostess at a guesthouse in Edinburgh. When one of the clients died without paying the bill, the gentlemen decided to sell his body to one of the anatomists to get the money back.
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When they realized that it was an excellent form of earning money, they decided to acquire new bodies on their own. Eventually, Hare and Burke strangled a dozen people – guests of the guesthouse. The case came to light in November 1828, when one of the tenants found the body.
The guilt of Hary and Burke was not easy to prove. Ultimately, the former took advantage of his immunity and handed over his partner, who was executed in 1829.
Autopsies have evoked strong emotions for centuries. Despite this difficult path, progress has overcome social taboos to the extent that today, in the event of unexplained death, a diagnosis can be made. One that would not be possible without analyzing what is not visible with the naked eye.
- Trailer image: Bridgeman Images / East News. Death of Leon Gambetta (1838-1882) of a French politician – autopsy – in The Illustrous Journal from 1883. Unknown artist / private collection
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