The Sun.
London, England, 1839-12-18 00:00:00

THE ANATOMY ACT.

Not a greater anomaly could possibly present itself'
to the public, in the form of legislation, than the Ana-
tomy Act, and never was an Act of Parliament more
wretchedly administered.
This Act provides three anatomical inspectors for
England and Scotland, whilst there has been hitherto
only one appointed (a violation of the Act), smuggled in
as the pet of a political and pseudo-medical party, and
enjoying, besides his regular salary, the whole of the
emolument (which should have belonged to three) in
the form of travelling expenses and other perquisites,
undefined by the Act as to the amount.
Moreover, is it true that the provincial teachers keep
the registers themselves of bodies dissected ? If so. is
this calculated to satisfy the public mind as to the ful-
filment of the professed principal object of the Anatomy
Act, viz., to do away with the possibility of busking ?
We do not assert that such a crime exists at present,
but we assert that the public should have every practical
guarantee proffered to them, considering all past occur-
rences, that such cannot, and shall not, be the case
again.
But the most infamous fact attached to this defective
Act is, that not a single clause exists for duly and equi-
tably regulating the distribution of bodies to the different
licensed schools of anatomy—hence the ample field for
corruption and jobbing—hence it is certain that public
teachers, influential in consequence of the establishments
to which they arc attached, are so courteous, so obse-
quious, and are on such intimate terms with the paro-
chial officers, and thereby monopolise the dead of the
various parishes, to the injustice and injury of other
teachers, their pupils, and to a great portion of the
community.
The Anatomy Act is a powerful tool in the hands of
the monopolists and public schools, exercised most in-
sidiously, for the purpose of completing the annihilation
of the private schools ; and when the latter no longer
exist,. and their teachers are brought to a state of desti-
tution, woe be to the profession, for the rivalship in
teaching has hitherto been in toto kept up between the
public and the (improperly so called) private teachers,
as between two parties—when this rivalship ceases, the
public tea, hers will no longer be stimulated to exert
themselves to the degree which they are forced to do at
the present time, but secure in their chairs,and lulled in the
lap of indolence and independence, the evils will become
reverberated upon the heads of the pupils and the public
at large ; it is, therefore, plainly the interest of the latter
to support the private schools.
It is for the purpose of turning the Anatomy Bill to
their own advantage, that the public teachers oppose
summer dissections ; it is on this account that when
Mr. Roberts appiied to the Home Office about his an-
tiseptic process, for preventing bodies from decomposi-
tion, he was told that the anatomical lecturers were op-
posed to summer dissection, and that, therefore, his me-
thod could not be rendered available. The invariably
professed, but pretended objection against summer dis-
-lections on the part of the monopolists, has been the
suisjects running so much sooner in the summer time than
during the winter into a state of decomposition ; but
now an antiseptic is offered to remove all inconvenience,
the monopolists say, " Oh, it cannot be taken into
consideration at all." The fact is, that the public
teachers, upon the strength of their individual in-
fluence, and the gaudy show of their establishments,
get twenty times the salary of private teachers—
they can, therefore, afford to do nothing for their
pupils in the summer season—whilst the private
teachers are obliged to work bard the whole of the
year round, depending solely upon their industry and
ability, so that many pupils from the public schools
enter to the private during the summer, when the days
are lighter and longer, and more can be learnt than in
the winter. These summer courses of instruction conse-
quently form the essential part of the support of the
private teachers. Annihilate summer dissections, and
you annihilate them, and the monopoly of the few public
schools will be rendered secure and perfect.
What, may we ask, will Mr. Wakley do with the
Anatomy Bill this forthcoming Session of Parliament ?
Will he, as the professed champion of medical reform,
move for an amendment, or bring
We forwar
thid
nk that
a new
Bili ? Something must be done.
the present Anatomical Act ought to be folded up
as worse than useless, and that a new Bill should
be introduced. In the meantime we shall be on the
lookout as to the manner in which the medical legisla-
tors, so called, acquit themselves. Lastly, a hint to the
medical students. They have the fight in their own
hands, and provided they do their duty to themselves
and teachers, they will immediately send up their peti-
(tons to Lord Norinanby, and their addresses to the
College of Surgeons—this is the first step ; then let
these be followed by a petition to both Houses of Par-
liatnent—Brougham's eaC in tic Loris is ,always open
to oppression
and instice ; and there are many Liberal
Members in the
Commons who will take a clear view
of the case. Iv'e think that the registers of bodies dis-
sected, and of the distribution to the different schools,
should not be conducted in a private house by a private
individual, but by a public Medical Corporation ren-
dered amenable for its conduct to the Home.office and
to the public.—ilforning Advertiser
•

ti • 7-OrETIT vnT,1"..1T7
THE REV. SYDNEY
WORKS.

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PREFERMENT ; or, MY UNCLE the
EARL. _

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