The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1831-03-09
ST TIE LAW s.
AN ACT more efFectually to project the
Sepulehres of the Dead, and to Legalize

Sepulehres OF the Dead, and 10 Legallze
the Study of Anatomy IN certain cases.
Sec. ]. BE Il enocted, &c. That if any person,
not being authorized by the Board of Health, Over
seers of the Poor, or Seleetmen in any town of
this Commonwealth, or by the directors of the
House of Industry, Overseers of the Poor or Mayor
and Aldermen of the City of Boston. IN said Com
monwealth shall knowingly or wilfully dig up, re-
move or convey away, or aid and assist in digging
nm removing or conveying away any human body
or the remains thereof, such person or persons so
offending, on conviction of such offence, in the
Eupreme Judicial Court of this Commonwealth
shall be adjudged guilty of felony and shall be pun
ished BY solitary imprisonment for q term not ex.
ceeding ten days, and by confinement afterwards
TO hard labor for a term not exceeding one year.
or shall be punished by fine not exceeding two
thousand dollars, to enure to the benefit Of the
Commonwealth, and by Imprisonment in the com
mon Jail for term not exceeding two years at the
discretion of the Court according to the nature and
aggravation Of the offence
Sec. 9. Be 1t further enacted That if any per-
shall be in any way, either before or after the
fact accessory to the commission by any person or
persons of the offence described in the first section
of this act, such person persons shall be adudg-
ed and taken TO be principals and shall be- on con-
vlction IN the Court aforesaid, subject the same
punshments and forfeitures as are in said first sec
ton provided.
Sec. s. Be hfuther enacted That from and af-
ter the passing Of this act it shall be lawful for the
Board of Health, Overseers of the Poor and Select
men of any town in this Commonwealth and for
the Directors of the House of Industry Overseers
the Poor, and Mayor and Aldermen of the City
of Boston, in said Commonwealth, to surrender the
dead bodies,of such persons, except town paupers
as may be required to be buried at the public ex-
pense, to any regular Physician, duly licensed ac
cording to the laws of this Commonwealth, to be
by said Physician used for the advancement of
Anatomical Science, preference being always Civ
en- to the Medical Schools that are OF hereafter
may be by law established in this Commonwealth
during such portions of the year as such Schools,
or either of Them may require Subjects for the in
struction of medical students. Provided always
that such dead body shall in any case be so sur
rendered, if within thirty-Sx hours from the time
of its death, any more persons claiming to
be kin, friend, acquaintance to the deceased
shall require to have said dead body iHhumed or if
II be made TO appear to the Selectmen or Oversees
of the Poor oithe City of Boston that such dead
body Is the remains OF stranger or traveller, who
suddenly died before making known who or whence
he was, but said dead body shall be inhumed, and
when inhumed, any person dsinterring the
same, for purposes of dissection or being accessory
is described in the second section of this act TO
such exhumaton shall be liable to the punishments
and forfeitures in this act, respectively provided
And provided further, That every Physician so re-
ceving any such dead body beforei be lawful to de-
liver him the same, shall 10 each case give to the
Mayor and Aldermen Of the City Of Boston, or the
Selectmen Of any town Of this Commonwealth, as
each case may require, good and sufficient bond or
bonds, that each body BY him so received shall be
used for the promotion of Anatomical Science that
it shall be used for such purpose only in this Com
monweath, and so in no event to outrage the
public feeling and that after having been so used,
the remains thereof shall be decently inhumed
Sec. 4. Be it further enacted, That from and ai-
ter the passage Of this act it shall be lawful for any
Physician duly licensed according to the laws Of
this Commonwealth or for any Medical Student,
under the authority of any such Physician, to have
in his possession to uso and employ human dead
bodies, the parts thereof, for purposes Of ana
tomical inquiry or instruction.
Sec. 5. Be ii further enacted, That nothing in
this act shall be so construed as to give to the
Board of Health, Overseers of the Poor, or Select
men of any town in this Commonwealth or to the
Directors of the House Of Industry, Overseers of
the Poor, or Mayor and Aldermen of the City of
Boston, in said Commonwealth, any power to IL
the digging up of any human body, or the re-
mains thereof other than possessed by them be-
fore the passing of this act given them by the
third section Of this act.
Sec. G. Be it further enacted, That the act pass
ed March Cd, 1915, entitled An act to protect the
Sepulchres Of the Dead" and also all other acts
parts of acts contravening the provisions of this
act, be and the same hereby are repealed
Approved by the Governor, Feb. %, 1881.