The Portland daily press., 1869-02-18
Shall Physicians Have Facilities for Dis
sections-Hearing before the LesisIa-
tive Commit ee.

AUGUSTA, feD. 10, looy.
To the Editor of the Press: =
A hearing was had before the Judiciary
Committee last evening on the petitions of
the medical profession and others for law
whereby the necessary material for dissection
may be obtained in a legitimate manner
DIR. S. 81. Tewksbury, Of Portland, first ad-
dressed the committee. He remarked that
this subject was first presented to the Legisla-
ture in 1S45. A bill was reported in the
House. but was defeated by vote OF As in favor
to 63 against. The Senate non-concurred BY
a majority. of two. But the bill fell through
The law of Maine, as it now stands, weighs
heavily upon the medical profession. In
Massachusetts, the law permits the Mayor and
Aldermen, Superintendent OF Work5ouse and
Insane Asylum to deliver the bodies of such
persons as die and are to be buried al the ex-
pense of the public, to physicians and sur.
geons for the promotion of anatomical science
butit also strictly prohibits subject from be.
ing removed from the State. The same law
prevails IN Wisconsin, New York. PenDsylva-
mia and other States, and in each case the re-
s.riction is attached. 1t is therefore impossi-
BILE to procure the subjects out of the State
No one will dispute but that dissection is ne.
cessary to make skilfnl surgeon. By law
the surgeon is made liable for his want of skill,
and yet it refuses to provide any means where.
by that skill can be obtained. In other words,
the State compels ignorance. and then pun
isfes the man for being what she made him.
10 be sure, the law gives the surgeon the
right to have in his possession subjects for
dissection. but as there Is no State from which
they can be procured, and this State furnishes
no means, all the law amounts to is simplv to
recognize anatomy as legitimate study. The
public expects the medical institutions of our
state to iurn out good and reliable surgeons,
and yet sets its face against the only means of
obtaining them
Section of the bill which the Doctor rro-
sented provides that the overseers of the poor
OF any Guy or town of ov,r 5000 inhabitants
warden OF the State prison, and KEEPERS Of
jails may give permission to any physician or
surgeon to take the bodies of such persons dv-
ing In their city or town as are reopirad 70
be buried at the expense of the public. for the
promotion of anatomical science.
Section 2provides that every physician or
surgeon receiving such body shall give bond
with good and sufficient sureties that the boov
shall be used in this State for the promotion
OF science and in such manner as Lot to ont.
rage the public
Section 8 provides that no ones body shall be
given up for dissection if before his death he
requests to be buried, or if he has friends who
shall claim his body.
1t will be seen that this law applies opIv TO
about twelve cities or towns in the State and
to class of persons so degraded as not To
have friend ON earth. Last year the bill was
refused on the ground that the Democratic
party would make political capital out of it at
the next election. Now the measure is en-
dorsed by the press of both parties throughout
the State.
Remarks were also made by Drs. Foster,
Gordon and Dana, of Portland, and Hill and
Brickett, of Augusta. ).