The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-01-03
AMONG THE DEAD.
Tour Of Exploration In a Baltimore
Dissecting Room
Artistic Operation Upon Picked Rem
naufS Of Humanity.

baltimore Gazette.l
On the northeast corner OF Lombard and
Greene streets stands the Maryland Uni
versity School OF Ne define, with its low
windows, heavy overhanging pOrtico and
low, ungainly dome lie is surrounded by a
high brick wall with but a single iron por-
tai, giving TO the gloomy building
still more forbid ling Appearance
Entering the enclosure just after dusk, be-
lore the street lamps eniiven the scene
by their weird shadows the same strange
feeling creeps over one as upon entering
graveyard at night. There is something in
the air which speaks the presence of the de-
parted. Upon entering the main hall the
lanitor Is found just going up 10 light tho
dissecting room for the students, who will
soon De coming in for their evenings work.
Ascending the winding stairway and cropping
along the dark passages, with many ups and
downs and sharp corners, the room was
finally reached. The janit0r entered. lighted
the apartment. and returning said quietly
Not very inviting scene for one who is
not used to il. The janitor OF q medical
college is everywhere an interesting charac-
ter. and this one Is no exec tion. He is we'll
built and strong. his hair and whiskers are
slightly gray, but his peculiar dry withered
lace ard vast personal knowledge Of the
school room from lite very foundation make
his age understandable. IL 10 he who has
for the last half century procured all the
subjects for the dissecting room, By ship
ment from other places. which he denomi-
mates q dangerous practice" or from
other unknown sources. His morn
ing hours are spent among the watts
In the cellar where the stiff
are laid away in brine during the summer
for winter use. and where he injecis the
arteries and veins OF each new subject, to
allow their being followed by the disco
tors knife. He is perfectly happy about his
work. In fact he loves his profession as a
physician or lawyer his, and the handling of
the dead has almost become a second nature
to him. A new subject has 20 be laid upon
the table. he says, as a new class is going TO
commence work. Calling his assistant
they dragged corpse from
neghboring room, the whole length
uI the apartment, and catching IL by
its extremities with powerful. swing they
landed il heavily upon on- OF the high RID
tables The room is high and narrow, with
a long row of tables on either side, major.
ity OF which already bear their burdens of
defunct human forms. The years work st
dissecting is already well commenced, and
now that evening has fairly set in the stu
dents commence 20 come up in clumps Of
four and five. don their old coats or long
aprons. and begin their studies Here are
four who have but lately embarked upon
their work. The outer tissue Of their subject
having been cut and folded back they are
examining the outer layers of muscles. AS
the next table a similar group is studying
ont the connections of the muscles and long
silvery tendons of the forearm with move
ments OF the finger joints The next subject
IS, or was, 8 gentleman of color" His
thick skull has been sawed off Just above the
eyebrows. and the demoustrator is explain
ing the cOnvolutions of the brain and the
ventricles TO as many students as can get
around the table. On the opposite side of
the room is q group around microscope
studying specimens Of mucous mem
hrane taken from different parts Of
the siimentsry canal. Near them are Others
learning the action Of the valves of the heart
by blowing into one OF the ori6ces through
blow pipe, and over in the corner three
pale book worms are gathered close around
an irregular pile of bones like pack of eager
and hungry wolves. The new gang have
just come in, and the foremost sings out:
Halo, another unfortunate gathered to his
fathers. When did they bring that stiff
up?" "He was here when we came"
said one of the students, scratch
ing his ear with his scalpel; hes
the best one that's been up yet, and you
are the lucky ones TO do the cutting on
him." The new corners coon donned their
old clothes. gathered around their victim,
and commenced the most disagreesble oper-
alton connected with dissecting-the clean
ing of their subject The laws of almost all
states recognize the necessity OF providing
subjects for medical dissection, but few Of
them make any provision for it, and
those that have been made have been
found valueless. Occasionally q Wash
ington Beau Brummel is found in q western
college. or baby in which Mark Twain is
interested turns up in Boston dissecting
room, or a Mcnamara is imprisoned fer
snaiching the body of relative, and great
caution for time is necessary. The trade
still continues, however, and must continue
under cover Of the night and profound So
crecy until laws are enacted TO meet the de-
mands of the case, or public opinion on the
subject has undergone a revolution.