Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-01-23
SS
Alefau0rIa Qbaxettc
WEDNESDAY EVEEING, JANUARY %.
4 Mutual Autopsy Society.


4 Mutual Autopsy Society.
According to The Paris Temps, q society has
been formed 10 Paris for the purpose Of cuab
ling the members thereof 10 cut one another
up. The gentlemen arc not, as might be ln-
ferred from the premises. literary or artistic
critics. They are only body Of physicians,
surgeons, anthropologists and savaos, who have
formed themselves into Mutual Autopsy 81
ciety, each member plcdging himsclIto give up
his remains after death TO be dissectcd by hls
surviving friends.
Wh(n member departs this lie his breth.
ren meet 10 the salon OF restaurant, dine gay.
ly alter coffee box is placed on the table con.
tanning number of glass vessels. 10 which the
reliques Of the member peceascd, the founder
of tho feast, arc carefully preserved in spirits.
The Temps adds story, which has Q close re
semblancc to canard, about sick member OF
the society, who, with objectionable careless
ness, called in brother member as a medical
attendant The society had been for long
time bcrelt Of ''sutect for dissection" and
naturally the patient was very soon promoted
to glass vessel and a bath Of spirits cl wine
Tho Temps observes that, ia view OF the
prevailing morbid objection to dissection 10 cases
where it is medically desirable, the Mutual
Autopsy Society may play a useful part.
Whether the notice Of the society be a act or
hoax, tho idea is not by any means an origl
nal one. Setting aside the numerous cases Of
persons who, moved by recklessncss or greed
of gaiu have sold their bodies to the surgeons,
we have 10 the llus!rious philosopher, legst
and economist, Jeremy Bentham, an example
of man Of learning, virtue and culture, dc.
beratcly bc1ueathng his mortal remains il
furtheraucc of the advancement Of science,
Mr.. Bcntbam died 10 1882, at the advanced
age of eighty five, leaving his corpse as legacy
to his friend and physician, DR.. Southwood
ISmith, who disscctcd the body sacundum
artem, and three days after the philosophers
death lcctured upon him in q "prcparcd" state
at the School of Anatomy, Webb street. Maz,
Pond, London. For some years attcrward the
mortal frame of the good old Jeremy, dressed
in his habit az nc lived, used TO be made the
subject Of an annual Grafton before body
Of philosophers and medics and scicutIti,
men, whose place Of meeting wasio large hall
in Great Windmill street, Iaymarkcf which
bourg's wax work exhibition, and OF that Gurl
GUS mechanical toy, tho centrifugal railway
Eventually the philosopher skull icl rll ana q
new wax head, in the exact likeness OF the de-.
ceased, was modelled by Miss Margaret Gi'lics.
Jeremy Bautham' bcquGsl, 81! whimsical ~ II
seemed, was iu reality dictated by The most hn
maue and enlightened considerations. At the
period of bis death the enormitics o Burke
and Hare, aud the revolving prevalence Of
f"body suatchiDg' in Eaglsnl, had created {"
popular scare and frcnzjcd GutcTy against The
practice of fanatomy.
Bodies for dissection could not without the
greatest difficulty, be obtained, aud brought;
very high prices in the surgical market, and
lMr. Benham, in bequcathng his mortal coil
to DR.. Southwood Smith, probably thonEht he
was setting an example of libera'liy. which otI'
ers Of his friends, as superior to pref udlcc a3 he
bimsclf had been, would follow with aIa3rlty.
But neither Mr. Grotc nor the elder nor the
Younger Mill followed his example and Eng-
land has not enjoyed the boon Of a Mutual An
topsy Society.
| FOOIING WITH a QUAKER.-llc Was
| peaccablo looking man, with quiet looking
horse attached to an unattractivc sleigh, with
uuostentatious bells. lie wore widorimmed
hat and shad bcllied coat, as he drove easily
down the South Esstcrn hill. journcyirg from
Bucks county to the land Of n N9IthamptOu. He
was observed by fellow OF the species rough
whom much loafng had made impulcnt and
who lifted up his yawp:
IS a.a-y hat, where arc you goin' with that
man2"
| "VcriIy, journey beyond the river, friend"
mildly responded the Quaker, and tbither
goeth my hat also.
Hold up and take fellow along, can't
you?" called out the man Of wrath.
forbid it"
"lil soon Gx that. and the fool ran forward
and jumped % the runner.
"Verily, friend, if thee insists upou getting
into my vehicle will even help thee, " and the
man Of peace reached ont right hand as re-
sistless as an oyster drcdye 1t caught the
youth around the throat worse than four
ycar-old dipthcris, jarkea him into the sleigh,
and slammed him down among the straw.
where he got trampcd on by q pair OF No. l3
ccwhdcs uat he thought he had got caught
10 shower of pile drivers. Finally he got Z
kick that lifted him clear over the side OF the
sleigh and ran his head into the bank by tho
roadside, where he dwindlcd down in heap,
like gumshoc discouraged by street car, and
tmurmurod as ho rubbed his cnsanguincd nose
10 tho snow:
"Who'n bIaz,s'd ever thought the cast
iron man d 90 around with steam up an dis.
guised as a blame old Quaker ?'E E"s'ern
Free Press
Lately gentleman won at Monte Carlo--a
gambling place an hour by rail from Nice
$4,500, and only awaited the return Of his Iin-
en from the wash to start homeward. But the
laundress being tardy he turned once more in
to tho casino, and lost his 81 500 and $4,000
besides For those who can keep out cf the
"helr' Monte Carlo is winter heaven. The
grounds Of the casino rise 10 succession OF
terraces from the bucst OF seas and the hedges
arc mass OF floral beauty. There is magni-
Gcent reading room, supplied with papers and
periodicals in every tongue, fine orchestra Of
100 performers plays Twice a day, and tho liv-
iog, accommodations and cooking are admira-
BILE. The Prince of Monaco draws $250,OOO a
year from this establishment.
/ IDLACk FkENCH GhSEMERE