The Portland daily press., 1883-05-15
TEWKsBURY ALMsHoUsE
Testimony for the Defence in Pro
gress.
No Infants Dissected at Harvard Medi-
cal School.

Boston. May 14.-Dsfense in the Tewksbrrg
investigation opened today.
DIR. w. Richardson, Assistant Professor az
Harvard Medical School, testified that he had
been connected with the school since 1872 He
never saw an infant on the disseeting table,
but several had been used as illustrations in
obstetrics.
DIR 4. NJ Hodges Of the Medical School tes-
tilted that the vault where the remains were
kept was over tide-waters. but was tight
as masonry masonry could make II. The
remains were sometimes deeomposed with
lime No infants bodies wers used, though II
no other subjects could be obtained an infant
would be valuable. He knew in q general way
that bodies came from Tewksbury. After the
dissection OF the remains, 10 the best OF his
belief ,sthey were decently buried.
DR.. Jno f. Bush, connected with the Medi-
cal School, knew DR.. Dixwell and had never
seen him dissecting infant and had never
seen one In the room.
At this point Gov. Butler said he did not
claim that infants bodies we're used in the dis
secting room, but that students carried them
home as more c0ns senient
Mr. Brown said that Dixwell, the Governors
witness, had stated that be had seen several
hundred infant bodies in connection with the
medical school, and be proposed to disproTe II.
The Governor said this trade had been car.
ried on by the iauitor the officers IN charge Of
the school having full knowledge of the fact.
DIR. Charles b. Porter, demoustrator Of
anatomy At the Harvard medical school from
1863 10 1877, and as such having entire control
Of bodies for dissection, testified that 10 his
knowledge there was not body brought there
which was not paid fer by tie Institution, and
he was cognizaut of all transactions. He never
knew Of DIR. Dixwell's having infants bodies
to dissect out of school. During bis ten years
of service remains were put into boxes and
buried in Mount Hope cemetery. There twas
never an animal dissected and the remains OF
such mingled with those. OF human bodies
The amounts paid by students for bodies went
TO the jsnitor. Some OF the bodies came from
Tewksbnry, for which was paid SID His
memorandum of bodies was destroyed when he
settled his accounts. He dealt with Thomas
j. Marsh, Jr., abont bodies Since 1871 he
would swear that he had not seen but t@o dead
infants In the school The ianitor could not
have dealt in bodies without the witness's
knowledge. He did not know OF any cases
where the skin OF a subject bad been tanned
He did not know that Dxwel had a private
dissecting room as alleged. The school got
| bodies from other sources than Tewksburi.
The Governor asked from where, but the
| witness declined to answer. Tbereupon long
| discussion as TO the relevancy OF tho question
| ensued.
| In the Senate this afternoon an amendment
| to the Tewgsbury almsh0use appropriation
| bill placing the care and expenditure Of the
| appropriation under the control Of the Gov
| ernor and the auditing Of all bills contracted
| on account Of said institution in the hands of
the Governors Council, was defeated, II to
| 10, and the bill appropristiDg $4,000 ordered
| to a third reading.
| 1t now appearing 10 the Tewskbury inves-
| tigation that only few general bonds were
| given in 5000 each by the Harvard Medical
| School since 1865 for the proper care and de-
| cent interment of the bodies sent for dissec-
| tion Ex-Judge Lord has written letter, i'm
| plcatng the Harvard schools and indirectly
| sustaining the Governors course. He argues
| fromthe provisions Of public statutes that the
| law does not ALLOW general request to be
| made beforehand but that special request
| must be made for each BODY. The bond which
/ the law contempates and which has been Civ
| en- By the school is for single body at one
| time and Is not sufficient for 800 or 900 bodies.
| Judge Lori further says: "The fling is made
| at the Governor for duplicating Harvard.
Where are the 800 or 900 bonds which the law
required?
"Where is the permission TO be given by
| somebody in each Of the 800 cases? OF course
bond must 80 describe the body surrendered
| that 1t may be identified Suppose the body
is delivered 10 a surgeon or medical school and
three or four days after the body is found in a
cesspoo. II no description OF the body in
the bond is sufficient for Identification how is
1t to be proved that the body
| thus found is the body to which the surgeon 3
bond applies. The surgeon or medical school
would hardly be willing to have their iiablli-
| ties determined in the loose manner in which
they assume their obligations But great
| variety OF considerations which show that the
| law means a bond for each body has been
| omitted in this article because IL seems so ap-
| parent that they must be so. But if any body
| whose opinion is entitled to respect claims
| that such bopd Is unnecessary there will be- no
| refusal to discuss that matter.