Delta chief., 1884-06-25
Bodies for ~ Apiece.


The above was in answer 10 n ques-
ton asked an attendant at one of the
New York medical colleges recently by
reporter for the New York Mail and
Express. concerning the price paid for
dead bodies used for scientific pur-
poses.
Where do you get the most of
them?'
From the charity hospital, Bellevue
in fact, all hospitals and the morgue.
The bodies that go into the medical
schools represent the pauper dead only.
and the good their bodies do for science
il oftentimes the first and only good
use they have been put TO since their
BIRTH
How many bodies 10 YOU suppose
are used by the medical schools in this
city every year,
Easily a thousand. OF course most
Of them are used by the students for
dissection. but the professors also util-
ixe the cadaver for anatomical demon
stratioR. Didaciic teaching is coming
to be- Hore and more regarded rs the
best rsethod. Then again, many cadsv-
ers are used in the practical study Of
operative surgery. The students prac-
tice on the dead body. They amputate
fingers. hands. arms and legs, make
rcsections OF bone, and go through the
modus opeIandi of hundreds of every
day operations in minor surgery. They
learn to appreciate the surgical land
marks and familiarize themselves with
normal and abnormal conditions of
the body"
But the cadaver is prepared in some
way before II is given TO the student, is
IL not?'
'.Oh my. yes. They ..are thoroughly
prepared. Sometimes they are picked
In a solution of saltpcter aud water. and
sometimes they are injected with a pre-
paration of chloride OF zinc or arsenic
Students prefer an injected OF fresh
subject to picked one geserally.
For my part had rather have apickled
one. Working on n zinc or arsenite
cadavcr makes ones fingers sore"
THE students, of course, buy the
bodies from you at an advance on the
original price,"
Not Mt all. No charge is made for
material for dissection. The college
furnishes ii free. But some return Is
had for the bones. The scraps and
bones are gathered in large pile and
kept for man in Philadelphia. who
prepares and mounts skeletons for
schools. lodges, and private individ-
uals. He comes to New York Mt regu-
lar intervals and buys up all the human
bones. and sends them to Philadelphia
in barrels
docs he get anything much for n
skcleton?'
"Oh, u skeleton brings more than the
cadaver tenfold. They range in price
from $40 to $500 A complete disar-
ticulated skeleton. that is. one where all
the 200 bones can be separated. IL ii has
the thirty-two teeth intact, will bring
5000 easily. An ordinary one. how.
ever. with all the bones separated ex.
ccpt those of the head. can be had for
the former price"
'.But should think The bones would
get lost or mixed up by finging them
into common pile"
so they do. But the corresponding
bone is taken from some other body
and used instead Of the one that is lost
When you see skeleton, do not sup
pose that because every bone is in its
place all of them grew in tho same
body. 1t is possible to represent as
many bodies in skeleton as there are
bones ia the human frame. II tnAn
wants n skeleton wherein all the bones
shall be Of the same body, he mast
take cadaver and cut away all the
tissue. aud then sink 1t, in perforated
box. at the bottom of II running brook.
This har,lens and whitens the bones.
and makes them capable of beng easily
articulatcd. 1t takes long time.
though: generally two years"