St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-17
DISSECTING ROOM SCENES.
The Narrowing Spectacles Witnessed in
a Medical College.
CHASTITY PICKING VAULTS.
How Human Bones and Organs Are
Preserved and Sold at
Fancy Prices.

The thought is not so extremely har-
rowing when the iron hearted con-
oueror'S own mercileSS conduct toward
his enemy is borne in mind. When one
is brought face to face with the fact
that thousands of dead are annually
Quartered, sliced and diSSected into
shapeleSS scraps of bone and flesh IN
this city, the thought is truly appalling.
And this, in every ease. without the
previous ceremony of Christian burial.
Your correspondent ventured into the
precincts of the various diSSectlng-
rooms attached to local medical col
legeS. He prObed the abode of the
"StiffS. and was granted an opportunity
to peer into what young EsculplanS
term the picking vault of the eStab-
liShmentS. The correspondent was III
search of Il skeleton. Guided by III
stinct and directed by the advice OF
Well-llnOwn dealer in physicians sup
plies, he first sought the lanitOrS oihce
i'm an East side medical school. where
ten score or more wieldcrs of the scalpel
are annually sent forth to purge and
carve humanity.
Owing 10 lack of complete infOrma-
ton the inquirer went direct to the OF
fee of the ianitOr of the buildln-. The
functiOnary expressed complete sur
prise. No bodies or parts OF bodies were
ever allowed Ia be taken from the build
ing No one connected with the lnStI-
tuition tratficked in skeletons. y student
in the outer hall set him right. 1t was
tine ianitor of the diSSecting room that
should be accoSted. His quarters were
visited. Naturally they were part OF the
dlSSecting room proper.
APPEARANCE OF DI>SFCTINO ROOM.
1t is not long before a stranger in the
apartment perceiyeS its CHASTITY char
acter. The room has the shape of
very long rectangle with an l. at each
long end. He passes down a narrow
aisle lined with marble slabs. There is
Just room enough between the slabs for
the three-legged stools used by the
students. \ pail stained with gore
stands at the foot Of each slab. Into it
the student throws the cuttings from
the mutilated body on the slab. Five
students share corpse. The parts
allotted are, head. upper and lower eX-
tremitieS. with adjacent parts of the
trunk. Some time during his session
each student must diSSect each of the
five parts. The demonstration of an
atOmy, with an assistant, has an over
sight. of the CHASTITY work. Students are
free to come and go at all times. 1t
is llOl unuSudl lDI one llldIl ~ NC
alone in the place at work after Gus
tOmary hours. by gaSlight. The major
part of the students are accustomed to
take parts that are easily carried to pri-
Vate apartments in town. Many an in
nOcent-lOoKing bundle in the arms of
sprucely-dreSSed young man in the
streets of New York contains some
human fragment.
4 gentleman was overheard quite re-
Gently relating his horror at the ghOul-
lSh sport of group or young medical
students in all afternoon train from the
city. They were exposing parts of
'cadaver," which happened to be that
of some poor woman. no doubt, who
died friendleSs and alone in some city
hospital. The temple OF human soul
made the butt of tiendiSh sport. The
young men We're evidently under the
influence of liquor. Part of their
amusement lay in slyly thrusting part
Of this anatomy in each others over
coat pockets.
THE STUDENTS AT WORK.
The demean0r of the men at work in
their room was decorOuS. There were
not more than ten or twelve. Many of
the bodies were no longer flesh, and
bore dried, shriveled appearance: that
is what was left OF them which in
the whole. The OdOr of the room was
sitting. More than one of the amateur
surgeons putfed cigarette while at
work. In only few instances were
the bodies not being operated upon
covered. In most cases they lay naked.
mutiiated and decaying. Several young
men were gathered about a fresh sub
Ject, a brawny negro, commenting on
the remarkable muscular development.
On the neighboring slab lay the quarters
OF what had once been c0mely young
woman.
The chief ghoul in the place was found
at the end of the hall, in corner. He
was adding wood to fire in a small
stove. The stove was covered with a
large tin WaShboiler. The Odor that
escaped with the steam revealed only
too accurately its contents. The sur
rOundingS were not suggestive of weird
ness, as is the case in theatrical repre-
sensations of boiling caldrOnS in which
Seetlle the Eye of newt and toe of
frog amid wild scenery and grotesque
antics of witches. 1t is altogether too
realistic TO be anything but horrible.
On either side of the stove. near the
wall, stood barrels containing ''OddS
and ends'' from the marble slabs, the
garbage of the diSSecting room. The
mingled contents of the barrels and
kettles, gathered from the different
bodies and thrown together regard
lesSly, might well throw a believer in
the resurrection of the body into state
of reflection, if not of doubt. The
kettle contained limbs that were to be
cleaned and stripped of the fibres and
Sinews that cling to the bones. These
bones were then to be subjected to a
process of bleaching. They are Sus-
npnIpl i'm n largo rpppnfa ola in
part of the establishment. where they
are exposed to sulphur fumes. Thther
the attendant directed his steps, fol-
lowed by the correspondent.
IN THE CHARNEL HOUSE.
The way led down narrow staircase,
very steep and perfectly dark. The at
tendant went ahead, cropping his Way.
The visitor was cautioned to tread care
fully. When near the bottom an object
came in contact with the foot of the
press representative and rolled down
two steps. At the bottom he stumbled
over large object that could be recog-
nized distinctly by the touch as a
human form. and without covering of
any kind. Beads of perspiration ooZed
from your correspondents forehead.
He went 10 further until a light was
produced.
If the room above was CHASTITY this
lower quarter was revolving. Round
about the side walls were shelves. On
the shelves lay corpseS. On the floor
beneath the shelves lay cOrpses. In the
center of the floor lay one. On table
lay several heads. On another Law
three pairs of lungs. Some of the
bodies were those of negroes. Some
were plainly those of Americans, 9TH
ers of Irish, others of Germans. There
were both males and females. The
form that nearly threw the visitor at
the bottom of the stairway was that of
negreSS about thirty years of age.
Forms of children were nnficeahlv al