The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-29
TRAFFIC IN DEAD BODIES
How Subjects for Dissection in the Med
ical Colleges Are Procured.
Over Hundred Bodies Claimed in Indianapo-
lis for Scientific Use Last Year, Many of
Which We're Shipped to Other Cities.


Which We're Shipped to Other Cities.
what become Of the pauper dead Of Indian
apois?. is O question Journal reporter has pro-
pounded during the last week to q dozen per-
sons who ought to have some information ON the
subject, but in the majority OF cases the answers
given were altogether unsatisfactory. It was
admitted by many that some OF them found
their way to the dissecting-rooms of the five
medical colleges Of Indianapolis, but how many,
or what per cent of the number who die an
nually without friends, was not so easily ascer-
tanned. Although the law of the State provides
that where dead body is not claimed in twenty
four hours after death it shall 60 to the frat
medical college that claims it, undertakers ara
unwilling to give the exact number of bodies they
turn to strangers for the benefit of science.
There are no records, either. that furnish any
reliable information. The undertakers should,
according to Law, report to the city health Office
every body that goes to . medical college. but
they do not do it, for during the year of 1887
not half dozen such returns were sent to the
health Office. "Its delicate subject. and we
the health board to the reporter. Occasionally
the City Hospital physicians report that q dead
stranger has been turned over to the college.
but they are about the only persons who do send
in such reports. The only way you can approxi-
mate the number that went to the colleges Is by
counting the returns that say buried in coun ty
yard. That nearly always me ans tn at the de-
ceased's body went to some college. If dead
person has any friends he will not be buried in
the county yard and If he has friends il 10
safe to say that he went to a college dissecting-
ROOM"
From the most reliable information that could
be obtained. 124 paupers were claimed for the
medical colleges during 1857 They were, Of
course. nearly all claimed during the months OF
August. September, October and November
The majority of the number came from the City
Hospital and county Door asylum. During the year
there were log deaths at tho City Hospital and
not quite SO many at the poor asylum The
exact number Of bodies obtained from each in
stitution could not be ascsrtansd, but there
were more from the poor asylum than from the
hospital. 1.-The majority of people who go to
the hospital are from the city and have friends.
said professor in medical college,
land are buried by them after death. It is gem
orally known, too. that the unclaimed dead at
the hospital go to the medical college, and for
that reason many strangers who are taken to
the hospital request that they be not turned over
to any medical college after death. might add,
Those who die at the poor farm nearly al
ways without friends. If they had friends they
would not be there, and they therefore stand in
the greater danger OF falling into the hands OF
the medical students. However, great many
of the inmates of the Door asylum have enough
money saved to bury them. and if they request
to not be delivered to medical college their
wish is generally observed"
Ripley g. Hedges do the county burying, aud
Mr.. Hedges says that the majority of those who
die are not delivered to the medical colleges, be-
cause they have friends who claim them. In
addition to the dead that 60 direct from the Hos
pital and the Poor Asylum to the colleges. the
unclaimed persons. The exact number they de-
livered to the colleges during the year could not
be ascertained. but they averaged six or eight
each.
How many of the 124 dead bodies claimed for
science in. year used here in Indianapolis"
was asked of professor in one OF the medical
colleges.
s.Not more than twenty five, I should thinks
said he; possibly thirty, and the number might
reach thirty-fve, but it could not go above
that"
And what becomes of the bodies not used
here2'
y They are shipped to medical colleges in
other cities. They go principally to Cincinn att,
Louisville and st. Louis. Those cities all have
numerous large medical colleges that require
laws of the States in which they are located
they arc unable to supply the demand without
resorting to body snatching That is danger
Gus aud expensive business. and they find 10
much more satisfactory to buy their subjects
from States where there is law that permits
the unclaimed dead to go to medical colleges.
dianapolis than the medical colleges here can
use, and the surplus goes to the colleges in the
cities have mentioned"
who carries on the traficT
"As to that couldn't say. The medical cole
1eges do not do it. know We simply claim as
many bodice as we need. and pay attention
times there is very lively competition in claim
ing bodies. Men who are known to have no rel
atives or friends here are watched Eor weeks by
perhaps half dozen persons representing med.
ical colleges who want to claim them. The
blank claim is filled out before death. and it is
placed on file as soon as breath has left the man.
The claimant that gets his application on file
fret after death gets the body have heard il
said that applications have bean filed before men
died. but never saw that done"
'Some one must make some money out OF the
trading in dead bodiee." suggested.
'tYes there is some money in it. The price
paid for subjects is governed by the supply and
demand. When the medical colleges in other
cities need subjects badly they will pay most any
price for them. The average price paid is $25.
but it sometimes goes as high as $780,
How the subjects shppedW
I'm boxes, barrels, any way except In coffin.
They arc always shipped as merchandise Of some
kind and they packed to avoid detec-
ton. In cold weather the bodies are allowed to
freeze solid. and they can then be safely shipped
out any odor being noticeable. In warm weather
they picked in brine and sent safely through.
There isn't much shipping done at this season OF
the year The traffic is greatest in august and
point to begin collecting subjects in the summer
or early fall and pickle them for use during the
winter"
In addition to the adult subjects that are
shipped to other cities undertaken is author
ity for the statement that many infants are
shipped to medical colleges of other cities
s"rhey not used in the dissecting ROOM said
he 'but are purchased by students who want
the skeleton. Sometimes q boxfull is shipped
at one time, and they bring a very good price"
1T is an easy matter for undsrtakers to get
possession of Infants said another man con-
nected with medical college. 4'They FREE
quently called TO take charge Of dead infant
and requested to give It secret ;a:. burial The
child, and the undertaken is at liberty to DISPOSE
Of it rs he pleases.'