The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-03-25
LOOKING AT THE CADAYERS
s.Becky Sharp flakes Visit to the
Dissecting Room
OF THE KANSAS MEDICAL COLLEGE.

lately.
Of course all thinking persons know
that dissection of human bodies belongs
in tho curriculum of all medical colleges,
and yet in regard to that as we'll as to
many things which go on daily around
Us, we are shocked only when they are
brought to our immediate attention.
Since the recent trouble at the Kansas
Medical college people have seemed to
want to ask that bodies for dissectlng
purposes be secured from vender who
has a license to hawk them about the
streets as in the case OF vegetables ana
fruits; and yet every one realizes that
that would be impossible and more
shocking to highly sensitive community
than any possible method.
But have not been securing cadavers
land by the way Webster uses that
word and does not give an offensive
meaning). I've only been up where
four of them have just finished serving
the purpose of instructiDg class In
anatomy.
One of the gentlest of Topeka men,
one who would not hurt fly, or an eye
for that matter Gf may be excused for
talking shopl. except for the purpose OF
helping it, was my guide on the tour OF
inspection of the college.
refer to the dean of the college. DR..
]. E. Minney.
We went through the dispensary and
the fine and we'll fitted chemical labora-
tory in the basement, the lecture rooms,
and the pathological laboratory. Here
Dr. Minney showed me myriad bacteria
under cultivation.
"Here," he said, with evident pride,
"we have the baccilli under cultivation
in different media"
Then he went to what resembled
copper oven, like the oven of a gasoline
stove, and opened it.
Inside sat two glass tumblers filled
with glass tubes which were stopped at
the mouth with cotton. These tubes
rested on more cotton in the bottom of
the glass. Under the oven or incub ator
burned tiny, steady flame of gas. The
doctor reached and took out one of the
tubes. A long, narrow, but we'll defined
thread-like substance lay against the
media of cultivation.
"There," said the doctor, us the germ
of diphtheria. Isn't that pretty?"
Then as drew shudderingly away,
Don't be frightened, it can't get out.
"Why, we've got them all bottled up
around here, but we are going to keep
them SO, too.
Here's tuberculosis, there's typhoid
fever, scarlet fever, aud 80 on.
aren't they pretty?" with the interest
of a scientist in work which interests
him.
But couldn't enthuse; they didu't
look pretty to me.
"But," says some impatient one, "Whar
about the dissecting room?"
Don't be impatient was not, though
/ meant to GO all the time.
After looking about the laboratory,
the doctor looked at me keenly for a
moment, aud said as if he had only just
thought of it, want to go upstairs to
the dissecting room?"
Yes-I did.
SIT is on the fourth floor, come on"
He opened the door at the bottom of
the steps and 1 followed him upstairs.
These led directly into large room
which has windows on three sides, east
south and west,
The windows are all up.
The floor is clean and the only furni-
ture is five long tables and higher than
ordinary tables.
There arc not any chairs. I suppose
no one cares to sit down here; I do not.
The beautiful afternoon sunshine comes
in at the windows and the first illusion
the dim light of the stage dissecting
room is destroyed
Several other properties of the stage
dissecting room are abseut.
Over each table is a cloth, not clean
cloths, though they may have been SO
Wn0Q the season began. NOW they are
rumpled and stained here and there and
everywhere with blood
On one table where the cloth is pulled
s5ttle to one side, piece of flesh-yes,
it must be human flesh hangs down.
1t looks much like piece of any other
kind of flesh.
The doctor looks at me in1uiringly and
as L nod the acquiescence, l cannot
speak, he lifts the cover, only to put it
at Of
Ughl There are only bones with half
dried flesh clinging to them, even the
skull having been removed.
surreptitiously consult the bottle of
smelling salts in my pocket and look out
to whore the sun is coaxing nature to her
annual resurrection and wonder if the
cathode ray will obviate the necessity of
this horrible process of dissection.
voice as much aloud and the doctor
says, POSSIBLY, yes"
Then we go on to the next table.
This ones burden has not SO nearly
finished its mission but the head is gone.
On the next one the body is intact in
comparison with the others. 1t is that
of man, an elderly man, for he has
short thick grey hair. BY the time the
doctor carefully spreads the cloth back
over it, / am pretty well used up SO far as
nerves go, but l must look into that hor-
rible picking vat of which have heard
so much. Because 1 came to see all
there is to see; and like every newspaper
woman or man. know I must not show
the white feather Duty nerves the re-
porter even as it nerves the soldier in
line of battle. The newspaper writer
has duty to the public to tell his read.
ers the facts truly and fearlessly. must
never weaken, no matter how trying the
assiRnment-and l look.
1t is great relief to hear the doctor
say: eve are SO near through this work
now for the current year that there is
nothing in this vat"
l peer in. 1t is long, large tank,
which was put into the house for holding