Evening star., 1902-02-05
Health 0hcer's View of Bill Before
the Senate.
PREVENT DISSERTATION OF GRAVES
Statement of Amount of Dissect-
ing Material Furnished.
THE MEASURE APPROVED

C2' " A1oau - W O0QWaE0, tle 0eaItl or
hcer, has submitted a report to the, Dis
trict Commissioners In regard to Senate bill
22s1 for the promotion Of anatomical
science and to prevent the desecration of
graves In the District of Columbia. Dr.
Woodward says:
THE distribution Of anatomical material
to the various medical and dental colleges
of the District OF Columbia is regula ted
now by an act for the promotion of ana
tomical science and to prevent the desecra-
ton of graves in the District of Columbia,
approved February %, 1896 This act per-
mits persons in charge of hospitals and Of
the prison, jail and morgue to deliver for
the promotion of anatomical science the
troll which must otherwise be buried at pub
lie expense
Some Of the officers In charge of such in
stfutions. however, either through a dis
lnclination to assume the responsibility of
delivering these bodies as authorized by
Jaw, or Tor unknown reasons, have failed
TO avail themselves of such authority and
nave caused numerous bodies to be buried
at pubic expense which might have been
well used in promoting the interests of this
community as a center of medical educa-
tlon and In facilitating the work of the
various official medical examining boards
conducting examinations from time to time
In this District"
Submits q Statement.
Dr. Woodward submits statement show
Ing the number Of medical and dental stu
dents In attendance at the various medical
and dental colleges in the District Of Co.
lumbia each year since the passage Of the
law now in force. and the number of bodies
delivered for use during each correspond
ing period.
Continuing he says:
The average amount of material deiiv-
cred has been somewhat less than one body
to each nine medical and dental students, a
supply manifestly insufficient to permit sat
1Sfactory instruction In anatomy, surgery
and allied branches of medicine and dentis-
try. Under the present law no bodies have
been or can be delivered for the use of ex-
amining boards.
1.-The pending bill is designed to increase
the material available for the promotion of
anatomical science by requiring public or
quasi public officers having control of
bodies which, If buried al ALL must be buried
at public expense, to deliver them to a
board created to control the disposition of
such remains and vested with authority
either to allow the use of such remains for
the promotion of anatomical science under
certain definite restrictions, or to cause
such remains to be inferred. AS the bene-
hts arising from the creation of this board
Will accrue Immediately to the advantage of
medical and dental colleges it is provided
that the expenses of this anatomical board
snail be betrayed by these institutions.
la, Is belleved that the provisions of this
anatomical science and for the building up
or the city Of Washington as a center of
medlcal education a supply of material
SUFFICIENT for all legitimate needs
Reference to Objections
Whatever objection there may seem at
first to authorizing the utilization of the
bodies Of persons who will otherwise be
buried at public expense for anatomical
purposes, 1t must be remembered that the
interests Of the public and of every 1indi-
Vidual require the presence of properly edu-
Gated physicians; that anatomy, which can
be learned satisfactorily only from dis
section, Is the very foundation of all medi-
cal and surgical knowledge; and that the
community Is. therefore, In it's own inter-
est bound to provide the means whereby
such knowledge can be obtained lawfully
Attention is invited, too to the fact that
the present law authorizing the distribution
OF bodies for scientific purposes has been
without public offense, and even, so far as
Ia known, without offense to Individual per-
sons. Similar laws are in force in most of
the states and territories and operate gen.
orally without objection from any source"
Recommended for DISQUALIFICATION,
ut is respectfully recommended that this
bill be returned to the committee on the
District Of Columbia of the House of Repre-
sentatives with a recommendation that it
be favorably acted upon"
Commissioner Macfarland has recon-
mended that a favorable report be made
on the bill Commissioner Ross has stated
that he opposes any such measure, but
oilers no objection to the bill being for
Warded to Congress as representing the
majority view of the board