Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-12
SUBJECTS FOR DISSECTION
Law on the Matter is Not Being Exactly
Enforced in Nebraska.
SOME DIFFICULTIES THAT LIE IN THE WAY
state Association of Demonstrates
Take steps 80 Assist the state
superintendent I'm Carrying
out Its Provisions.

w. X. Fowler, as state superintendent Of
public instruction, has had some difficulty
in making a Just and equitable distribution
among state colleges OF the bodies OF per-
sons who die in public institutions or else
where without relatives or friends to claim
them. The dificulty has not, of course,
been through any fault OF the subjects
themselves, as they have gone wherever
sent without protest, but rather through
fault Of someone OF the officers Of various
counties who have failed to fulfill require
ments % that law which demands that
coroners, sherins, ~jailers, undertakers or
heads of institutions shall Immediately no.
tify the superintendent Of public instruc-
ton when there is such death within thei"
Jurisdiction and hold the body forty-eight
hours, subject to his order.
To remedy this, copies Of the law have
been or are being sent to all such county
officers or others affected, and now the
Nebraska State Demonstrators a5socia-
tion is working to still further perfect the
method Of distribution. At the meeting
which II held at the Lincoln hotel in Lin
coin the evening of February 8 it elected
DR.. Arthur Carr Of Cottner university
president, DR.. z. c. Henry Of Creighton
Medical college vice president, DR.. Robert
H. wolcott Of the State university secre-
tary and DR.. Lee Van Camp OF the Omaha
Medical college treasurer. These officers
we're specifically directed to assist the state
superintendent in accomplishing the work
he finds so dihheult, and in order to still
further aid him the association made some
changes in the bylaws it had adopted at
the time Of its organization one year ago.
PrOportionAte Distribution.
One of these bylaws has read that he Is
to distribute the corpses "in proportion to
the number OF students matriculated at
each medical or dental college or school"
This is also the wording Of the law. but
the same statute gives him the alterna-
tive Of making his distribution according
to al agreement among the medical and
dental schools Of the state" and the asso-
citation changed it's bylaws at last weeks
meeting to so read that the distribution is
recommended to be on a basis of enroll
Rent in the freshmen and sophomore
classes instead OF on a basis OF total en-
rollment. This, It is said. is the method
now prevailing in most states which have
such laws, and will, Il is promised. make
it easier TO satisfy the demands of the
smaller colleges and schools, doing away
with considerable complaining that has
been done under the old system. Action
Was taken, It is said, upon the urgent
request Of Mr.. Fowler.
OF the responsibility OF those into whose
hands bodies are FIRST given. a member Of
the association said: Some Of these me1
appear 10 forget what their duty is al
such times. and may get into trouble. The
law imposes a fine Of not less than s2i
nor more than 800 upon anyone who vii.
fully n~eglects to report q pauper's death
to the state superintendent, or who either
refuses TO give up the body or diserimi-
mates in delivering it."