The History of Grave Robbing for Anatomical Instruction

"Ruth Sprague, dau. of Gibson & Elizabeth Sprague, died Jan. 11, 1846 aged 9 years, 4 mos & ? days. She was stolen from the grave by Roderick R. Clow & dissect- ed at Dr. P. M. Armstrong’s office in Hoosick, New York, from which place her mutilated remains were obtained & deposited here. Her body stolen by fiendish men, Her bones anatomized, Her soul, we trust, has risen to God, Where few physicians rise."           - Epitaph on a tombstone in Hoosick, New York

      According to contemporary medical logic, dissections of the human body are the best way to impart the knowledge of anatomy to medical students. Knowledge of the structures and functions of the body is essential information if they are to practice medicine competently.  However this logic has not always been so self-evident.  Societal attitudes towards dissection have been unstable, and historically, the practice has been embraced and at other times condemned.

        Our current system of anatomical teaching is a product of centuries of controversy over the legitimacy of dissection despite its essential role in the acquisition of medical knowledge.  It is a history framed by deception, robbery and murder which extended from Europe to the United States and included people ranging from Vesalius, the father of modern anatomy, to William Burke, the infamous Edinburgh murderer.

Date last updated: 08/29/03