tely no reference to the cutting up of the
human body for teaching purposes. Its purpose is very plain, and is
stated so that there can be no possible {31} misapprehension of its
meaning. Here we have an excellent illustration of what the editors of
the Cambridge Modern History declared to be the breaking up of the
long conspiracy against the truth by the consultation of original
documents.

Through the kindness of the Rev. D. A. Corbett, of the Seminary of St.
Charles Borromeo, Overbrook, Pa., I have been able to secure a copy of
Pope Boniface's decree, and this at once disposes of the assertion
that dissection was forbidden or anatomy in any way hampered by it.
Father Corbett writes:

"The Bull De Sepulturis of Boniface VIII. is not found in the
Collectio Bullarum of Coquelines, nor is it incorporated in the
Liber Sextus Decretalium Divi Bonifacii Papae VIII., though it is
from here that it is quoted in the Histoire Litteraire de la France
(as referred to by President White). It appears in an appendix to
this sixth book among the Extravagantes, a term that is used to
signify that the documents contained under it were issued at a time
somewhat apart from the period this special book of decretals was
supposed to cover. The Liber Sextus was published in 1298. This
'Bull De Sepulturis' was not issued until 1300. It is to be found in
the third book of the Extravagantes, Chapter I."

Even a glance at the title would seem to be sufficient to show that
this document did not refer even distantly to dissection, and this
makes it all the harder to understand the misapprehension that ensued
in the matter, if the document was quoted in good faith, for usually
the compression necessary in the title is the source of such errors.
The full text of the bull only confirms the absolute absence of any
suggestion of forbidding dissection or discouraging the study of
anatomy.

{32}

"Title--Concerning Burials.[Footnote 2] Boniface VIII. Persons
cutting up the bodies of the dead, barbarously boiling them, in
order that the bones, being separated from the flesh, may be carried
for burial into their own countries, are by the very act
excommunicated.

[Footnote 2: See Latin text in full in appendix.]

"As there exists a certain abuse, which is characterized by the most
abominable savagery, but which nevertheless some of the faithful
have stupidly adopted. We, prompted by motives of humanity, hav