this
description. The enlightened governors of the parish assented to the _post
mortem_ examination of the body of every unclaimed pauper, an enquiry into
whose case might appear conducive to the interests of medical science."

It has been already pointed out that, to try to overcome the repugnance to
dissection, some persons left specific instructions that their bodies
should be used for this purpose.

The representations of the teachers were so far successful, that in 1828 a
Select Committee was appointed by the House of Commons "to enquire into
the manner of obtaining subjects for dissection in the Schools of Anatomy,
and into the state of the law affecting the persons employed in obtaining
and dissecting bodies." Amongst those who gave evidence before the
Committee were the principal teachers of anatomy, and three of the
resurrection-men. The tone of the Report was decidedly in sympathy with
the teachers, but it strongly condemned the way in which they were
compelled to obtain bodies for dissection. After showing how badly off
English students were for opportunities of learning anatomy, as compared
with those of foreign countries, and pointing out that those students who
really wished to master their art were compelled to go abroad, the Report
proceeds: "These disadvantages affecting the teachers are such, that
except in the most frequented schools, attached to the greater hospitals,
few have been able to continue teaching with profit, and some private
teachers have been compelled to give up their schools. To the evils
enumerated it may be added, that it is distressing to men of good
education and character to be compelled to resort, for their means of
teaching, to a constant infraction of the laws of their country, and to be
made dependent, for their professional existence, on the mercenary
caprices of the most abandoned class in the community."

In March, 1829, Mr. Warburton obtained leave to introduce into the House
of Commons "A Bill for preventing the unlawful disinterment of human
bodies, and for regulating Schools of Anatomy." In this Bill it was
enacted that persons found guilty of disinterring any human body from any
churchyard, burial-ground or vault, or assisting at any such disinterment,
should be imprisoned for a term not exceeding six months for the first
offence, and two years for the second offence. Seven Commissioners were to
be appointed; the majority of these were not to be either physicians,
su