Anatomical Dissection in Antebellum Saint Louis

Abstract: Grave robbing has long been a topic of interest and controversy in the history of medicine. From the stories of Mark Twain to the discovery of bones in the basements of medical colleges, Americans have had to face the myth-shattering image of the outlaw scientist who has taken advantage of the dead. We believe this history forces modern day physicians to grapple with fundamental identity questions within medicine. The way that medical practitioners have treated the dead is revealing about medicine's understanding of what it means to be human. When we couple this with the clear racial bias of grave robbers, we must interrogate the assumptions embedded in our history: are some bodies human enough to be studied but not human enough to receive medical care? This panel will consider the history of anatomical dissection and the sourcing of bodies locally, at our own institutions. We ask, “What evidence exists of grave robbing in St. Louis?” and "What does that evidence mean for us today?" We come from multiple disciplines: history, theology, ethics, and medicine. After extensive review of city records and medical school archives, we believe that grave robbing was vibrant in St. Louis, and that it may even have been a distribution center for nascent medical schools in the north. In this panel we will present those findings and discuss the importance of this history for medical education today.