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The anatomical knowledge needed to understand the workings of the human body, on which so much modern drug development depends, was hardwon. Throughout history, reverence for the human body has “interfered” with the legitimate needs of science to treat human flesh as an object of study. During the golden age of anatomical study in Edinburgh, Scotland, a grisly confluence of greed, demand, and scientific hubris created one of the more legendary incidents in medical history.During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Edinburgh was the center of research in anatomy, and surgeons at the city’s medical school were considered not only elite members of the medical profession but also artisans striving to understand every facet of the human body. Robert Knox, renowned anatomist and head of the Edinburgh Medical School, attracted crowds of 500 or more to his anatomy lectures.While research in anatomy was surging forward, the lack of available bodies for dissection seriously hindered progress. Parliament allowed only one body per year donated for the purpose of dissection, and it had to be that of an executed criminal. In addition, the demand for surgeons increased because of the respect and honor accorded the profession, so this career track became popular with aspiring doctors. The Edinburgh Medical School’s anatomy and surgery course lasted 16 months. Students had to dissect a minimum of three corpses to become licensed surgeons, making cadavers even more scarce.

 

Website: http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/mdd/v03/i08/html/10time.html