The Necessity of Disinterment, Under Existing Circumstances

Part 1

THE

NECESSITY OF DISINTERMENT,

UNDER EXISTING CIRCUMSTANCES.

THE

NECESSITY OF DISINTERMENT,

UNDER EXISTING CIRCUMSTANCES,

BEING

AN APOLOGY, &c.,

A LETTER TO THE MAYOR OF EXETER.

WILLIAM COOKE, SURGEON.

“All foreigners express astonishment, when informed, that the teachers of Anatomy, in this country, are obliged to depend, for the power of communicating this most necessary and important knowledge, upon a precarious supply of bodies, which have been suffered to become putrid, and afterwards been interred. This is, indeed, a national disgrace; and formerly I would not willingly have acknowledged the fact of the disinterment of bodies, because it tends to disquiet the best feelings of the public. The newspaper writers, however, have so blazoned it forth, as to render any attempt to conceal it unavailing.”

MR. ABERNETHY.

LONDON:

PUBLISHED BY SHERWOOD, GILBERT, AND PIPER,

PATERNOSTER-ROW.

MDCCCXXVII.

Mills, Jowett, and Mills, Bolt-court, Fleet-street.

AN APOLOGY, &c.

SIR,

Actuated by a respectful deference to the chief magistrate of the city of Exeter, I venture to address that individual, who so ably occupies the place and station, at the present moment. After the remarks which fell from Mr. Justice Park upon the subject of local jurisdiction at the late city assize,――remarks which no one in court, and least of all yourself, can possibly have forgotten,――there can be no occasion for my referring to the subject, for the sake of any explanation of my conduct, in procuring the removal of my past cause into an adjoining county.

You know, I presume to think, Sir, that it is difficult for men even of enlarged minds to divest themselves of opinions once formed,――perhaps publicly declared.――Rumour has a thousand tongues, and prejudice catches every whisper;――is it fair then, that I, or any one else should be tried by a jury who could by any possibility prejudge the question? Otherwise, the amount of evidence adduced, would be but too frequently a secondary consideration. Jurymen at least might come into court with prejudiced minds; and though magistrates of talent and character, might, undoubtedly, be very far from casting “the trash their own suspicion breeds, into the scale they hold,” yet it would be superfluous to inform you, Sir, that the mischievous operation of bias and prejudice, need not extend further than the jurybox, to annihilate every shadow of fair and impartial justice.

I do not conceive any farther explanation necessary, Sir, after the forcible remarks of the learned judge to the same effect; and if any apology seem to be called for, I beg that it may be considered as consisting in that explanation which was so appositely provided.

The objects of this letter, Sir, are various: for, after having implored your forbearance, as to the liberty I have taken, in placing your distinguished name in its title page, I would, with your permission, draw your attention to the circumstances of my late prosecution. I would, secondly, apologize for some particulars connected with the case. Thirdly, I would venture to attempt a demonstration of the necessity and advantages of anatomical pursuits. And, fourthly, endeavour to convince you, that something to facilitate the acquisition of subjects ought to be done, and that something is about to be effected.

The dead body of a poor woman was taken from a grave; and with such a seeming recklessness of consequences, that no steps appeared to have been taken to prevent detection, and, I had almost said, less than none to shield public and private feelings from the grossest outrage. Under such circumstances, was it not the duty of the parish officers to search for the body, to re-inter it, and to punish the offenders? Certainly; and had that appeared to have been their only aim,――had they temperately removed the body, and then indicted me (as it was found in my possession) for a misdemeanor,――I should not have thought of changing the venue of the late trial into the adjoining county. But, the desperate proceedings of my prosecutors alarmed me, and induced me to resolve, that I would not be tried by men who seemed actuated by a sort of fury. Nemesis, or some of the destinies of Arimanes, seemed to be employed upon them, and to be working almost as monstrous evils, as when they

“From the dull,―― Do shape out oracles to rule the world.”

I need not inform you, Sir, but I am anxious to explain to the public, that four constables were sent to my house, as if some strong opposition had been expected, or as if there was reason to apprehend murderous proceedings. The body was found, identified, and quietly surrendered, and, I believe, there were no particular marks of violence upon it. I was conducted to the Guildhall, as I supposed to account for my possession of it; and this I was prepared to do. The usual proceedings were gone through with no lack of that awful gravity which suited with the case, and after the ordinary forms. The body lost was found, and that in my possession, so that every thing seemed clear and satisfactory, and one would have thought facts enough had been substantiated as a foundation for future proceedings. But, it occurred to a person present, (evidently in office,) that certain valuable effects, such as gold rings, and crosses of gold and jewellery, together with (it was impossible to say what of) needlework and fine linen, might, very probably, have been interred with this poor woman; and although this brilliant suggestion, I dare say, seemed worth very little to the intelligent bench of Magistrates, (one, two, or three of whom saw it in its true colours, and smiled upon the officious zeal of the officer,) yet as it came from a quarter to which they were accustomed to pay respect, they did not think it right, I suppose, entirely to overlook it. It was replied to the proper question on this important subject, “There is some linen missing,” and although it was, or very well might have been, presumed, from the silence of the witness, that no treasure had been interred with the body, or that it was safe and untouched if it had, yet, (by a majority, I suppose,) it was thought advisable,――and my indignant feelings compel me into seriousness when I relate it,――to send officers a second time to my residence, to search for stolen linen, which must necessarily have been of the most ordinary description and utterly valueless, but upon the finding of which, some absurdly thought, I might be indicted for felony, and thereupon committed to prison. I am acquainted with those, Sir, who hoped for this result; nay, with one in office, who was heard to express a resolution, ready formed, and that before the examination of a single witness, that it should be brought about. I know their names, and may let the public know them too. They are deeply enough implicated already, and let them beware lest fresh exposures tread upon the heels of their precursors. Linen was found and identified, and it was of about twopence value. It is true my very ingenious and able Solicitor, Mr. Brutton, after some difficulty, succeeded in convincing you of the non-existence of any virtual felony, (as was shown by your admitting me to bail upon moderate securities,) yet, could no arguments of Mr. Brutton, or of a few gentlemen who steadily opposed their rancorous proceedings, abate the fury of certain individuals of the Parish of St. David. These persons, catching at the hint profoundly thrown out in the Chamber, instructed counsel, not only to proceed against me for the misdemeanor, (to which, as I had possession of the body sought, I would have pleaded guilty immediately,) but to lay an indictment for felony also,――an indictment, charging me with a disgraceful and heinous offence, which they knew I never did or thought of doing, and which I indignantly throw back on my accusers, one and all, collectively and individually.

Neither need I inform you, Mr. Mayor, who, though yourself a parishioner, are, I am sure, as a magistrate, and a gentleman, strongly opposed to any such malicious proceedings, that parish meetings were called again and again, during divine service, (being considered, I suppose, a part of it,) for the purpose of supporting this double indictment, the expenses of which, it was even proposed to defray by a rate upon the parish! In justice to that parish, however, I am bound to admit, that the proceedings of these meetings, both originated with and were conducted by obscure individuals. Some of the more respectable parishioners were ignorant of the first meeting, till its resolutions were made known to them; resolutions to prosecute me for a felony, which, but for this accident, would never have been adopted. This is evidenced by the opposition with which these gentlemen met all subsequent proceedings: so that I repeat, it is but justice to allow, that, though outvoted continually, the conduct of these gentlemen, in the estimation of the liberal minded, will half redeem the character of the parish. They will be justified by that approval of their exertions which was implied in the conduct of Mr. Justice Park, when he declared that he should be very sorry to try such an indictment, and gave directions to the jury accordingly: and again, by the express declaration of the Court of King’s Bench, through Mr. Justice Bayley. But these gentlemen were outvoted, a subscription was entered upon, and the originators of this unfounded indictment triumphed. But, Sir, was I to be tried by such men for a felony? Tried, I say, because it is more than probable, that some of those who met to prosecute, would have sat as jurors upon the trial; and then, Sir, what could have been effected but a ready-made verdict, and the severest punishments. I confess that I trembled under such an apprehension, and caught with avidity at the remedy proposed by my solicitor, that I should remove the cause into the Court of King’s Bench. The matter being thus carried to London, this indictment for felony was smiled upon as a jest, or spoken of as a mistake, by most persons to whom it was mentioned. In one instance, a mistake indeed, and of some consequence, had very nearly arisen from its unusual nature. A legal gentleman, perceiving that it was a charge of disinterment, and no more expecting an indictment for felony than one for high treason, neglected, for some days, to inform me that it was necessary I should plead to so serious a matter in person. A general exclamation of surprise and merriment attended its relation; except in some persons, who conceived it too serious a piece of malice to be met in any other way than by indignant deprecation. For my own part, I was content: I felt assured of the view which an enlightened judge would take of the subject; that he would overrule so ridiculous a complaint, as that a medical man, of no bad character, had stolen some old rags of a few pence value, for the purpose of using or selling them: and in this intent only, as is manifest to common sense, consists the essence of felony.

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