From Grave Robbing to Gifting: Cadaver Supply in the United States

Teaching respect for body donors: A US medical student perspective

“…Human body dissections are a long‐held, instrumental component of medical education across the world, with studies consistently demonstrating its value as an effective method of learning human anatomy 18–21 . Once a controversial practice, the institutional process for individuals to donate their bodies after death in the US has developed into formal “gift” programs today that obtain the majority of their bodies through voluntary donations 22,23 . Interested donors provide their consent on a “document of gift” provided by an institution that informs them of the intention to use their body, the destruction of their body after use, and other logistical details 24…”

“…[18][19][20][21] Once a controversial practice, the institutional process for individuals to donate their bodies after death in the US has developed into formal "gift" programs today that obtain the majority of their bodies through voluntary donations. 22,23 Interested donors provide their consent on a "document of gift" provided by an institution that informs them of the intention to use their body, the destruction of their body after use, and other logistical details. 24 However, a recent study found that most institutions that accept body donations do not provide much information about how the body will be treated beyond a general statement that it will be "used for education and research."…”

Dissection, media portrayals, and reaction: Black bodies and medical education in nineteenth‐century newspapers

“…5 Doctors pled their case for the need of dissection to the public, and American newspapers reprinted facts and stories about dissection in other countries, many of which, they implied, were more Yet newspapers could discuss the dissection of those accused of crimes as a continuing marker of shame that made the act of dissection justifiable. As long as dissection served as a punishment and only to executed bodies, it could be openly discussed (Tward & Patterson, 2002, p. 1183. States gave medical schools the bodies of executed criminals, but American anatomists bemoaned the fact that governors only hesitantly signed death warrants.…”

Unclaimed Bodies and Medical Education in Texas

“…The use of unclaimed bodies (bodies not claimed by next of kin for burial or cremation) in gross anatomy education in the US has declined substantially since the middle of the 20th century owing to increases in voluntary donations and escalating ethical concerns . Nonetheless, in most US jurisdictions, counties can donate unclaimed bodies to science without consent from the deceased or their next of kin, with some medical schools still accepting such donations.…”