Human Remains: Episodes in Human Dissection

Bone collecting, body snatching, and the buying and selling of human remains have seldom been acknowledged as vital parts in the development of Western medicine. In this elegantly written account, the British medical systems’ dependence upon the penal colony of Tasmania for anatomy training is explored. The lives of the poor who were routinely turned over to surgeons for study and the brisk trade in the remains of Aboriginal people are also investigated. Unlike other histories of medicine, this study looks at the way anatomy was intertwined with art, pleasure, punishment, and most importantly, the wielding of power. Illustrated with 19th-century engravings, sketches and photographs, this work captures the popular imagination and taps into the current fascination with all things forensic.

Helen MacDonald is a postdoctoral fellow at the Australian Centre at the University of Melbourne.