Death, Dissection and the Destitute

Before 1832 dissection was a feared and hated punishment for murder. The 1832 Anatomy Act requisitioned instead the corpses of the poor, transferring the penalty from murder to poverty. The Anatomy Act contributed to the terrible fear of the Victorian workhouse and influences attitudes towards death even today. This is an unputdownable analysis which draws on many disciplines to explore the fundamental issues of folklore and science, life and death and the political struggles surrounding ownership of the body in the 19th century. 'This is a heartfelt dilemma whose history is movingly explored...Passionate, powerful and elegant.' - Roy Porter, "Guardian".