man. ling, while the judges were proceeding to the court, the procession was assaulted with missiles; several persons were injured, and it was necessary to call in the protection of a military force. The object of the mob was to inflict summary punishment on a man who was about to be tried for the exhumation of a body. We happen to know that the most disgraceful proceedings were instituted in that town against a young man of respectable family and connexions, who was in fact expatriated, and whose prospects in life were entirely changed, if not ruined, because he had too much honor to implicate his instructers in a transaction which would have put them to inconvenience, and in which they had engaged from a desire faithfully to discharge their duty to their pupils. Within the last five years three men were lodged in the county jail at Haddington, charged with a trespass in the churchyard of that town. So enraged were the mob against them, that an attempt was made to force the jail in order to get at them. their way to the court the men were again attacked, forced from the carriage, and severely maimed. After examination they were admitted to bail; but, when set at liberty, they were assailed with more violence than ever, and were nearly killed. On the 29th of June, 1823, being Sunday, a most extraordinary outrage was perpetrated in the streets of Edinburgh. A coach containing an empty coffin and two men, was observed proceeding along the south bridge. The people suspecting that it was intended to convey a body taken from some churchyard, seized the coach. to that advancement of science which the present age has witnessed. In the 19th century the good people of Scotland, that intelligent, that cool and calculating, that most reasonable and thinking people, have thought proper to return to the worst feeling and the worst conduct of the darkest periods of antiquity. There is at present no offence whatever, which seems to have such power to heat and to exalt into a kind of torrent the blood which usually flows so calmly and sluggishly in the veins of a ScotchThe people of 1823, to compare great things with small, emulate the spirit of those of their forefathers who were out in the forty five ;" the object, to be sure, is somewhat different, but it is amusing to see the intensity and seriousness of the excitement. About twelve months ago an honest farmer by the name of Scott, who resides at Linlithgow, apprehended a poor wight who was pursuing his vocation, we presume, in the churchyard of that place; and this service appeared so meritorious to the people in his neighborhood, that they absolutely presented him with a piece of plate. In the winter sessions of 1822-3, a body was discovered on its way to the lectureroom of an anatomist in Glasgow, and in spite of the exertions of the police, aided by those of the military, this gentleman's premises and their contents, which were valuable, were entirely destroyed by the mob. For some time after this achieve ment, it was necessary to station a military guard at the houses of all the medical professors in that city. In the spring circuit of the justiciary court last year at Stir On It was with difficulty that the police protected the men from the assaults of the populace: the coach they had no power to preserve. The horses were taken from it, and together with the coffin, after having been trundled a mile and a half through the streets of the city, it was deliberately projected over the steep side of the mound, and smashed into a thousand pieces. The peo ple following it to the bottom, kindled a fire with its fragments, and surrounded it like the savages in Robinson Crusoe, till it was entirely consumed. In this case there was no foundation for their suspicions. The coffin was intended to have conveyed to his house in Edinburgh the body of a physician who that morning had died in a cottage in the neighborhood. A similar assault was some time ago made on two American gentlemen, who went to visit the Abbey of Linlithgow after nightfall. The churchyards of the "gude Scots," are now strictly guarded by men and dogs; watchtowers are erected within the grounds, and mortsafes as they are called, that is to say, strong iron frames, are deposited in the ground over the graves. These people sometimes declare that they will put an end to anatomy, and certainly they are succeeding in the accomplishment of this menace as rapidly as they can well desire. The average number of medical students in Edinburgh is 700 in each session. For several years past the difficulty of procuring subjects in this place has been so great, that out of all this number, not more than 150 or 200 have ever attempted to dissect; and even these have latterly been so opposed in their en deavors to prosecute their studies that many of them have left the place in disgust. We have been informed by a friend, that he alone was personally acquainted with twenty individuals who retired from it at the beginning of last session, and who went to pursue their studies at Dublin, and we know that vast numbers have followed their example at the end of the winter course. The medical school at Edinburgh, in fact, is now subsisting entirely on its past reputation; in the course of a few years it will be entirely at an end, unless the system be changed. Let those who have the prosperity of the university at heart, and who have the power to protect it, consider this before it be too late; they may be assured it is no idle prediction; for we give them notice that it is at this moment the universal opinion and the current language of every wellinformed medical man England. in Much of this opposition on the part of the people arises from the present mode of procuring subjects. Fortunately, there is in Great Britain no custom, no superstition, no law, and we may add, no prejudice against anatomy itself. There is even a general conviction of its necessity; there may be a feeling that it is a repulsive employment, but it is commonly acknowledged that it must not be neglected. The opposition which is made, is made not against anatomy, but against the practice of exhumation; and this is a practice which ought to be opposed. It is in the highest degree revolting; it would be disgraceful to a horde of savages; every feeling of the human heart rises up against it so long as no other means of procuring bodies for dissection are provided, it must be tolerated; but, in itself, it is alike odious to the ignorant and the enlightened, to the most uncultivated and the most refined. But the capital objection to this practice is, that it necessarily creates a crime, and educates a race of criminals. Exhumation is forbidden by the law. It is, indeed, prohibited by no statute, either in England or in Scotland: in both it is an offence punishable at common law. There is a statute of James the first, which makes it felony to steal a dead body for the purpose of witchcraft; there is none against taking a body for the purpose of dissection. In the case of the King against Lynn, 1788, the court decided that the body being taken for the latter purpose, did not make it less an indictable of fence; and that it is without doubt cognizable in a criminal court, because it is an act "highly indecent, at the bare idea of which nature revolts." It is punishable, therefore, by fine or imprisonment, or both in Scotland it is also punished by whipping, and even by transportation. We expected better things of America. We cannot express our astonishment and indignation, when we found that the State of NewYork has actually made it felony to remove a dead body from the place of sepulture for the purpose of dissection, without providing in any other mode for the schools of anatomy. This is worse than anything that exists in any other part of the world. If these pages should meet the eye of any of our American brethren, we entreat them to read with attention, the facts which have been stated in the former part of this article, and to consider with seriousness the mischief they are doing. It will not be believed in England, that such scenes can have been witnessed in America, as were actually exhibited there scarcely a month ago. To satisfy our readers, however, that we do not misrepresent the state of things in that country, we transcribe the following accounts from The New York Evening Post, of May 20th:-"At the late Court of Sessions, Solomon Parmeli was indicted for a misdemeanor, in entering Potter's Field, and removing the covers of two coffins deposited in a pit, and covered partly with earth. The statute of this state making it a felony, to dig up or remove a dead human body with intent to dissect it, did not embrace this case; because the prisoner had not dug up or removed the body. Mr. Schureman, the present keeper of Potter's Field, suspected that some person had entered it for the purpose of removing the dead; and, after sending for two watchmen, and calling his faithful dog, he went to ascertain the fact. On arriving at the grave, he found his suspicion confirmed; and requested the person concealed in the pit to come out and show himself; no answer being given, Mr. Schureman sent his dog into the pit, and in the twinkling of an eye a tall stout fellow made his appearance, and took to his heels across the field. The night being dark, he might have effected his escape had it not been for the sagacity and courage of the dog, who pursued him for some distance; but at last came up with him, seized and held him fast till the arrival of Mr. Schureman and the watch. men who secured him. The jury convicted the prisoner, and the court sentenced him to six months' imprisonment in the Penitentiary. The young gentlemen attending the Medical School of this city, will take warning by this man's fate. They may rest assured, that the keeper of Potter's Field will do his duty, and that public justice will be executed on any man, who is found violating the law, and the decency of Christian burial!" The same paper gives the following account of a transaction which took place át Hartford, in Connecticut, May "Yesterday morning, two ladies were taking a walk in the South burying ground, when they discovered a tapestring, and a piece of cloth, which on examination was found to be the piece that was laced on Miss Jane Benton's face, who came to her death by drowning, and was buried a few days since. The ladies then went to the grave, and found that it had been disturbed, that she was taken out of her coffin, and a rope put round her neck. The circumstance has produced great excitement in the public mind; and every one is on the alert to discover the perpetrators of this unfeeling, brutal act. The citizens turned out in a body yesterday, aud interred the corpse again." against the practice of exhumation is not allowed to slumber. There may be other cases which have not come to our knowledge; but we have ascertained that there have been 14 convictions for England alone, during the last year. The punishments inflicted have been imprisonment for various periods, with fines of different sums. The fines in general are heavy, considering the poverty of the offenders. Several persons are, at this moment, suffering these penalties; among others, there is now in the jail of St. Albans, a man who was sentenced for this offence to two years' imprisonment and a fine of £20. The period of his confinement has expired some time, but he still remains in prison, on account of his inability to pay the fine.* Since the passing of the new Vagrant Act, it has been the common practice to commit these offenders to hard labor for various periods. Very lately, two men, convicted of this offence, were sent to the Tread Mill, in Cold Bath Fields; one of whom died in one month after his commitment. It is an error to suppose that these punishments operate to prevent exhumation; their only effect is to raise the price of subjects: a little reflection will show that they can have no other operation. At present, exhumation is the only method by which subjects for dissection can be procured; but subjects for this purpose must be procured; and be the difficulties what they may, will be procured: diseases will occur, operations must be performed, medical men These scenes are highly disgraceful, and disgraceful to all, though not alike to all parties. We do not blame the Americans for abolishing the practice of exhumation; but we blame them for stopping here. We maintain, that it is both absurd and criminal, to make this practice felony, without providing in some other method for the cultivation of anatomy. In Great Britain, the law cently liberated, and his fine remitted. Since the above was written, we have learned that this man has been re must be educated, anatomy must be studied, dissections must go on. Unless some other means for affording a supply be adopted; whatever be the law or the popular feeling, neither magistrates, nor judges, nor juries, will, or can put an entire stop to the practice. It is one which from the absolute necessity of the case must be allowed. What is the consequence? So long as the practice of exhumation continues, a race of men must be trained up to violate the law. These men must go out in company for the purpose of nightly plunder, and plunder of the most odious kind, tending in a peculiar and most alarming measure to brutify the mind, and to eradicate every feeling and sentiment worthy of a man. This employment becomes a school in which men are trained for the commission of the most daring and inhuman crimes. Its operation is similar, but much worse, than the nightly banding to violate the game laws, because there is something in the violation of the grave, which tends still more to degrade the character and to harden the heart. This offence is connived at; nay, it is rewarded; these men are absolutely paid to violate the law; and paid by men of reputation and influence in society. The transition is but too easy to the commission of other offences in the hope of similar connivance, if not of similar reward. It is an odious thing that the teachers of anatomy should be brought into contact with such men; that they should be obliged to employ them, and that they should even be in their power; which they are to such a degree, that they are obliged to bear with the wantonness of their tyranny and insult. All the clamor against these men, all the punishment inflicted on them, only operate to raise the premium on the repetition of their offence. This premium the teachers of anatomy are obliged to pay, which these men perfectly understand, who do not at all dislike the opposition which is made to their vocation. It gives them no unreasonable pretext for exorbitancy in their demands. In general they are men of infamous character; some of them are thieves, others are the companions and abettors of thieves. Almost all of them are extremely destitute. When apprehended for the offence in question, the teachers of anatomy are obliged to pay the expenses of the trial and to support their families while they are in prison; whence the idea of immunity is associated in these men's minds, with the violation of the law, and when they do happen to incur its penalties, they practically find that they and their families are provided for, and this provision comes to them in the shape of a reward for the commission of their offence. The operation of such a system on the minds of the individuals themselves is exceedingly pernicious, and is not a little dangerous to the community. Moreover, by the method of exhumation the supply after all is scanty; it is never adequate to the wants of schools; it is of necessity precarious, and it sometimes fails altogether for several months. But it is of the utmost importance that it should be abundant. regular, and cheap. The number of young men who come annually to London for the purpose of studying medicine and |