Body snatcher

Body snatcher refers to individuals who, during the 18th and 19th centuries, illegally exhumed bodies from graveyards and sold them to medical schools for anatomical study and dissection. This practice was prevalent in the United Kingdom and the United States, where the demand for cadavers for medical research outstripped the legal supply. The term "body snatcher" is often used interchangeably with "resurrectionist," although the latter term can also refer to those who resurrected the dead in a religious context.

History[edit | edit source]

The practice of body snatching began in the 18th century in response to the increasing demand for cadavers for medical research. The Anatomy Act of 1832, which allowed unclaimed bodies and those donated by relatives to be used for medical research, was intended to eliminate the need for body snatching. However, the practice continued in some areas until the end of the 19th century.

Methods[edit | edit source]

Body snatchers, also known as "resurrection men," used a variety of methods to exhume bodies. The most common method was to dig a small hole at the head of the grave and pull the body out with a hook. Other methods included tunneling into the grave from a distance to avoid detection and even bribing or colluding with those in charge of burial grounds.

Notable body snatchers[edit | edit source]

Several body snatchers have gained notoriety for their activities. These include William Burke and William Hare, who murdered people to sell their bodies to medical schools, and John Scott Harrison, the son of U.S. President William Henry Harrison, whose body was discovered in a medical college after his burial.

In popular culture[edit | edit source]

The practice of body snatching has been depicted in various forms of media, including literature, film, and television. Examples include the novel "The Body Snatcher" by Robert Louis Stevenson and the film "The Body Snatcher" based on Stevenson's novel.