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History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

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g66<strong>History</strong> <strong>of</strong> Medical Practice <strong>in</strong> Ill<strong>in</strong>oisIn the same month, one <strong>of</strong> the then most important laws 7 reaffirmed bythe General Assembly was "An Act to Suppress Duell<strong>in</strong>g," a law that hadbeen taken from the Virg<strong>in</strong>ia Code and passed by the Governor and Judges<strong>of</strong> the Ill<strong>in</strong>ois Territory on April 7, 1810. For an era when the duel wasstill the favorite method <strong>of</strong> settl<strong>in</strong>g grievances stemm<strong>in</strong>g from supposed<strong>in</strong>jury to honor, the word<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the law seems drastic. It read"that any person who shall hereafter wilfully and maliciously, or by agreementfight a duel or s<strong>in</strong>gle combat with any eng<strong>in</strong>e, <strong>in</strong>strument or weapon, the probableconsequence <strong>of</strong> which might be the death <strong>of</strong> either party and <strong>in</strong> so do<strong>in</strong>gshall kill his antagonist or any other person or persons, or <strong>in</strong>flict such wound asthat person <strong>in</strong>jured shall die there<strong>of</strong>, with<strong>in</strong> three months thereafter, such<strong>of</strong>fender, his aiders, abettors and counsellors, be<strong>in</strong>g there<strong>of</strong> duly convicted shallbe guilty <strong>of</strong> murder and suffer death by be<strong>in</strong>g hanged by the neck; any law, usage<strong>of</strong> this state, to the contrary notwithstand<strong>in</strong>g."The law further added that "any <strong>of</strong>ficer tak<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong>fice must swear that hehas not been <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> any duel." There was absent one provision found<strong>in</strong> the laws <strong>of</strong> some <strong>of</strong> the eastern states aga<strong>in</strong>st the same <strong>of</strong>fense, namely,that the body <strong>of</strong> a person killed <strong>in</strong> a duel or put to death by law for participat<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong> a duel shall be assigned to the <strong>medical</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>ession for dissection.Massachusetts, immediately after the Revolutionary War, had revisedthe law 'Aga<strong>in</strong>st Duell<strong>in</strong>g' 8 and"provided that the body <strong>of</strong> one killed <strong>in</strong> a duel should be turned over to any surgeonwho might apply for it to be dissected. In the absence <strong>of</strong> such request thebody was to be buried <strong>in</strong> the most public highway, near the scene <strong>of</strong> the duel,without a c<strong>of</strong>f<strong>in</strong> and with a stake driven through the body."To quote Waite: 9 "Thus dissection was made equivalent to the most disreputableburial that could be devised." This statute marks the first<strong>in</strong>stance<strong>in</strong> New England <strong>of</strong> a law mak<strong>in</strong>g mandatory the giv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> a deadbody for dissection. In 1805, Massachusetts extended the law to read:"justice <strong>in</strong> case <strong>of</strong> murder committed <strong>in</strong> a duel shall, and <strong>in</strong> other cases may, attheir discretion further sentence and order the body <strong>of</strong> such convict to be dissectedand anatomized." 107 All references to the laws <strong>of</strong> Ill<strong>in</strong>ois cited <strong>in</strong> this chapter are based on the writer'sperusal <strong>of</strong> the 'Statute Laws <strong>of</strong> the State <strong>of</strong> Ill<strong>in</strong>ois published under the direction andauthority <strong>of</strong> the General Assembly.' Revisions <strong>of</strong> the laws were issued <strong>in</strong> 1827, 1845 (Purple'sStatute's and Scates' Compilation), 1869, 1877 (Hurd's Revised Statutes) and thereafter.8Acts and Laws <strong>of</strong> the Commonwealth <strong>of</strong> Massachusetts: Passed <strong>in</strong> 1784. 426 pp. Boston:Adams and House, 1784. P. 24.9 Waite, Frederick C.: An Episode <strong>in</strong> Massachusetts <strong>in</strong> 1818 Related to the Teach<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong>Anatomy. New England Journal <strong>of</strong> Medic<strong>in</strong>e, vol. 220, 1939, pp. 221-227.10The General Laws <strong>of</strong> Massachusetts from the Adoption <strong>of</strong> the Constitution to February,1822. Vol. 2. 600 pp. Boston: Wells and Lilly and Cumm<strong>in</strong>gs and Uillard, 1822.P. 120.

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