History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

s>g6History of Medical Practice in Illinoisthe State, asking his personal influence with his representatives and senatorsfor the bill. It may not be unknown to most of you, that there has beenin this city during the past winter for the first time in ten years, muchtrouble to procure a sufficient amount of anatomical material. There neednot have been any trouble whatever, had not the governing board of thecounty discovered that the law was not mandatory. The only remedy is inadditional legislation .... 1) to make the law mandatory, and 2) to makepreceptors, as well as medical colleges, recipients of its benefits, so thatteachers in private may have material enough to illustrate their teaching.During the past winter there has been no scarcity of dead paupers in thiscity. Indeed, the supply from institutions of Chicago supported by publictaxation has greatly exceeded the demands of Science." Dr. Strong thenurged all members of the Society to exert their utmost influence and persuasionupon the legislators to support the bill and to guarantee itspassage.In the debate of Dr. Strong's proposal in which prominent membersof the Society participated, Dr. Hosmer Johnson made another dramaticappeal. We will quote his remarks at length here first, because they weremade from the floor spontaneously and extemporaneously and displayhis persuasive rhetorical ability; and secondly, which is more importanthistorically, because they give us a glimpse of the obstacles which theoriginal law (1874) faced before it was finally ratified." It is possible that some of the members of the meetingare not quite aware of the history of the first legislation. The bill as first passedwas something of a concession. The bill, as first proposed and brought before thecountry and members of the legislature, was mandatory. We were obliged to acceptthe provision making it lawful for the authorities at hospitals to deliverbodies. It was only by such concessions that the enactment was reached leavingthe hospitals and other institutions to arrange delivery to suit their convenience.The final argument that secured the passage of the bill was this: That it was themeans, and the only means, by which the cemeteries, vaults and mausoleums generally,throughout the land, could be protected from that class of men whostand between medical institutions and some other institutions; who must makea business of it. Such business naturally falls in the hands of those who have littledelicacy in the matter— the lower classes of the community, void of all sensibility.It necessarily falls to the hands of such men, in the absence of any legal enactments,to secure for colleges sufficient anatomical material. We urged that thisbill was the only way now at our command to protect the cemetery from therogues and robbers who have no character, nothing to lose,—no interest exceptin what the colleges pay for such material. The legislators should say to the people;We are making laws to protect your cemeteries. The greatest boon conferredupon Society is in delivering unclaimed bodies, for anatomical studies,—savingthose whom your fondest memories claim.""Under such a stress they passed the bill. That was something; that made thestarting-point, made it legal for hospitals and other institutions to deliver the