Anatomy Laws. Massachusetts

in 1784 pa ed an act providing that the bodies of those killed in duels or executed for killing another in a duel should be given to the surgeons to be di ected. New York in 1789 pa ed a law punishing the disinterment of bodies for purposes of anatomy. Ma achusetts in 1831 pa ed the first liberal law for the benefit of anatomy pa ed in any English-speaking country, giving to the surgeons the bodies of criminals and of State paupers who died without leaving relatives. But the New York law of 1789 had given judges the power to order the di ection of executed criminals as a part of their sentence. Most States have since 1831 pa ed acts more or leas liberal to authorize di ection. 39