Human Cadavers: How Have Ethical Standards for Human Cadavers Evolved From Early Dissection to Modern Medicine?
- codeofcures
- Dec 6, 2025
- 3 min read
By Crystal Kong and Chloe Cherng, High School Students
Early medical knowledge originated from animal dissection and the study of human bones, although these methods were limited by significant drawbacks. It gave a limited view of human anatomy and physiology. Direct evidence about human autonomy finally emerged when Greek physicians in Alexandria, Egypt, began dissecting the bodies of criminals. However, dissection began to decline due to religious/cultural opposition, leading to a stagnation of medical knowledge.
Universities in medieval Europe reintroduced cadaver study to the medical field. This revival, however, led to widespread bodysnatching and grave robbing in the 18th and 19th centuries as people sought profit from selling bodies to medical schools, raising immense ethical issues.
In the modern age, cadavers are essential for teaching anatomy, learning surgical techniques, developing safety gear, studying disease progression, and testing medical devices.
William Burke and William Hare
During the 19th century, a chronic shortage of cadavers for anatomy classes in Edinburgh led to the rise of grave robbing. William Burke and William Hare took this practice further, murdering at least 16 people over a span of a year and selling the cadavers to Dr Robert Knox’s anatomy school.
They were both arrested after their houses were raided. Burke was hanged, while Hare’s fate is unclear. Knox was not tried, but public outrage destroyed his career and reputation. Burke was publicly dissected, and his skeleton is on display in the Surgeon’s Hall in Edinburgh today. Additionally, a pocketbook made from his skin is on display as well.
The treatment of Burke’s body raised ethical debate. His body was legally handed over for dissection after execution; the lack of consent from Burke and his victims raises issues regarding autonomy, justice, and beneficence. The pocketbook intensifies these concerns: some argue he deserved it due to his crimes, while others see it as a violation of human dignity and nonmaleficence.
Modern Usage & Ethics
In the modern age, human cadavers play a crucial role in medical education, safety testing, research, and forensics. Cadaver skin is particularly vital in burn treatment and reconstructive surgery. These uses, however, raise important ethical considerations. Cadaver donation must be based on informed and voluntary consent by the donor before death; using human tissue without consent violates autonomy and is unethical and unlawful. Donated skin is handled respectfully, acknowledging the donor was a human being and preventing objectification. In terms of beneficence, cadaver skin demonstrates clear medical benefit by saving lives and preventing suffering in burn victims. Justice is upheld through fair and equitable access to donated tissue, ensuring tissue allocation is not discriminatory. When these principles are upheld, using cadaver skin to heal others is ethically justified.
Conclusion
The history of human dissection has come a long way, from limitations to the Burke and Hare murders, showing how the struggle for cadavers has raised ethical challenges all through time. These challenges have shaped today’s strict ethical standards grounded in consent, justice, and fairness. Upholding these principles has allowed a troubling past to transform into a significant contribution to scientific and societal advancement.
References
MedCure. (2023, August 30). Human cadavers shape the past and future of Medical Science. https://medcure.org/human-cadavers-shape-the-past-and-future-of-medical-science/
Wall, S., Allorto, N., Weale, R., Kong, V., & Clarke, D. (2018a, June 20). Ethics of burn wound care in a low-middle income country. Journal of Ethics | American Medical Association. https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/ethics-burn-wound-care-low-middle-income-country/2018-06#:~:text=Nevertheless%2C%20the%20availability%20of%20cadaveric,be%20harvested%20from%20these%20sites.
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