Anatomy Quote by Amir D. Aczel
![“[Davidson] Black procured cadavers for research, obtained from the Peking police department. These cadavers were mostly of people who had been executed for various crimes; the police regularly sent Black truckloads of the bodies of the executed convicts. Execution in China was by beheading, and…” quote by Amir D. Aczel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/629/amir-d-aczel-123655_anatomy_davidson-black-procured-cadavers-for-res_2679298.jpg)
““[Davidson] Black procured cadavers for research, obtained from the Peking police department. These cadavers were mostly of people who had been executed for various crimes; the police regularly sent Black truckloads of the bodies of the executed convicts. Execution in China was by beheading, and thus the cadavers Black received lacked heads and had mutilated necks. After some time, he asked the police whether there was any possibility of getting better dead bodies for research - corpses that were intact. The next day, he received a shipment of convicts, all chained together, with a note from the police asking him to kill them in any way he chose.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The History of Medical Research, 2010
Black obtained executed bodies for research, later demanded intact corpses, leading to a morally troubling request.
In simple terms: Research used executed bodies, later sought intact ones.
Key Takeaway
Consider ethical implications of research sources.
Themes
ethics
medical research
human rights
Mood
thoughtful
serious
Type
philosophical
critical
When to use this quote
- laboratory research
- historical studies
- policy review
Key Concepts
history
biology
law
Questions to Reflect On
- What responsibilities do researchers have to source dignity?
- How should modern ethics address past practices?
A Different Perspective
Ethical standards vary across cultures and eras.
