Doctors, Dissection and Resurrection Men

Book excerpt: In 2006, archaeological excavations in the grounds of the Royal London Hospital uncovered the remains of a burial ground used primarily for deceased but unclaimed patients. The buried population included at least 259 people who died between c 1825 and 1841. These were mostly adult and male, and many, prior to the Anatomy Act of 1832, had been dissected or subjected to autopsy; this took place alongside the vivisection of animals, including exotic species. A wealth of primary documentation is combined with the archaeological evidence to reveal the day-to-day life of the hospital and the complex relationship between medical innovation and criminal activity in the early 19th century.