We explore the notorious tale of body snatchers William Burke and William Hare, who murdered 17 people in 1820s Edinburgh to sell their bodies to medical schools. Their gruesome business emerged from a shortage of legal cadavers when only executed criminals' bodies could be used for dissection.
• Edinburgh was a center for medical science in the 1800s with "operating theaters" designed for students to observe procedures
• Families used creative methods to protect graves including 24-hour surveillance, metal coffins, and protective cages called mortsafes
• Burke and Hare began their crimes opportunistically when a lodger died naturally, then progressed to murder by suffocation
• Their victims were primarily vulnerable people including the elderly, prostitutes, beggars, and people with disabilities
• Dr. Robert Knox purchased all their victims' bodies but escaped prosecution despite suspicions
• After their arrest, Hare testified against Burke in exchange for immunity
• Burke was executed in 1829 and his body was dissected, with his skeleton displayed at Edinburgh University and his skin made into souvenirs
• The murders led to the Anatomy Act of 1832, which expanded the legal supply of cadavers for medical education
If you find yourself in Scotland, visit the Surgeons' Hall Museums or the anatomy collections at the University of Edinburgh to see artifacts from this dark chapter in medical history.
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Wicked Wanderings is hosted by Hannah & Courtney and it's produced by Rob Fitzpatrick. Music by Sascha Ende.
Wicked Wanderings is a Production of Studio 113
