University of New Hampshire University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository Doctoral Dissertations Student Scholarship Spring 2007 Dissecting the Pennsylvania Anatomy Act: Laws, bodies, and science, 1880--1960 Venetia M. Guerrasio University of New Hampshire, Durham Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation Recommended Citation Guerrasio, Venetia M., "Dissecting the Pennsylvania Anatomy Act: Laws, bodies, and science, 1880--1960" (2007). Doctoral Dissertations. 376. https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation/376 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. DISSECTING THE PENNSYLVANIA ANATOMY ACT LAWS, BODIES, AND SCIENCE, 1880-1960 By VENETIA M. GUERRASIO B.A. Salem State College, 1993 M.A. University of New Hampshire, 1997 DISSERTATION Submitted to the University of New Hampshire In Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History May, 2007 Advisor J. William Harris, Professor of History Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission UMI Number: 3260599 Copyright 2007 by Guerrasio, Venetia M. All rights reserved. INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. ® UMI UMI Microform 3260599 Copyright 2007 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED c. 2007 Venetia M. Guerrasio Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. This dissertation has been examined and approved. Dissertation Director, J. William Harris, Professor of History Jan Y. Golinski, Professor of History and the Humanities '<S\ / Jhlia E. Rodriguez, Associate Professor of History and '' ^ Women’s Studies ^— ------------------ LucylE. Salyer, Associate ^Professor of History /< 4 Deborah Winslow, Associate Professor of Anthropology V J 2 - 02> '2 ' Date Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It is a pleasure to acknowledge the individuals and institutions that supported my work. The University of New Hampshire Graduate School provided generous financial support through a Dissertation Fellowship, Summer Teaching Assistant Fellowships, and travel grants. The History Department also provided travel funds allowing me to present portions of my work. I am also grateful to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission for a grant provided through their Scholar-in-Residence Program. My committee has supported my work for longer than I would like to admit. Bill Harris and Lucy Salyer also guided my master’s thesis. My intellectual debts to them are great. Jan Golinski, Julia Rodriguez, and Deborah Winslow were sources of inspiration and were generous with their time. Our work together has been as intellectually productive as it has been enjoyable. I would also like to thank Jeff Bolster for his continuing interest in my work and Molly Girard Dorsey for valuable bibliographic suggestions. Patricia Markunas and Charles Ames, my undergraduate mentors at Salem State College, believed in me and changed my life. My love and gratitude to you both! The Pennsylvania State Archives was a wonderful place to conduct research. Jonathan Stayer and his archives staff were friendly and supportive professionals. Special thanks to Cynthia Bendroth, Jerry Ellis, Brett Reigh, and Jon Slonaker of the archives, and Linda Shopes and Barbara Franco of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Librarians at UNH, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and the Amesbury IV Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Massachusetts Public Library filled endless inter-library loan requests for which I am grateful. Pennsylvania would not have been the joy it was without the Hancock family opening their home to me. To Scott, Patty, Shannon, Ian, and Isaac thank you for the family dinners and the friendship. My fellow UNH graduate students made the long journey less lonely. Alison Mann heard it all from me—and helped me laugh anyway. Glenn Grasso offered a critical eye and his friendship at important stages, and Lou Mazzari listened. I am especially grateful to my friends who were always there to celebrate or console: Jane C. Jope, Kathy Linden, Lisa Narducci, and Joan McCormack. I know you are all glad it’s finally over—now we can really celebrate! A long time ago a friend told me to go to college: thank you Peter Cheng. The support and encouragement I received from my family is incalculable. As are the vacations, the visits, the long-distance phone calls, the checks, and their faith in me. To Frankie, Cathy, Stephy, John, Gizzy, and brother-in-law Peter: keep up the good work! My daughter Emma has endured, with grace and amusement, a mother interested in dead bodies for too long —thank you honey. Tom Stoker you make my life a joy. v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.................................................................................................... iv LIST OF TABLES................................................................................................................viii LIST OF FIGURES..................................................................................................................x ABSTRACT.............................................................................................................................xi CHAPTER PAGE INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................1 I. DISSECTING BUREAUCRACY: THE ANATOMICAL BOARD OF THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA....................................................................... 13 II. “A CLUTCH ALMOST AS TERRIBLE AS ... DEATH ITSELF”: THE BODY BUREAUCRACY............................................................................... 44 III. THE BUSINESS OF BODIES......................................................................... 70 IV. POWER STRUGGLES..............................................................................................98 V. “FOR THE PROMOTION OF MEDICAL SCIENCE”: DISSECTION BY THE NUMBERS..................................................................... 126 VI. “SENT TO PHILADELPHIA”................................................................................175 VII. “AN ABUNDANT SUPPLY OF GOOD MATERIAL IS AVAILABLE”: CADAVER SCIENCE............................................................................................207 EPILOGUE: TOWARDS DONATION............................................................................. 232 BIBLIOGRAPHY.................................................................................................................247 APPENDICES...................................................................................................................... 274 APPENDIX A: CADAVERS’ OCCUPATION GROUPS...............................................275 vi Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. APPENDIX B: TOTAL NUMBER OF BODIES RECEIVED BY THE ANATOMICAL BOARD, 1895-1972 ...................................................................277 APPENDIX C: PENNSYLVANIA ANATOMY ACT OF 1883 .................................... 279 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF TABLES TABLE PAGE 1. Pennsylvania Anatomical Board’s Cadavers’ Sex, Color, and Marital Status, 1901-1925 ........................................................................................133 2. Cadavers’Age Distribution ......................................................................................134 3. Pennsylvania Population Statistics ...........................................................................137 4. Sources of Cadavers by Institution, Sex, and Color ............................................... 140 5. Pennsylvania Black and White Population in Philadelphia and Allegheny County, 1920 ..........................................................................................141 6. Black Cadaver Sample Divided By Great Migration Years .................................. 146 7. Pennsylvania Population Twenty-One Years and Older, 1920 .............................148 8. Age Distribution Philadelphia and Pittsburgh Native-born White and