Coulehan, Jack : The Resurrection Trade: William Burke, grave robber, Edinborough 1792-1829

Literature Annotations

	On-Line Text and Audio
Genre	Poem
Keywords	Anatomy, Death and Dying, History of Medicine, Medical Advances, Technology
Summary	This poem compares the grave robbing done in the 19th century in order to provide cadavers for medical training and research with the modern medical technologies that "rob" the dead of their rest by keeping them alive on machinery. Now the medical profession is "resurrecting" people before they're dead--delaying their deaths with machinery and drugs. "We cheat the dead of dying, with machines instead of spades." This poem also comments on the use of poor people who don't have the power to prevent this kind of denial of their rights.
Source	First Photographs of Heaven
Publisher	Nightshade
Edition	1994
Place Published	Troy, Maine
Alternate Source	J. Amer. Med. Assoc., 271: 17n (1994)
Annotated by	Donley, Carol
Date of Entry	01/04/95
Last Revised	08/28/96