Use of bequeathed and unclaimed bodies in the dissecting room

Abstract The bodies used in dissecting rooms have either been unclaimed or bequeathed. Although bequeathed bodies constitute the major source of bodies in many countries today, this is not a universal situation. The use of unclaimed bodies for dissection is traced historically from its origins in grave robbing and murder, and against the background of the thesis that it involves exploitation of the poor and the lack of informed consent. The ethical significance of the treatment of cadavers is considered in terms of the intrinsic and instrumental value ascribed to cadavers. The use of unclaimed bodies is assessed in relation to the ethical principles underpinning organ donation, including respect for the autonomy of the deceased, and the interests of family members, as well as reference to altruism as a basis of donations and the possible redemptive aspects of organ donations. It is argued that the use of unclaimed bodies does not correspond to any procedure we use today in the realm of organ donation. It is concluded that the use of unclaimed bodies is never to be the procedure of choice, since taking a body even for good purposes is ethically inferior to giving a body for the same purposes. Nevertheless, what is done with dead bodies for good reasons is not the most important of ethical matters, and a balance has to be attained between these ethical considerations and the potential benefits accruing to society. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.