1
|
Cornwall J, Champney TH, de la Cova C, Hall D, Hildebrandt S, Mussell JC, Winkelmann A, DeLeon VB. American Association for Anatomy recommendations for the management of legacy anatomical collections. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:2787-2815. [PMID: 38497461 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Collections of human remains in scientific and private institutions have a long tradition, though throughout history there has often been variable regard for the respect and dignity that these tissues demand. Recent public scandals around the use of human remains, coupled with an increasing community awareness around accountability in such instances, forces scholars to confront the ethical and moral concerns associated with these collections. This includes specific focus on the acquisition, storage, use, and disposition of these remains, which were often collected with no consent and with little knowledge, or concern, about the individual or their respective culture and practices surrounding death and postmortem treatment. As a response, the American Association for Anatomy convened a Legacy Anatomical Collections Task Force to consider these issues and to develop recommendations to assist those working with these tissues in education, research, and museum collections. This has culminated with the development of Recommendations for the Management of Legacy Anatomical Collections. The recommendations provide both an ethical foundation and practical considerations for the use, storage, and disposition of legacy collections of human tissues, and deliver guidance for establishing appropriate management and oversight, investigating provenance, and engaging with communities of care. While these Recommendations are considered a living document which will change over time as ethical principles concerning human tissue evolve, they currently represent 'best practice' recommendations that can guide researchers, teachers, and museum associates as they consider the future of legacy anatomical collections in their care.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jon Cornwall
- Centre for Early Learning in Medicine, Otago Medical School, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Thomas H Champney
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Carlina de la Cova
- Department of Anthropology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Dominic Hall
- Manager, Curation and Stewardship, Anatomy and Artifact Collections, Center for the History of Medicine at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sabine Hildebrandt
- Division of General Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jason C Mussell
- Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Andreas Winkelmann
- Institute of Anatomy, Medical School Brandenburg Theodor Fontane, Neuruppin, Germany
| | - Valerie B DeLeon
- Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Ghosh SK, Bhattacharjee S. Public human dissection and societal connect of anatomical sciences: A glorious association in the past but ethically forbidden practice at present. ANATOMICAL SCIENCES EDUCATION 2024. [PMID: 38576065 DOI: 10.1002/ase.2413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Under the futuristic vision of anatomical sciences, a strong societal connection is mandatory. The anatomical practice experienced robust societal participation through public human dissection from the 16th century onward. With a perspective to explore the intersection of spirituality with anatomy, the present study analyzed this momentous period. From a spiritual perspective, the study also reflects on two relevant but presently uncoupled entities of public human dissection and societal connection through the prism of current regulations. Strong representation from the general public during public human dissection was primarily driven by spiritual proclivity and an endorsement from religious authorities. To regulate large gatherings and maintain academic sanctity, anatomical theaters emerged as dedicated spaces for such a merger. With time and growing financial support, the theaters transformed from temporary structures to elaborate architectural marvels, further propelling already robust societal connections associated with the practice. Nevertheless, a confluence of multiple factors led to the violation of spiritual principles and a consequent decrease in societal participation from the early 18th century, eventually culminating in the demise of such spectacle. Presently, public human dissection-when done-is mostly conducted for commercial gains and in contravention of ethical norms. It is against the essence of spirituality and harbors a bleak prospect for societal connection. Contrastingly, measures adopted to promote societal participation (mostly related to body donation) were quite effective and followed the principles of spirituality. Societal connections served anatomy in the past and can lead to its advancement if approached through a righteous path.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sanjib Kumar Ghosh
- Department of Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, India
| | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Blakey ML. Discussion of the symposium on ethics in the curation and use of human skeletal remains. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024:e24895. [PMID: 38251774 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael L Blakey
- National Endowment for the Humanities Professor of Anthropology, Africana Studies, and American Studies and Director of the Institute for Historical Biology, Department of Anthropology, Institute for Historical Biology, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Bhattacharjee S, Ghosh SK. The Sun Also Rises: Tracing the evolution of humanistic values in anatomy pedagogy and research, including cadaveric acquisition practices. J Anat 2023; 243:1031-1051. [PMID: 37525506 PMCID: PMC10641044 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Anatomy has always been at the intersection of the socio-cultural and political landscape, where new ideas constantly replace older wisdom. From ancient Egyptians through the Greeks, and then the Romans, finally culminating into the European Renaissance-all the significant eras of human civilisation have left their insignia and distinct marks on the evolution of anatomical practices. Despite its utility as a tool for anatomy pedagogy and research that has proven its worth over millennia, cadaveric dissection has particularly been subject to political and social vicissitudes. A major debate about anatomical dissection lay with the ethical considerations, or its lack thereof, while acquiring corpses for demonstration in the dissection halls. From antiquity, anatomical dissection-often synonymous with medical studies-had typically been carried out on the dead bodies of executed criminals with certain laws, such as the Murder Act of 1752, facilitating such uses. Gradually, the uses of unclaimed bodies, resourced primarily from the impoverished sections of society, were also introduced. However, these body acquisition protocols often missed the crucial element of humanism and ethical considerations, while knowledge augmentation was taken as sufficient reasoning. Unfortunately, a gross disregard towards humanistic values promulgated heinous and illegal practices in acquiring corpses, including grave robbery and even murders like in the case of Burke and Hare murders of 1828. Follow-up legislation, such as the Anatomy Act of 1832, and comparable laws in other European nations were passed to curb the vile. What distils from such a historical discourse on humane values in anatomy dissection, or medical science in general, is that the growth and integration of humanism in anatomy have never been linear, but there were intermittent and, yet, significant disruptions in its timeline. For example, there were serious human rights violations in anatomical practices during the Third Reich in Germany that perpetrated the holocaust. The medical community has kept evolving and introducing new moral values and principles while using such egregious events as lessons, ultimately resulting in the Declaration of Helsinki in 1964. This article revisits the heterogeneous journey of integrating humanistic values in anatomy practice. Such humanistic traits that, like medical science, have also developed over centuries through the inputs of physicians, researchers, and philosophers-from Greece to modernity with an important stopgap at the Renaissance-are a fascinating lore that deserves to be re-envisioned through the lens of contemporary values and ethos. In parallel to human medicine, humanistic values continue to influence veterinary medicine, a welcome development, as our society condemns animal cruelty in any form. There are lessons to be learned from this historical journey of how humanism shaped many of the concepts that anatomists use now. Finally, and most importantly, it might prevent the medical community from repeating the same mistakes by cautioning against the traps that are there, and in a convoluted world where morality as such is eroding from our social fabric, will always be there. Such historical account acts as a righteous, ethical, and contextual compass to guide the existing and upcoming anatomists in discerning between light and dark, right and wrong, and roads-to be or not to be-taken.
Collapse
|
5
|
Czech H, Hildebrandt S, Reis SP, Chelouche T, Fox M, González-López E, Lepicard E, Ley A, Offer M, Ohry A, Rotzoll M, Sachse C, Siegel SJ, Šimůnek M, Teicher A, Uzarczyk K, von Villiez A, Wald HS, Wynia MK, Roelcke V. The Lancet Commission on medicine, Nazism, and the Holocaust: historical evidence, implications for today, teaching for tomorrow. Lancet 2023; 402:1867-1940. [PMID: 37951225 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(23)01845-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Herwig Czech
- Ethics, Collections, and History of Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sabine Hildebrandt
- Division of General Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Shmuel P Reis
- Center for Medical Education, Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel; Department of Digital Medical Technologies, Holon Institute of Technology, Holon, Israel
| | - Tessa Chelouche
- Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion Institute, Haifa, Israel
| | - Matthew Fox
- Jakobovits Center for Jewish Medical Ethics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Esteban González-López
- Division of Family Medicine and Primary Care, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Etienne Lepicard
- Center for Medical Education, Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Astrid Ley
- Memorial and Museum Sachsenhausen, Oranienburg, Germany
| | - Miriam Offer
- Center of the Study of Jewish Medicine during the Holocaust, Western Galilee College, Acre, Israel
| | - Avi Ohry
- Rehabilitation Medicine, School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Maike Rotzoll
- Institute for the History of Pharmacy and Medicine, Marburg University, Marburg, Germany
| | - Carola Sachse
- Institute of Contemporary History, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sari J Siegel
- Center for Medicine, Holocaust, and Genocide Studies, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michal Šimůnek
- Institute of Contemporary History of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Amir Teicher
- Department of History, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Kamila Uzarczyk
- Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Wrocław Medical University, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Anna von Villiez
- Memorial Israelitische Töchterschule, Hamburger Volkshochschule, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Hedy S Wald
- Department of Family Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Matthew K Wynia
- Center for Bioethics and Humanities, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Volker Roelcke
- Institute for the History, Theory and Ethics of Medicine, Giessen University, Gießen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Hildebrandt S. A great betrayal: Indictment of morgue employee for allegedly selling human remains from the Harvard body donation program. ANATOMICAL SCIENCES EDUCATION 2023; 16:1009-1010. [PMID: 37489630 DOI: 10.1002/ase.2322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Hildebrandt
- Division of General Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Organ JM, Comer AR. Evolution of a discipline-The changing face of anatomy. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2022; 305:766-771. [PMID: 35194948 PMCID: PMC9307022 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
This special issue is unlike any other special issue published in this journal's history. You will not find the types of original research in anatomy and evolutionary biology that you are accustomed to seeing adorning the pages of The Anatomical Record. Instead, the articles included cover the past and future of the discipline of anatomy broadly and of the American Association for Anatomy (AAA) more narrowly, and through two specific rhetorical frames: ethics; and diversity, equity, and inclusion. The articles in this issue are divided into two sections. The first section traces the history of anatomy and addresses many of the ethical dilemmas we face as a result of that history. The second section sets the stage for how the discipline and the AAA move forward to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive future for students, teachers, colleagues, and everyone else we touch through our work as anatomists. While this is only the beginning of our reconciliation with our past, the future certainly looks bright.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jason M Organ
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology & Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Amber R Comer
- Department of Health Sciences, Indiana University School of Health and Human Sciences, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.,Center for Bioethics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| |
Collapse
|