This is a portrait of James Wilkinson also known as "Daft Jamie." Wilkinson was a victim of Burke and Hare. He was "burked" in Hare's boarding house, and then Burke and Hare sold Wilkinson's body to Dr. Knox for his dissections.
Human dissections during the 1800s was very common for student practices in school. This image is an example of a human dissection for students and the bodies were usually received through grave robbing.
"The cadaver used to create this etching can be seen on display in the University�s Anatomical Museum, Teviot Place. The lymphatics have been injected with mercury to provide a clear illustration of this system for anatomical study. Believed to be…
During the age where dissection of criminals was becoming legalized many books such as "A Description of the Body of Man" in which this piece was realized were surfacing.
The subject, Nero, has been hanged for his crimes. His body has been donated to anatomists for public dissections. A crowd gathers as surgeons take him apart. The dominating figure above oversees the spectacle, his role as chief surgeon or high judge…