The Economics of Everyday Things
22. Cadavers - Part 1
Oct 23, 2023
This podcast explores the strange and unsettling history of cadavers, including grave robbing, the rise of for-profit cadaver-selling companies, and the role of body donation in medical research and education. It discusses the world's largest body donation program, ScienceCare, and their marketing approach. The podcast also raises concerns about transparency and regulation in the cadaver market.
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Quick takeaways
- The history of cadavers reveals a transition from using the bodies of executed criminals to the establishment of laws allowing for the donation of unclaimed bodies, leading to the rise of for-profit body donation companies.
- For-profit body donation companies operate within the realm of legally donating bodies to science, but the lack of federal oversight raises concerns regarding transparency and potential abuse within the industry.
Deep dives
The History of Cadavers and the Growing Need for Bodies
The podcast explores the history of cadavers and how the supply of bodies for anatomy studies has evolved over time. In the past, the bodies of executed criminals were used for dissection, but as interest in anatomy grew, the demand for bodies exceeded the available supply. This led to the rise of grave robbing, with bodies being sold to universities. Eventually, laws were enacted to grant medical schools access to unclaimed bodies. In the 1950s, the public became more supportive of donating bodies to science, leading to the enactment of the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act in 1968. However, the act unintentionally gave rise to for-profit companies that can obtain and sell cadavers with little regulation.
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