GB 0120 SA/LCA - London Committee of Licensed Teachers of Anatomy

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0120 SA/LCA

Title

London Committee of Licensed Teachers of Anatomy

Date(s)

  • 1881-1979 (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

3 boxes, 1 oversize folder

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

The archives date from the inauguration of the Committee in 1881 at a conference for those engaged in the teaching of anatomy in London. At this time teachers of anatomy were experiencing severe problems in obtaining subjects for dissection for classes in Practical Anatomy and Operative Surgery, with medical schools competing with one another for this limited supply of bodies. The Anatomical Teachers' Board was set up to represent the various London medical schools, to improve distribution of unclaimed bodies and to improve also their transfer for subsequent burial. A committee was appointed to investigate the workings of the Anatomy Act 1871 and what measures should be taken to improve the supply of subjects. The Board's duties included visiting existing sources of supply (workhouses, infirmaries, etc.) and taking every opportunity to increase the supply, receiving payments from teachers and examining boards for every subject sent to them by the Inspector of Anatomy, maintaining accounts with the undertakers who removed anatomical subjects for burial, and keeping a register of all subjects sent to schools and examining boards open to inspection by the Inspector of Anatomy. The Committee continues to deal with the supplying of cadavers for teaching and examination purposes to London medical schools, under the University of London, responsible to HM Inspector of Anatomy at the Department of Health. However, since unclaimed bodies are in ever-dwindling supply at the end of the twentieth century, most bodies are now those of individuals who have bequeathed them for this purpose.

Archival history

GB 0120 SA/LCA 1881-1979 Collection (fonds) 3 boxes, 1 oversize folder London Committee of Licensed Teachers of Anatomy

The archives date from the inauguration of the Committee in 1881 at a conference for those engaged in the teaching of anatomy in London. At this time teachers of anatomy were experiencing severe problems in obtaining subjects for dissection for classes in Practical Anatomy and Operative Surgery, with medical schools competing with one another for this limited supply of bodies. The Anatomical Teachers' Board was set up to represent the various London medical schools, to improve distribution of unclaimed bodies and to improve also their transfer for subsequent burial. A committee was appointed to investigate the workings of the Anatomy Act 1871 and what measures should be taken to improve the supply of subjects. The Board's duties included visiting existing sources of supply (workhouses, infirmaries, etc.) and taking every opportunity to increase the supply, receiving payments from teachers and examining boards for every subject sent to them by the Inspector of Anatomy, maintaining accounts with the undertakers who removed anatomical subjects for burial, and keeping a register of all subjects sent to schools and examining boards open to inspection by the Inspector of Anatomy. The Committee continues to deal with the supplying of cadavers for teaching and examination purposes to London medical schools, under the University of London, responsible to HM Inspector of Anatomy at the Department of Health. However, since unclaimed bodies are in ever-dwindling supply at the end of the twentieth century, most bodies are now those of individuals who have bequeathed them for this purpose.

The initial accession of this collection was received in October 1980 from the former Secretary, Professor J.T. Aitken, Department of Anatomy, University College London. A further accession was received in 1984 from the then Secretary, Dr T.A. Quilliam, Department of Anatomy and Embryology, University College London.

Papers of the London Committee of Licensed Teachers of Anatomy comprising minutes, 1880-1967; financial records, lists of subjects, and correspondence, 1961-1975; and meeting papers, 1965-1969. The archives of the Committee are not complete. Although the minutes date from its beginnings, and there are some other early papers, documentation relating to the distribution and eventual burial or cremation of cadavers only survives from 1942.

Much of the material received consisted of very routine administrative papers, which have not been retained as the collated information was available in the registers relating to the eventual burial or cremation of bodies. Routine letters from individuals requesting information about bequeathing their bodies for research purposes have also not been retained.

The collection is divided into sections as follows: 1 Minutes, 1881-1969, 1979 2 Early records of committee, 1881-1919 3 Correspondence, 1946-1978 4 Financial records, 1928-1974 5 Records of burials [ACCESS RESTRICTED], 1941-1978

The majority of the papers are available subject to the usual conditions of access to Archives and Manuscripts material, after the completion of a Reader's Undertaking. Papers relating to cadavers (Section 5) are Restricted Access; readers wishing to consult these items should complete an application form for Access to Restricted Materials and discuss their application with the duty archivist.

Photocopies/photographs/microfilm are supplied for private research only at the Archivist's discretion. Please note that material may be unsuitable for copying on conservation grounds, and that photographs cannot be photocopied in any circumstances. Readers are restricted to 100 photocopies in twelve months. Researchers who wish to publish material must seek copyright permission from the copyright owner.

English

Copied from the Wellcome Library catalogue by Sarah Drewery.

In compliance with ISAD (G): General International Standard Archival Description - 2nd Edition (1999); UNESCO Thesaurus, December 2001; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Jan 2009 London Committee of Licensed Teachers of Anatomy Life cycle Death Cadaver Higher science education Medical education Biology Anatomy

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

The initial accession of this collection was received in October 1980 from the former Secretary, Professor J.T. Aitken, Department of Anatomy, University College London. A further accession was received in 1984 from the then Secretary, Dr T.A. Quilliam, Department of Anatomy and Embryology, University College London.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Papers of the London Committee of Licensed Teachers of Anatomy comprising minutes, 1880-1967; financial records, lists of subjects, and correspondence, 1961-1975; and meeting papers, 1965-1969. The archives of the Committee are not complete. Although the minutes date from its beginnings, and there are some other early papers, documentation relating to the distribution and eventual burial or cremation of cadavers only survives from 1942.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Much of the material received consisted of very routine administrative papers, which have not been retained as the collated information was available in the registers relating to the eventual burial or cremation of bodies. Routine letters from individuals requesting information about bequeathing their bodies for research purposes have also not been retained.

Accruals

System of arrangement

The collection is divided into sections as follows: 1 Minutes, 1881-1969, 1979 2 Early records of committee, 1881-1919 3 Correspondence, 1946-1978 4 Financial records, 1928-1974 5 Records of burials [ACCESS RESTRICTED], 1941-1978

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

The majority of the papers are available subject to the usual conditions of access to Archives and Manuscripts material, after the completion of a Reader's Undertaking. Papers relating to cadavers (Section 5) are Restricted Access; readers wishing to consult these items should complete an application form for Access to Restricted Materials and discuss their application with the duty archivist.

Conditions governing reproduction

Photocopies/photographs/microfilm are supplied for private research only at the Archivist's discretion. Please note that material may be unsuitable for copying on conservation grounds, and that photographs cannot be photocopied in any circumstances. Readers are restricted to 100 photocopies in twelve months. Researchers who wish to publish material must seek copyright permission from the copyright owner.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Wellcome Library

Rules and/or conventions used

In compliance with ISAD (G): General International Standard Archival Description - 2nd Edition (1999); UNESCO Thesaurus, December 2001; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area