Modern day mummies

 

 

“Prior to the exhibitions in the US, an ethics committee formed by the California Science Centre in Los Angeles and the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago appointed renowned bio-ethicist Dr. Hans Saas of Georgetown University to scrutinise the donor issue surrounding Body Worlds.

With the exception of the foetuses which come from historical anatomical collections pre-dating 1940, and a few small organ specimens from hospital and similar anatomy programmes, all the specimens in Body Worlds exhibitions come from donors, who registered with the Body Donation Program of the Institute for Plastination. Currently, the donor roster has 7,191 living donors and 461 deceased donors. Ever since the exhibitions took off in America, 400 Americans have registered with the programme, four of whom are deceased. The Institute receives hundreds of queries every month about donating to its Body Donation Program. We do not need to seek bodies from any other source.

At the same time, we want you to be aware that more than 19 copycat exhibits – without body donation programmes, are showing all over the world, trying hard to exploit the success of Body Worlds exhibitions of Gunther von Hagens. The logical thing for reporters to do is to enquire about those. We’re accused of plastering the cadavers in rather demeaning poses. But, ‘demeaning’ is a very relative term and one in the eye of the beholder. The specimens in Body Worlds are engaged in dynamic poses for optimal didactic value in ways that resonate with viewers. Say, the “Chess Player” and “The Ponderer” evoke awe, and inspire people to think of evolution and God, life and death etc. At the same time they teach you about the amazingly engineered nervous system and the brain. What makes the exhibit so compelling (real bodies in everyday poses) is what makes it most controversial.

The mission of the institute is public health education using the science of anatomy, which first flourished during the Renaissance in Italy, when it was believed that man’s life was worthy of study. It isn’t in any way a breach of ethical and moral Judeo-Christian tenets.

You ask if our exhibits are ethical. Body Worlds uses the groundbreaking invention of Plastination by anatomist, Dr. Gunther von Hagens to present the intelligent engineering, and vulnerability of the human body to educate and promote health amongst laymen. I believe that if Indians had the opportunity to see the foetal development gallery in Body Worlds, displaying the growing foetus from four weeks to nine months, the rate of female selective abortions in India would plunge. Body Worlds is not only an ethical endeavour but a noble one.”