An
anatomy murder (sometimes called
burking in
British English) is a murder committed in order
to use all or part of the cadaver for medical research or teaching. It is not a
medicine murder because the body parts are not believed to have any medicinal use in themselves. The motive for the murder is created by the demand for cadavers for dissection, and the opportunity to learn anatomy and physiology as a result of the dissection. Rumors concerning the prevalence of anatomy murders are associated with the rise in demand for cadavers in research and teaching produced by the
Scientific Revolution. During the 19th century, the sensational
serial murders associated with
Burke and Hare and the
London Burkers led to legislation which provided scientists and medical schools with legal ways of obtaining cadavers. Rumors persist that anatomy murders are carried out wherever there is a high demand for cadavers. These rumors, like those concerning
organ theft, are hard to substantiate, and may reflect continued, deep-held fears of the use of cadavers as commodities.