Anatomical Education or Dead Disrespect?
Let me preface this with a lesson I learned. When I was a child I would often to go the Mütter Museum eager to spend more time each week to study what I saw because, no photos were allowed. I didn’t understand why until I began working as an intern there about 12 years later. At the museum, (which contains actual medical anaomalies of humans who have consented to be seen by family members/the person prior to death to create awareness for rare diseases or complications) we have quite a few children on display, quite a few mothers, and others who have lost their lives much earlier than anticipated due to painful complications. I constantly reinforce the no photos allowed policy because it is a sensitive reverent environment. When you walk in, the floors are covered in velvet, railings of polished gold, each specimen has a dedicated clean area with temperature control and soft fabrics keeping them propped. It is a respectful area. Quiet. Here we see what a human is reduced to in a fantastic way. It is not to be splattered on social media for the mother of that child to come across as “ew weird! Get a load of this!” In someone’s status/blog. The mothers of some our fetal specimens are very much still alive and would want a respectful environment for their children.
Second lesson, when I had the opporatunity to spend two days in a cadaver lab each part of our cadavers body was covered. No organs were to be photographed. Everyone was extraordinarily quiet and deep in study. Charcoal drawings from art students of these cadavers donned the walls for the pre-meds to appreciate. Every part of the human had dignity even though they did not have a voice. The body is honored as a tool of learning among students, thankfulness that someone would be willing to give their own bodies so others can learn to save lives.
Anatomy used for awareness and education should be done tastefully and respectfully without a gawking eye. The human body is not placed here for shock value or to feed a sickly fascination with the dead. Someone’s body is not public domain when they’ve passed, especially that of a child’s who could not have consented.
If you’re a medical/anatomy/gore containing blog, keep your sensitivities and morals about yourselves and respect children. I’m really appalled that someone would post photos of children in such horrible conditions for /entertainment/. I’m sickened. If anyone comes across photos like this do the right thing and report them immediately. There are dozens of other /legal/ ways to learn and view anatomy.
