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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1921.02.01ANATOMICAL BOARD OF THE STATE OF PE!`NNSYLVAhIA DR. A. HEWSON 257 S. SIXTEENTI-I STREET SECRETARY PHILADELPHIA Office f Lours until I I A. 1~1. Long Distance Telephone In re Unclaimed Dead Explaining Anatomical Law Dear Sir: ~~n urtclai!?;ed body is one which the relatives ar friends a.re too pool ar ti~rizo re-fuss tc pay expenses of burial. Statement madam be_'ore a ,vitnsss a?~d so r~cos d~;d, Unkno~~rn dead i1 not cared for by relatives cr friends 3;; hours ai ter death are unclaimed. Should however a clai?rant appear after the body has been re.r.oved by the Anatomical Board, it is possible to obtain it ti4ri'thin 30 days ia" it has not been autopsied. These unclaimed ~~rhole bodies era embalmed and l~ept as a~~ove stated and can b° retL2rned in good condition on payr,~ent of the actual cost by the claimant, Notice of the possession of an unclaimed body (infant or adult) must be sent immediately to this office, consisting of the name, age, date of death, caus~^~#~ death and condition of the body; by telegram if at a distance, or by phone (9.30 a.m to 1 p.~n.) if near by. zf the body is suitable for the purpose of tl~.e Board, the return jnessage urill instruct you haw to ship as per enclosed directions. Tf the body is unfit for the purposes of this Board, then an unfit certificate gill be sent by r,~ail to tl~.e inf'ormar_t, wl7.i cli enables the uradertalier to call upon the County Commis- sioner to pay for the burial. If however no notice is sent ur_ti 1 th© body is decomposed or it has been embalmed by the undertaker, to make it unfit kno-~i~ingly, it is therefore- in that condition by default of immediate notice; then the possessor is responsible for the burial at his expense. U~aclaimed bodies are the property of this Board and must not be muti- lates), either by incision for eirdbalming or autopsy, without the consent of the Anatomical Board through the Secretary. A relative E!rill sometimes give permission for an autopsy and then refuse to bury, thirl~ing 'that the institution will bury because of this p°r:ni scion. Institutions must satisfy themselves on this point, as an autopsied body is useless to 'this Board and an expense to the institution for removal. In raturring a previously unclaimed body to the relative, the expenses of return era estimated and the figure sent to the claimant, ~d•hich when paid by check or telegraph, the body will be shipped by express to the undertaker's address given. The relatives need not Lo 'to the expense of identification in P:niladel- phia, as this Board is obliged by Statute to con:pletcly identify every body b°;~ certificate, which is tagged by a number and this same number is affixed to the body when distributed. This Board Yrill occasiordally extend the courtesy of an autopsy to the physician of an institution not bonded, upon rcouest ~~he~~a. the cause is of great scientific interest, with the understanding that those to vrho~;: the permission is granted, pay all the expenses of burial and an epitomized statement of the autopsy findiz~~s be sent to this office for a matter of record. If further information is desired a letter will bring an immediate answer. Very truly, O~p cs°' ~ , Secretary.