| dc.description.abstract | The current state of research with regards to the use of exhumed paupers’ graves in the 19th century is well established, but the extent to which attempts to preserve the documentation of personal and cultural identities based on known medical information and forensic context have yet to be properly examined. Furthermore, the extent to which said documentation may or may not have improved in relation to changes in codified rules of ethics and the growth of medical schools in Texas remains to be properly examined. In order to better uphold the responsibilities medical institutions have to accurately document the identities of the deceased, they would benefit from the context of my preliminary findings for any genuine consideration of their respective recommendations for changes in law and policy. In this research, I verify the existence of archival records concerning the acquisition of human remains used for study in the UTMB John Sealy School of Medicine, one of the State’s largest and oldest medical schools, as well as in other schools mentioned in the Anatomical Board of the State of Texas record. Furthermore, I trace the observable improvements and downturns in the quality of documentation with regards to the individual and cultural identities of the deceased throughout the respective histories of the involved institutions, with particular focus on the years 1907 through 1921. In so doing, I identify correlations between the quality of documentation and any changes either to the expansion of said institutions or the existence of codified rules of ethics with regards to the acquisition of human remains for study. The findings of this research contribute to the growing body of knowledge surrounding the preservation of identity in medical research and ultimately help to enhance the general understanding of the relationship between marginalized communities and institutions of medicine, and the ways said relationship can be improved. | |
