No. XXV.
An Act to authorize the establishment of
Schools of Anatomy and to regulate the
practice of Anatomy therein. [5th April,
1881.]
B
E it enacted by the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty by and
with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council and the
Legislative Assembly of New South Wales in Parliament assembled
and by the authority of the same as follows:—
1. The short title of this Act shall be the " Anatomy Act of 1881."
2. In the construction of this Act the word "Governor " shall
mean the Governor with the advice of the Executive Council The
word " body" shall mean dead human body " Legally qualified
medical practitioner " shall mean any person duly registered under the
provisions of the Acts in force in the colony for that purpose The
word "Anatomy " shall mean anatomy of the human body only.
3. The Governor may authorize the establishment of schools
of anatomy where the study and practice of anatomy may be carried
on in connection with any University or School of Medicine in such
place or places and upon such conditions as the Governor shall think
fit and may at any time revoke such authority.
4. The Governor may grant a license to practise anatomy in
any such School of Anatomy on such conditions for such period and
subject to revocation in such manner as may be therein expressed to
any graduate or licentiate in medicine or surgery or to any legally
qualified medical practitioner or any medical practitioner in New South
Wales or to any legally qualified professor or teacher of anatomy
medicine or surgery or to any student attending any school of anatomy
on application from any such person for such purpose countersigned
by two Justices of the Peace certifying that to their knowledge or
belief such person so applying is a fit person to be so licensed.
5. The Governor may appoint from time to time an inspector or
inspectors of Schools of Anatomy and may direct what schools every
such inspector shall superintend and in what manner every such
inspector shall transact the duties of his office.
G. Every inspector shall make a quarterly return to the Registrar
General of every body that has been removed for anatomical examina­
tion to any such School of Anatomy as aforesaid distinguishing the
sex and as far as is known the name and age of each person whose
body was so removed as aforesaid.
7. It shall be lawful for every such inspector to visit and inspect
at any time any School of Anatomy for which he is appointed inspector.
8. It shall be lawful for any executor or other person having
lawful possession of the body of any deceased person and not being an
undertaker or other person entrusted with the body for the purpose
only of interment to permit the body of such deceased person to
undergo anatomical examination unless to the knowledge of such
executor or other person such deceased person shall have expressed his
desire either in writing at any time during his life or verbally in the
presence of two or more witnesses during the illness whereof he died
that his body after death might not undergo such examination or unless
the surviving husband or wife or any known relative of the deceased
person shall require the body to be interred without such examination.
9.
9. If a n y person in w r i t i n g attested b y t w o or m o r e witnesses
s h a l l direct t h a t his body b e e x a m i n e d a n a t o m i c a l l y or shall n o m i n a t e
a n y person b y t h i s A c t authorized to e x a m i n e bodies a n a t o m i c a l l y to
m a k e s u c h e x a m i n a t i o n a n d if before t h e b u r i a l of t h e body of such
person s u c h direction or n o m i n a t i o n shall be m a d e k n o w n to t h e person
h a v i n g legal possession of t h e dead body t h e n s u c h last-mentioned
person shall direct s u c h e x a m i n a t i o n t o b e m a d e a n d i n case of a n y
s u c h n o m i n a t i o n as aforesaid shall r e q u e s t a n d p e r m i t a n y person so
a u t h o r i s e d a n d n o m i n a t e d as aforesaid t o m a k e s u c h e x a m i n a t i o n unless
t h e deceased person's s u r v i v i n g h u s b a n d or wife or n e a r e s t k n o w n
relative or a n y one or m o r e of s u c h person's n e a r e s t k n o w n relatives
b e i n g of k i n in t h e same degree shall r e q u i r e t h e body t o b e interred
without such examination.
10. I n n o case shall t h e body of a n y person be removed for
a n a t o m i c a l e x a m i n a t i o n from a n y place w h e r e s u c h person m a y h a v e
died u n t i l after t w e l v e h o u r s from t h e t i m e of s u c h person's decease
n o r u n t i l after six h o u r s ' n o t i c e t o t h e inspector or inspectors of t h e
district of t h e i n t e n d e d r e m o v a l of t h e b o d y or if n o s u c h inspector
h a v e b e e n a p p o i n t e d or s u c h inspector shall reside a t a greater distance
t h a n t e n miles from t h e place of d e a t h t h e n to t h e legally qualified
m e d i c a l p r a c t i t i o n e r or s t i p e n d i a r y m a g i s t r a t e n e a r e s t t o t h e place of
d e a t h n o r u n l e s s a certificate s t a t i n g in w h a t m a n n e r s u c h person c a m e
b y h i s d e a t h shall previously t o t h e r e m o v a l of t h e b o d y h a v e been
signed b y t h e l e g a l l y qualified medical p r a c t i t i o n e r who a t t e n d e d s u c h
person d u r i n g t h e illness whereof h e died or if n o s u c h practitioner
a t t e n d e d s u c h person d u r i n g s u c h illness t h e n b y some s u c h p r a c t i t i o n e r
or some s t i p e n d i a r y m a g i s t r a t e w h o shall b e called i n after t h e d e a t h
of s u c h person t o view his body a n d w h o shall state t h e m a n n e r or
cause of d e a t h according to t h e best of his k n o w l e d g e a n d belief b u t
w h o shall n o t b e concerned in e x a m i n i n g t h e body a n a t o m i c a l l y a n d i n
case of s u c h r e m o v a l s u c h certificate shall b e delivered t o g e t h e r w i t h
t h e body to t h e person receiving t h e s a m e for a n a t o m i c a l e x a m i n a t i o n .
1 1 . I t shall b e lawful for a n y legally qualified m e d i c a l p r a c t i t i o n e r
or a n y professor t e a c h e r or s t u d e n t of a n a t o m y m e d i c i n e or s u r g e r y
h a v i n g a license from t h e Governor to receive or possess for a n a t o m i c a l
e x a m i n a t i o n or to e x a m i n e a n a t o m i c a l l y t h e body of a n y person deceased
if p e r m i t t e d or directed so to do b y a p e r s o n w h o h a d a t t h e t i m e of
g i v i n g s u c h permission or direction lawful possession of t h e b o d y a n d
w h o h a d p o w e r in p u r s u a n c e of t h e provisions of this A c t to p e r m i t or
c a u s e t h e b o d y t o b e so e x a m i n e d a n d provided s u c h certificate as
aforesaid were delivered b y s u c h person t o g e t h e r w i t h t h e body.
12. E v e r y p e r s o n so receiving a b o d y for a n a t o m i c a l e x a m i n a ­
t i o n after r e m o v a l shall d e m a n d a n d receive t o g e t h e r w i t h t h e b o d y a
certificate as aforesaid a n d shall w i t h i n t w e n t y - f o u r h o u r s n e x t after
s u c h r e m o v a l t r a n s m i t to t h e I n s p e c t o r of t h e district s u c h certificate
a n d also a r e t u r n s t a t i n g a t w h a t day a n d h o u r a n d from w h o m t h e
b o d y was received t h e date a n d place of d e a t h t h e sex a n d (as far as is
k n o w n a t t h e t i m e ) t h e c h r i s t i a n a n d s u r n a m e a g e a n d last place of
abode of s u c h person or if n o s u c h inspector h a v e b e e n a p p o i n t e d
to t h e legally qualified medical p r a c t i t i o n e r or stipendiary m a g i s t r a t e
residing n e a r e s t to t h e place to w h i c h t h e b o d y is r e m o v e d a n d shall
e n t e r or cause to b e e n t e r e d t h e aforesaid p a r t i c u l a r s r e l a t i n g t h e r e t o
a n d a copy of t h e certificate h e received t h e r e w i t h in a book to be
k e p t b y h i m for t h a t p u r p o s e a n d shall p r o d u c e s u c h book w h e n e v e r
r e q u i r e d so to do b y a n y inspector so a p p o i n t e d as aforesaid.
1 3 . I t shall n o t be lawful for a n y person t o receive or possess for
a n a t o m i c a l e x a m i n a t i o n or e x a m i n e a n a t o m i c a l l y a n y body except a t such
p l a c e or places as a r e authorised for t h a t p u r p o s e as provided for i n t h e
t h i r d section of t h i s A c t .
14.
14. A l l persons w h o shall c a r r y o n a n d practise a n a t o m y shall do
so i n such a w a y as t o avoid u n n e c e s s a r y m u t i l a t i o n of a n y bodies t h a t
t h e y m a y b e e x a m i n i n g a n a t o m i c a l l y a n d shall c o n d u c t such e x a m i n a ­
tions i n a n orderly q u i e t a n d decent m a n n e r a n d i t shall b e lawful i n
a d d i t i o n t o t h e p e n a l t i e s h e r e i n a f t e r provided t o deprive a n y p e r s o n of
h i s license w h o shall offend a g a i n s t t h e provisions of t h i s section or
a n y of t h e provisions of t h i s A c t .
1 5 . E v e r y s u c h body r e m o v e d for t h e p u r p o s e of e x a m i n a t i o n
shall before s u c h r e m o v a l b e p l a c e d in a decent coffin or shell a n d b e
r e m o v e d t h e r e i n and t h e p e r s o n r e m o v i n g t h e same or c a u s i n g t h e
s a m e t o b e r e m o v e d shall m a k e provision t h a t such body after u n d e r ­
g o i n g a n a t o m i c a l e x a m i n a t i o n be d e c e n t l y i n t e r r e d in consecrated
g r o u n d or i n some p u b l i c b u r i a l - g r o u n d i n u s e for persons of t h a t
religious persuasion t o w h i c h t h e person whose b o d y was so removed
belonged a n d t h a t a certificate of t h e i n t e r m e n t of s u c h body shall
b e t r a n s m i t t e d t o t h e inspector of t h e district w i t h i n six w e e k s after t h e
day on w h i c h such b o d y was received or w i t h i n s u c h o t h e r t i m e as t h e
G o v e r n o r by n o t i c e i n t h e Gazette shall a p p o i n t .
16. N o person h a v i n g a license from t h e Governor shall b e
liable t o a n y p r o s e c u t i o n p e n a l t y forfeiture or p u n i s h m e n t for
r e c e i v i n g or h a v i n g i n his possession for a n a t o m i c a l e x a m i n a t i o n or
for e x a m i n i n g a n a t o m i c a l l y a n y b o d y if t h e possession of s u c h body b e
a c c o r d i n g t o t h e provisions of t h i s A c t .
1 7 . N o t h i n g i n t h i s A c t contained shall b e c o n s t r u e d t o p r o h i b i t
a n y post mortem e x a m i n a t i o n of a n y b o d y r e q u i r e d or directed t o be
made by any competent legal authority.
1 8 . I f a n y a c t i o n or suit shall b e c o m m e n c e d or b r o u g h t a g a i n s t
a n y p e r s o n for a n y t h i n g d o n e i n p u r s u a n c e of t h i s A c t t h e same shall
b e c o m m e n c e d w i t h i n six m o n t h s n e x t after t h e cause of action
a c c r u e d a n d t h e d e f e n d a n t i n every s u c h action or suit m a y p l e a d t h e
m a t t e r specially or m a y plead t h e general issue a n d give t h e special
m a t t e r i n evidence a t a n y t r i a l to b e h a d t h e r e u p o n .
19. A n y person offending a g a i n s t t h e provisions of t h i s A c t
shall b e d e e m e d g u i l t y of a m i s d e m e a n o r a n d shall b e p u n i s h e d b y
i m p r i s o n m e n t for a t e r m n o t e x c e e d i n g t h r e e m o n t h s or b y a fine n o t
exceeding fifty p o u n d s .
20. I n all cases in w h i c h n o provision or n o sufficient provision
is i n t h e opinion of t h e Governor m a d e b y t h i s A c t it shall b e lawful
for t h e Governor t o m a k e a n d prescribe all such r e g u l a t i o n s a n d orders
e i t h e r g e n e r a l or applicable t o p a r t i c u l a r cases only as t h e Governor
shall t h i n k fit a n d all such r e g u l a t i o n s a n d orders shall b e p u b l i s h e d
i n t h e Gazette a n d b e i n g so p u b l i s h e d shall h a v e t h e force of l a w a n d
t h e b r e a c h of a n y of s u c h r e g u l a t i o n s a n d orders shall b e p u n i s h a b l e
b y a p e n a l t y n o t e x c e e d i n g five p o u n d s .
2 1 . I t shall b e lawful for t h e g o v e r n i n g a u t h o r i t i e s of a n y
a u t h o r i z e d school of a n a t o m y w i t h t h e a p p r o v a l of t h e Governor
t o m a k e rules for e n a b l i n g t h e s t u d y a n d p r a c t i c e of a n a t o m y
t o b e p r o p e r l y carried o u t a n d discipline t o b e m a i n t a i n e d a t s u c h
school a n d to impose a p e n a l t y n o t e x c e e d i n g five p o u n d s for t h e
b r e a c h thereof A l l such rules shall fix a d a t e o n w h i c h t h e same shall
c o m e i n t o force a n d u p o n t h e date so fixed a n d after t h e i r p u b l i c a t i o n
i n t h e Gazette s u c h rules shall b e in force i n t h e school t o w h i c h
t h e s a m e shall relate.
22. T h e penalties a u t h o r i z e d by t h e last t w o p r e c e d i n g sections
m a y b e recovered in a s u m m a r y w a y before a n y t w o J u s t i c e s of t h e P e a c e .
No. X X V I .