Burke & Hare: Murder for Anatomy and Britain's Medical Market episode artwork

EPISODE · Sep 12, 2026 · 15 MIN

Burke & Hare: Murder for Anatomy and Britain's Medical Market

from The Proper British History Podcast: Kings, Queens, Wars, Empire, Politics, Revolutions, Royalty and the Historical Great Britain · host Podily

This episode unpacks the grim tale of William Burke and William Hare, the pair who supplied corpses to Edinburgh surgeons in the 1820s, sparking public outcry and the Anatomy Act 1832. It also looks at a parallel horror—the so‑called Black Hole at Calcutta—and how Britain’s imperial ambitions shaped both the demand for bodies and responses to atrocities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Sep 12, 2026

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Burke & Hare: Murder for Anatomy and Britain's Medical Market

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This episode was published on September 12, 2026.

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