The History of Burke and Hare, and of the Resurrectionist Times: A Fragment from the Criminal Annals of Scotland

"The History of Burke and Hare, and of the Resurrectionist Times" by George Mac Gregor is a historical account written in the late 19th century. The book examines one of Scotland's most notorious crimes and the larger resurrectionist movement, detailing the life and crimes of William Burke and William Hare, who famously murdered individuals to supply bodies for medical science during a time when legal access to cadavers was severely limited. The opening of the work sets the stage by outlining how crime and the medical field became grimly intertwined in Scotland during the resurrectionist period, marked by the abhorrent practice of body-snatching to advance anatomical studies. The author discusses the societal context of these events, indicating that public sentiment was deeply affected by these occurrences, leading to both horror and fascination. Mac Gregor highlights the ethical dilemma faced by medical practitioners while capturing the public's outrage, providing a historical backdrop against which Burke and Hare's gruesome actions unfolded, ultimately culminating in their notorious legacy and the infamous trial that followed.