The Court of Cacus; Or, The Story of Burke and Hare by Alexander Leighton
QR code
"The Court of Cacus; Or, The Story of Burke and Hare" by Alexander Leighton is a historical account written in the mid-19th century. The book illuminates the notorious tales of body snatching and medical malpractice in 19th-century Scotland, with a focus on the infamous pair, William Burke and William Hare, who became known for their grisly deeds. Through its vivid narrative, the work explores themes of morality, depravity, and the darker facets
of human nature in pursuit of scientific advancement. At the start of the narrative, the atmosphere is set in Surgeon’s Square in Edinburgh during the autumn of 1827. The approach of a new and timid body-snatcher, who turns out to be William Burke, is detailed, as he encounters a student from Dr. Knox's class. This chance meeting foreshadows Burke's entry into the macabre trade of selling cadavers, a practice that thrived due to the growing demand in medical schools. The reader is introduced to the grim reality of body snatching, as Burke and the students engage in conversation about the value of human remains, and the narrative hints at the moral decay and desperate motivations that characterize the characters involved in this dark chapter of medical history. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Download for free
For your e-reader or reading app — Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, Calibre etc.
Kindle → Use Send-to-Kindle
- Download the EPUB3 file above
- Upload it on the Amazon site your Kindle is registered with: amazon.com/sendtokindle for the US, amazon.co.uk/sendtokindle for the UK etc.
- It appears on your Kindle and in the Kindle app
Kobo, Nook etc. → Transfer via USB
- Download the EPUB3 file on your computer
- Connect your e-reader by USB and tap "Connect" on its screen
- Drag the file onto the e-reader drive
Phone, Tablet or Computer → Online or Reading App
Easiest: read online in your browser. Nothing to install.
Or use a reading app:
- Find and install one you like, for example Apple Books, ReadEra or Thorium Reader
- Download the EPUB3 file above
- Open it in the app
More help: iPhone / iPad · Android · Computer
Other formats & older devices
There may be more files related to this item.
About this eBook
| Author | Leighton, Alexander, 1800-1874 |
|---|---|
| Title | The Court of Cacus; Or, The Story of Burke and Hare |
| Credits | E-text prepared by the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by Internet Archive (archive.org) |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 54.4 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | RA: Medicine: Public aspects of medicine |
| Subject | Body snatching |
| Subject | Burke, William, 1792-1829 |
| Subject | Hare, William, 1792?-1870? |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 41642 |
| ISBN (HTML) | 979-8-238-41642-7 |
| Release Date | Dec 17, 2012 |
| Last Update | Oct 23, 2024 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 240 downloads in the last 30 days. |
Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free!