Celebrating new year in Bart's dissecting room

This paper presents a condensed version of a Victorian story concerning a surreal New Year's social gathering in the dissecting room at St. Bartholomew's Hospital Medical School, London. The story focuses upon the relationship between a medical student and a community of cadavers who come to life for the evening. The ethos of the dissecting room in the nineteenth century as revealed by the tale differs markedly from that of the present day. The story offers a persuasive narrative about the ethical treatment of the dead, and could prove a useful teaching tool. An introduction, discussion, and footnotes accompany the text, to draw out the cultural and moral significance of the original. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.