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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask for your help disposing of a skeleton?

235 replies

Madders45 · 08/01/2019 18:53

I have a skeleton that I acquired when I was studying medicine in the early 80s. Back then it was compulsory to have one.

It’s not a whole skeleton - it’s the skull, spine, pelvic bone + one side of the body. So only one arm and one leg.

It’s now been in my attic for decades, as I’ve never known what to do with it really.

Dh and I have recently retired and are emigrating - I obviously have to dispose of it somehow.

I tried to persuade my daughter to put it in her loft, but she thinks it’s too ‘creepy’.

So I’ve tried googling how to dispose of it - one website said that under the new Health Tissue Act the best thing to do is to offer it to a licensed medical school. I’ve emailed my alma mater and a few other local unis, but they’ve either not replied or declined it.

Does anyone have any ideas?

OP posts:
Missingstreetlife · 08/01/2019 19:57

How much is a barge pole?

Tartanwallpaper · 08/01/2019 20:00

Its really a disturbing thought that its practically untraceable to the person it belonged to

soulrider · 08/01/2019 20:03

I've always wanted to donate my skeleton to a university/college. Seems like this would no longer be possible.

MakeItAmazing · 08/01/2019 20:04

Are you the poster who bought it off a family who were very poor and it was the only way to get money and leaves them without a grave to mourn him ?

Kethy · 08/01/2019 20:04

Its really a disturbing thought that its practically untraceable to the person it belonged to
Exactly. How does the OP know it was originally obtained legitimately? Could be the victim of an undetected murder

delboysskinandblister · 08/01/2019 20:05

First take a large cleaver and separate, take 1 bone a week to your local park: the dogs will be ever so grateful and will bury them for you.

halfwitpicker · 08/01/2019 20:06

So what did they do back in the day, ship loads of Indian skeletons to the UK for med students to buy? Seems mad.

covetingthepreciousthings · 08/01/2019 20:06

I've always wanted to donate my skeleton to a university/college. Seems like this would no longer be possible.

Gunther Von Hagens 'Body Worlds' might take it.. they used to have donation forms at the displays, but this is going back a few years.

Original poster
Madders45 · 08/01/2019 20:06

Are you the poster who bought it off a family who were very poor and it was the only way to get money and leaves them without a grave to mourn him?

I didn’t buy it from a family. It’s almost 40 years ago now but as far as I can remember, I purchased it from a company recommended by my medical school. I have no idea what the person’s family circumstances were or even what continent they lived on.

I suppose though, that given it’s only a partial skeleton, just over half the body, that the person’s family might have kept the other half and buried that?

OP posts:
Kethy · 08/01/2019 20:10

www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-royal-liverpool-childrens-inquiry-report
This is the reason why the OP is having trouble disposing of human tissue. What might have seemed normal and perfectly acceptable 40 years ago is no longer acceptable. Things the medical industry is doing today, will in the future not be seen as being acceptable

ilovecherries · 08/01/2019 20:11

Oh god, I have the same issue. It’s been bothering me for years (decades) - not in a creepy way but in a wtf do I do with it way. I have the skull and pieces of vertebrae. It feels very disrespectful to chuck it out PLUS can you imagine the investigation it would trigger if it came to light in landfill. I dont have any paperwork for her either. DH has suggested we leave her in various lofts over the years as we move house, but I just couldn’t. But we are retiring now as well, and going travelling.

Tartanwallpaper · 08/01/2019 20:13

I am overthinking it and I'll try and put it gently but how did they become fleshless skeletons quickly ? The thought of leaving a loved one to biodegrade for money is so upsetting, his family must have been desperate ?

Rudgie47 · 08/01/2019 20:15

Just go into a and e and leave it on chair, it wont be out of place with some of the waits at the moment.
Or just post it to the local medical school, say to the Post Office its a few books or something. They cant trace you so they will have to deal with it.

kateandme · 08/01/2019 20:16

contact police?not 999 obviously but police department?could tey then ask the criminal department.
funeral directors?not for a funeral obvs but because they deal with bodies they might know who to send it to

Original poster
Madders45 · 08/01/2019 20:16

Oh god, I have the same issue. It’s been bothering me for years (decades) - not in a creepy way but in a wtf do I do with it way. I have the skull and pieces of vertebrae. It feels very disrespectful to chuck it out PLUS can you imagine the investigation it would trigger if it came to light in landfill. I dont have any paperwork for her either

It seems like a relatively common dilemma!

OP posts:
itbemay · 08/01/2019 20:17

@Madders45 I would take this off your hands if you're wanting it to be used for educational purposes. I work in a GP surgery and we often have students so it could go in our educational room. What a dilemma to have though...

Kethy · 08/01/2019 20:18

They cant trace you so they will have to deal with it.
Can't they? There could well be records somewhere of where all these remains went. There may be identifying marks on the human remains.

PerpetualStudent · 08/01/2019 20:18

I’ve ended up with a human skull in my house, inherited from DP’s anthropologist grandfather, who almost certainly sourced it from West Africa, back in the days when white academics strode in with their notebooks and basically did whatever they liked. What circumstances caused it to make its way over here, and whether the person it belonged to or their family consented to its removal, I have no idea and I feel pretty uncomfortable about the whole thing TBH.

sonjadog · 08/01/2019 20:19

I must say this is a situation that I have never thought about. MN is really a window to the world...

mama1980 · 08/01/2019 20:19

I'm an archaeologist. You could try your local archaeology unit we receive a lot of queries like this.
Advice varies depending on specifics but I'm sure someone could point you in the right direction.

brizzledrizzle · 08/01/2019 20:20

I'll make no bones about it, what an awkward issue to have. I'd start with contacting a local undertaker for advice.
I can see the police suddenly being busy - all these MNers googling how to dispose of a body/skeleton.

DobbyTheHouseElk · 08/01/2019 20:21

When I was at school in the biology lab we had a full female skeleton. She was real. I must admit it didn’t occur to us that it wasn’t right. Everywhere had them.

Likewise when I was at college we had a selection of bones and vertebrae to study. Totally normal in those days.

My friend who was a medical student had something worse, but I don’t want to say unless it offends anyone.

bobstersmum · 08/01/2019 20:21

I was hoping this thread was going to be far juicier than it turned out!

ilovecherries · 08/01/2019 20:24

Yes, at the time it was so normal to have one, although I do remember that we were reminded that this had been a living breathing person, and we should always treat them with respect and gratitude. And now I’m feeling very guilty that being carted to various lofts over the years doesn’t consitute either. I wish I could find a way to give her a decent disposal. Every time we move I’ve made efforts to find out how to do so, but no legitimate organisation will take them now. It’s getting pressing though, she can’t come out of the country with me.

Original poster
Madders45 · 08/01/2019 20:27

Can't they? There could well be records somewhere of where all these remains went. There may be identifying marks on the human remains.

I suppose these companies are probably no longer operational, given that medical students now use plastic skeletons, so who knows what happened to any records they might have kept...

OP posts: