In vols. 1 and 2 of the _Medical Times_ there is a series of articles, entitled "The Confessions of Jasper Muddle, Dissecting-room Porter." These papers are signed "Rocket," but were written by Albert Smith.[2] One of the articles contains an account of a handsome young lady who came to the dissecting-room late at night, and begged for the body of a murderer executed the previous day, which was then being injected, ready for lecture purposes. In the _Tale of Two Cities_, Dickens has given us a good study of a resurrection-man in the person of Mr. Cruncher. Moir in _Mansie Wauch_, Lytton in _Lucretia_, Mrs. Crowe in _Light and Darkness_, and Miss Sergeant in _Dr. Endicott's Experiment_, have also used the body-snatcher in fiction. As long as the Barber Surgeons kept to their right of the exclusive teaching of anatomy, there was small need of bodies for dissection. This right the Company jealously guarded. On 21st May, 1573, the following entry occurs in the records, "Here was John Deane and appoynted to brynge in his fyne x{li} for havinge an Anathomye in his howse contrary to an order in that behalf between this and mydsomer next."[3] As late as 1714 this rule was put in force against no less a man than William Cheselden. The entry in the books of the Company runs as follows, "At a Court of Assistants of the Company of Barbers and Surgeons, held on the 25th March, 1714. Our Master acquainting the Court that Mr. William Cheselden, a member of this Company, did frequently procure the Dead bodies of Malefactors from the place of execution and dissect the same at his own house, as well during the Company's Publick Lectures as at other times without the leave of the Governors and contrary to the Company's By law in that behalf. By which means it became more difficult for the Beadles to bring away the Companies Bodies and likewise drew away the members of this Company and others from the Public Dissections and Lectures at the Hall. The said Mr. Cheselden was, therefore, called in. But having submitted himself to the pleasure of the Court with a promise never to dissect at the same as the Company had their Lecture at the Hall, nor without leave of the Governors for the time being, the said Mr. Cheselden was excused for what had passed with a reproof for the same pronounced by the Master at the desire of the Court."[4]