Wednesday, June 2, 2010

How Much is Your Dead Body Worth?

WSBE Rhode Island PBS airs “Horizon: How Much Is Your Dead Body Worth?” tonight, Wednesday, June 2 at 10:00 p.m:

Three hundred years ago, doctors explored anatomy and physiology by using a corpse and delving around inside it. It was a time of great discovery, but it also marked the beginning of the illicit trade in bodies.  

Today, companies trading in body parts today can make up to $250,000 for the component parts of a whole body. With demand high, some unscrupulous traders have used the bodies of those who haven't given their permission, with devastating consequences. Horizon investigates this gruesome trade.

There is a brief interview with Dr. Marjorie Moore, an anatomy teacher formerly from URI.