Story of the Falling Cadaver

I’ve decided to post my wall to wall from facebook about an event in my anatomy class at OCAD.

Fabian Hynes wrote
at 9:57pm on August 21st, 2007

Do you remember drawing the torso, you were my drawing partner and you ran out? It was the week after we watched the "fresh kill video"

Eva McDonald (Centennial College) wrote
at 8:54am on August 22nd, 2007

LOL! The thing was, up until then, I was not at all squeamish. My dad managed the lab at Sudbury General, so when we were kids visiting him at work, we used to marvel at all the specimens preserved in formaldehyde, and check out the latest thing he was slicing into slides ("This is a placenta - look how big!"). But when the breast thing happened, I suddenly realized - this inanimate piece of meat was once actually human: someone's daughter, wife, mother. I shoved the thought into the back of my mind quickly, so I could get down to business. I remember the weight of the thing - when I felt the sliminess through the gloves, I was suddenly repulsed all over again (you know the rest!). Huh, after all these years I remember that sliminess. Gee, thanks for the memories. Good times, good times.

Eva McDonald (Centennial College) wrote
at 11:10am on August 22nd, 2007

I'd love to hear your take on the torso-sliding episode. What do you remember from that course/corpse?

Fabian Hynes wrote
at 1:46pm on August 22nd, 2007
part 1

What I remember from Richard Nevitt’s (after 15 years I finally remembered his name this morning) class…hmmm. He was the most monotone instructor I had at OCA. He was a great guy and interesting but when he lectured it was like an eraser that deleted whole hours of my life.

I remember the video from the previous week where the video’s instructor was lifting the major muscle sections of the back. It was disturbing because the cadaver was fresh (red) with the fatty tissue cleaned away.

Fabian Hynes wrote
at 1:46pm on August 22nd, 2007
part 2

The week with the actual cadaver is burned in my memory. It all happened very quickly. Richard told us to choose a drawing partner and you came up to me and asked me to be yours. We selected one of the black plastic cadaver bags and started removing the body…. our cadaver torso had no limbs, head and a pelvic area. The pelvis was in very bad shape. As we were removing the body (you were on the pelvic/open bag/receiving end) you said something and left quickly.

I don’t remember telling you the rest of the story before (I must have!), but after scuttling out of the room, the body kept sliding out of the bag. Trying to hold the bag had the effect of squeezing the body out. This wouldn’t of been bad except for the missing/bad pelvic area, which had it been in place, the organs would of not fell on the floor. Some of our classmates were scrambling to help me stop the body from sliding and falling and other students were trying to collect parts that were on the floor.

Hynes wrote
at 1:47pm on August 22nd, 2007
part 3

The torso itself was in such bad condition the back muscles couldn’t be drawn. I drew another cadaver with two other students.

I’m sure looking back on it, some UofT med students must have setup the cadaver to fall apart. I remember you did tell me how the video the week before had affected you.

Ah, to be young again.

Eva McDonald (Centennial College) wrote
at 2:09pm on August 22nd, 2007

I remember you telling me the story, and me, feeling bad about "scuttling out" but at the same time going, "LALALALALALA" in my head so I wouldn't have to hear it. And to think that my dad wanted me to be a doctor - I'd have bailed after the first cadaver. Nevitt - what a memory you have! BTW, I'm going to repost your story on your Wall so your Friends can read it, because it's a great story, and I love the eraser comment.