A state board's rule about consent may prevent the museum from presenting "Bodies, The Exhibition."
By KEVIN GRAHAM
Published August 5, 2005
TAMPA - The Anatomical Board of Florida said Thursday that Tampa's Museum of Science and Industry didn't get permission to exhibit fully preserved human bodies - and won't get permission without signed consent forms for individuals on display.
That's an impossible task, since MOSI officials have said the cadavers of "Bodies, The Exhibition" belonged to people from China who died unidentified and unclaimed by family members. Their remains went to China'sDalian Medical University of Plastination Laboratories, which charges a fee to use the bodies for education.
"Representatives from the Museum of Science and Industry and Premier Exhibitions were told if the bodies are to be put on public display and admission charged to see them, documentation must include a release from the donor or person giving consent for such purpose," said Lynn Romrell, executive director of the Anatomical Board at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
He made his remarks in a three-page position paper written in response to inquiries from news reporters.
Premier Exhibitions of Atlanta is the company bringing "Bodies, The Exhibition" to MOSI, where it's scheduled to open Aug. 20, featuring 20 fully preserved cadavers in various poses and an additional 260 organs and partial body specimens.
The Anatomical Board is a state auxiliary that receives no state funding and supplies anatomical materials for teaching and research.
In his statement, Romrell also cites Florida Statute 406.61, which requires that "any person, institution, or organization that conveys bodies or parts of bodies into or out of the state for medical education or research purposes shall notify the Anatomical Board of such intent and receive approval from the board."
MOSI and Premier Exhibitions, Romrell said, never did.
"An unclaimed body is given the same respect as any other body. We don't discriminate," Romrell said in an interview Thursday. "Because the body is unclaimed doesn't give you the authority to do whatever you want with it."
Wit Ostrenko, MOSI president, said earlier this week he knew Romrell had questions about the origin of the bodies.
"We have dotted our i's and crossed our t's," he said Tuesday. "We think we're set."
Ostrenko was out of town Thursday and could not be reached for comment, but he left a prepared statement with a spokesman:
"We have been in contact with Dr. Lynn Romrell and are looking forward to discussing our involvement with the State Anatomical Board. "Bodies, The Exhibition' is still scheduled to open on Aug. 20."
Romrell said in his letter that he is awaiting a response from Premier Exhibitions.
In a prepared statement issued Thursday, Premier Exhibitions head Arnie Geller said his organization also looks forward to meeting with Romrell.
"We have gone to great lengths to ensure that the exhibition will be both educational and respectful," the statement said. "We welcome the opportunity to present how we plan to accomplish this at our meeting with Dr. Romrell."
It would be "unfair to the people of Florida" to deny them the chance to see the exhibit, Geller wrote.
Jeff Rudolph, president of the California Science Center, hosted "Body Worlds" in July 2004. It was the first exhibit of its kind, led by Gunther von Hagens, an expert in "plastination," the preservation process.
Before agreeing to the exhibit, Rudolph said he assembled an ethics committee that insisted specimens on display come from people who consented.
The standards set by Florida's board, Rudolph said, "would be hard to meet."
Times researcher Cathy Wos contributed to this report. Kevin Graham can be reached at 813 226-3433 or kgraham@sptimes.com
