The lingering fear of burkers amongst Travellers and horror...
Contributors
Fieldworkers
Date
April 1975
Track ID
77229
Part 1
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1975.150
Original Tape ID
Summary
The lingering fear of burkers amongst Travellers and horror of doctors.
Even when Betsy Whyte was a child, Travellers were afraid to call in doctors because of the history of burking. They were also repelled by the doctors' inhumanity in accepting murdered bodies for dissection. Fear of burkers was the reason why Travellers went around in bands. Women on their own would disguise their voices to sound like men. Betsy believes that burking still goes on, and she and Bryce point out how much research on fresh bodies must lie behind heart transplants.
Language
Scots
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Good