According to the British "Sun" reported on April 30: In February this year, a "new resident" was moved to the student center of the University of London (UCL).
He was neither a student nor a teacher, but a well-preserved body. He was wearing an old black suit, wearing a brown hat and gloves, holding a cane in his hand, and leaning on the chair with dignity, as if sitting on a chair while he was alive. Who is he? His name was Jeremy Bentham. He was born in London. He was once called a child prodigy. He went to Oxford University at the age of 12 to study law. He was a 19th century radical thinker and philosopher.
Why was his body used for display? According to the administrator of the University of London, Jeremy Bentham voluntarily donated his body to a friend who was a surgeon for an autopsy, and also requested that the body be preserved and displayed. The display in a sitting position is also a requirement in his will. It is difficult for ordinary people to have such ideas and requirements, but Jeremy Bentham is different from ordinary people after all. According to UCL, "Bentham has been a source of curiosity and confusion for tourists for 170 years." It seems to be justified now. Who can understand the ideas of a weird philosopher?
Preserving the body is actually a very tricky thing. The experts decided to transfer Bentham's body from the wooden cabinet to the glass cabinet in consideration of the problem of dust and insect pests. Although some people object, the glass cabinet is indeed more conducive to the preservation of corpses. Regrettably, Bentham's original head was severely damaged, and his face was disfigured, so it was not suitable for display. So the protectors made a wax version of the head and placed it on Bentham ’s body, which is now displayed in the glass cabinet.
There is an interesting rumor about Bentham's original head. It is said that a group of cheeky students stole Bentham's head in order to demand a ransom of 100 pounds. This really stained the philosopher's body. So much so that protectors now refuse to reveal to reporters where Bentham ’s real head is. Regardless of the facts, Jeremy Bentham is an eternal myth, and his display area has become one of the weirdest tourist attractions in the UK.
