NOS News•today, 09:56•Amended today, 11:09
Harvard University has had a human skin cover removed from a book. It had been in one of the university’s libraries since 1934. It wasn’t until 2014 that researchers discovered that the cover of the book is made of human skin.
The book has the title Des destinations de l’âme and it was written by the Frenchman Arsène Houssaye around 1880. It is a philosophical book about the soul.
The writer is said to have given the book to a friend. That friend, a doctor, is said to have applied the human skin cover to the book.
No permission from skin owner
The skin belonged to a deceased psychiatric patient who was being treated by the doctor. She died of a stroke and when no one claimed her body, he decided to skin her.
The doctor added a card to the book. It stated that a book about the human soul deserves a human cover. He also wrote on the note that you can still see the pores in the skin if you look closely.
The university says the person who owned the skin never gave permission for her skin to be used to make a book cover.
In 2014, Harvard called the discovery “good news for bibliophiles and cannibals.” Critics found this disrespectful and pointed to the exemplary role of the university, one of the most prestigious scientific institutions in the US.
Harvard now says in a statement that the cover has been replaced for ethical reasons. The university also apologizes for the previous handling of the book and the reporting on the cover.
The library is now conducting additional research into the book and the anonymous female patient. The removed skin is given a “respectful destination,” says Harvard.
Various parties within the university and in France are now discussing which one this is. The university wants to “restore the dignity” of the woman whose skin was used.
