The Society of Mutual Autopsy (or French: la Société d'autopsie mutuelle) was established on 19 October 1876 by members of the Society of Anthropology of Paris in Paris, France. Its purpose was to facilitate research on links between personality, ability and brain morphology. Upon death, members' bodies would be donated to the organization for study. The society was also to be given a description of the donor: the donor's personality, skills, habits, faults, etc. Though little-known outside of anthropological circles until recently, it has been the subject of some academic study, and is featured in the 2003 book The End of the Soul – Scientific Modernity, Atheism, and Anthropology in France, 1876–1936 by historian Jennifer Michael Hecht. --- **Source**: Wikipedia