Jason Ellis
12-09-2007, 12:13 AM
The conventional view is that JTR had some medical background or interest. One contemporary surgeon expressed amazement at his blade-accuracy and apparent speed. However the obvious field in which speed of blade use and accuracy are necessary is in slaughter work, not surgery. Besides, surgeons don't cut throats.
I'm wondering why the view of JTR as a man who trained early on in killing animals hasn't been widely canvassed? Is it because witness accounts tend to favour the view of him as close to a gentleman? If JTR, after moving to Whitechapel, began to train as a tailor, or otherwise had access to gentlemanly clothing, then his prior experience wouldn't have been obvious.
There are various animal slaughter techniques relevant here in producing both speed and accuracy. For instance, a finger placed before the knifepoint during the long midline cut allows this cut to be both quick and not nick the organs. Notably, also, the chief cuts to a carcass are down the midline and crossways from elbow to elbow (or 'armpit' to 'armpit'); another cut goes crossways between the inner thighs. In some ways, the photos from Whitechapel reminded me of those cuts. Also, the organs are obviously not the same between humans and other mammals, but there are some similarities, perhaps enough to enable a slaughterman to appear to have medical knowledge. As a test, it might be interesting to analyse any nicked organs or errors in cutting from Whitechapel against the internal configuration of typical ruminants (most common in slaughterhouses). In other words, in relation to which organs does JTR's early work show greatest apparent negligence or haphazardness in cutting, if any?
Lastly, the picture from Mary Kelly's murder reminded me of the way that slaughtermen and eviscerators work in abattoirs. The parts of the animals that will be used are kept out of the main mess; that is, stomach and parts of the intestines (for tripe and sausage casings) are not allowed to spill onto the floor with other waste, but are put to one side, for instance into a huge tub or vat, and partially sorted.
Well... I'll stop there, before I start to sound like one of 'em.
Jason Ellis
Not a hat-wearer
I'm wondering why the view of JTR as a man who trained early on in killing animals hasn't been widely canvassed? Is it because witness accounts tend to favour the view of him as close to a gentleman? If JTR, after moving to Whitechapel, began to train as a tailor, or otherwise had access to gentlemanly clothing, then his prior experience wouldn't have been obvious.
There are various animal slaughter techniques relevant here in producing both speed and accuracy. For instance, a finger placed before the knifepoint during the long midline cut allows this cut to be both quick and not nick the organs. Notably, also, the chief cuts to a carcass are down the midline and crossways from elbow to elbow (or 'armpit' to 'armpit'); another cut goes crossways between the inner thighs. In some ways, the photos from Whitechapel reminded me of those cuts. Also, the organs are obviously not the same between humans and other mammals, but there are some similarities, perhaps enough to enable a slaughterman to appear to have medical knowledge. As a test, it might be interesting to analyse any nicked organs or errors in cutting from Whitechapel against the internal configuration of typical ruminants (most common in slaughterhouses). In other words, in relation to which organs does JTR's early work show greatest apparent negligence or haphazardness in cutting, if any?
Lastly, the picture from Mary Kelly's murder reminded me of the way that slaughtermen and eviscerators work in abattoirs. The parts of the animals that will be used are kept out of the main mess; that is, stomach and parts of the intestines (for tripe and sausage casings) are not allowed to spill onto the floor with other waste, but are put to one side, for instance into a huge tub or vat, and partially sorted.
Well... I'll stop there, before I start to sound like one of 'em.
Jason Ellis
Not a hat-wearer