In Edinburgh, renowned surgeon and now teacher of anatomy Dr. MacFarlane, has been paying John Gray, a cabman, to clandestinely bring him exhumed bodies of the recently deceased for classroom demonstration purposes. With cemeteries being increasingly guarded, Gray turns to murder to provide MacFarlane with fresh bodies. Realizing that he will never be rid of Gray, who constantly taunts him with his knowledge of MacFarland's past indiscretions, MacFarlane engages the malevolent Gray in a hand-to-hand fight to the death, the ultimate results of which provide the victor with an episode of unprecedented psychological horror. 在爱丁堡， 前著名外科医生现在是解剖学教师的麦克法兰博士， 一直付款给一个叫约翰·格雷的计程车司机，暗中为他挖掘运送最近才死的身体以供教学示范所用。 随着公墓的保卫措施越来越严密，格雷转而谋杀他人为麦克法兰提供新身体。 麦克法兰意识到无法摆脱知道他不检点的过去并以此嘲讽他的格雷， 麦克法兰答应恶毒的格雷进行一场短兵相接的对搏，至死方休，最后的结果为获胜者提供一个空前的心理上的惊骇