If public interest were the only yardstick, "Bodies ... The Exhibition" was a resounding success during its seven-month run at the Carnegie Science Center. The display of dissected human bodies from China, preserved in a process of "plastination" to show their inner workings, attracted more attendance than any previous show.

But public interest should not be the only measure of success of this exhibition, which closed a month ago. The exhibit was also the most controversial in the science center's history.

The bodies were unclaimed and came from China, a nation notorious for abusing human rights. The deceased themselves never consented to be put on display, and neither had their relatives. While Premier Exhibitions of Atlanta, the developer of the display, gave assurances that the bodies were not those of executed prisoners, that had to be taken on faith. Unfortunately, that faith has turned out to be misplaced.

The first blow came as the exhibition was running. In February, reporter Brian Ross of ABC's "20/20" interviewed a man who said he collected bodies of executed prisoners from Chinese prisons while working for Premier. Mr. Ross also disputed the claim that Premier had a relationship with Dalian Medical University, a link that had lent some respectability to the body retrieval system.

While it was easy for the science center to dismiss a TV report as sensational, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo decided to investigate because of a similar display in New York City's South Street Seaport. Last week, Mr. Cuomo's office reached a settlement with Premier in which the company admitted it could not guarantee the provenance of the bodies.

The agreement will end the practice of showing bodies in New York without documenting the cause of death and origins of the cadavers as well as proof that the deceased consented to having the body put on display. Moreover, those who went to see the New York show can get refunds if they say they would not have gone due to the bodies' questionable origins.

It is sadly ironic that Mr. Cuomo's office in New York City was the one to take some action to uphold the dignity of human life. Why couldn't Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett have reached a similar settlement?

This official action does not prove that executed prisoners were used in any exhibition. But Mr. Cuomo had some harsh words for Premier Exhibitions that ought to give its supporters pause. The settlement strongly suggests that critics of the show -- such as Carnegie Science Center employee Elaine Catz, who resigned in protest -- had a point that should not have been cavalierly dismissed.

"Bodies" was promoted as an educational experience, but the ethics of the show have also been an education. In light of Mr. Cuomo's action, a serious reappraisal is needed. This should come despite the rumblings in the Pennsylvania Legislature to withhold funds for the science center because of the "Bodies" exhibition, a foolish and unfair after-the-fact proposal, even if it turns out to be a political maneuver to get action. A reappraisal should come because it is the right response to new information.

The way the science center can show it acted in good faith is to stop defending what has become a dubious position. The least that it and supporters of the show can do is press the Legislature to pass House Bill 2299, sponsored by Rep. Michael E. Fleck, R-Huntingdon, which sets out sensible procedures for such shows in the future. What's done is done; what can be done now is the point.