It shall be the duty of the county commissioners of any county, the mayor and aldermen of any city, the overseers of the poor of any town, the warden of the state prison and the keeper of any jail in the state, upon previous request in writing by any physician or surgeon of this state (preference being given to instructors in medical schools established by law), to notify such physician or surgeon whenever the body of any person dying in their county, city, town, or in the state prison or a jail, required to be buried at the public expense, comes into their possession, charge or control, and to give permission to such physician or surgeon to take such body to be by him used within the state for the advancement of anatomical and medical science.