The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-02-26 00:00:00

VIVISECTION.

The Lancet in a notice of the Report of the Royal Com-
mission on Vivisection which has just been presented to Her
Majesty, says

"The nature and scope of the investigation, and the
history of the subject in connection with the progress
of discovery in Physiological and medical science, are
succinctly set forth, and a marked allusion is made to
the general development of all the physical sciences,
the great scientific revival going on at the present
time, and the position which physiology in particular
is now for the first time assuming as a separate
science. The report then goes on to analyze and com-
pare the main points in the evidence adduced before
the Commissioners in a very critical, logical, and
at the same time interesting manner, so that the
conclusions at which the Commissioners themselves
arrive are such as naturally flow out of the text
of the Report itself. Experiments on living animals
are considered under three principal heads—viz.,
operations performed for the purpose of examining,
either for original research or for demonstration to
students, the processes of life; the administration of
poisonous and dangerous drugs for therapeutical or
medico-legal purposes; and the artificial production of
disease in order to observe its progress and discover the
means of preventing, mitigating, or curing the effects
of the same or similar diseases in men and animals.
The subject is examine I under each of these heads.
As regards the first, the principal cases selected as in-
stances in which such operations have resulted in great
discoveries have been the discovery of the circulation
of the blood, the discovery of the action of the lacteal
and lymphatic system of vessels, and Sir Charles Bell's
discovery of the compound function of the spinal
nerves—subjects which lie at the very foundation of
our present physiological knowledge. Looking to the
circumstance that a great increase is to be expected in
physiological inquiry, it appears to the Commission that
some legislative control should be established to prevent
abuse extending in this direction. That a feeling of sus-
picion, or even of abhorrence, should have been permit-
ted to grow up against those who are devoted to the im-
provement of medicine and to the advancement of
science is declared as greatly to be regretted.
Publicity is regarded as the proper antidote of
suspicion, and the Commission look to the reasonable
superintendence of constituted authority as affording
the means of reconciling in the public mind the senti-
ment of humanity with the desire for scientific know-
ledge. They conclude, on several very weighty
grounds, that it is impossible, even were it desirable,
to prevent the practice of making experiments on living
animals. Nevertheless, the abuse of the practice by
inhumane or unskilful persons—in short, the infliction
of any unnecceseary represented as justly
abhorent to the moral sense of her Majesty's liubjects
generally, not least so of the most distinguished phy-
siologists and the most eminent surgeons and phy-
sicians; and that the support of these eminent persons,
as well as of the general public, may be c infidently
expected for any reasonable measures intended to
prevent abuse. It is proved that the moral sense of
medical students is very different in this respect
from what it has been represented, for they keenly
resent anything like the infliction of unnecessary
pain; and it is likewise shown, from the return ob-
tained from the medical schools accompanying the
Report, that the extent of vivisection has been enor-
mously exaggerated, that anwsthetics have always
been employed when practicable, and that unnecessary
pain has not been inflicted. The Commission recom-
mends the enactment of a law by which animal experi-
mentation should be placed under the control of the
Secretary of State, who should have power to grant
and withdraw licences; and that no unlicensed person
should be permitted to perform such experiments. The
holders of the licences are to be bound by certain con-
ditions, the object of which would be to insure the
avoidance, or the reduction to a minimum, of suffer-
ing; but the application of these conlitions in
detail, and the necEvary modification., must he left
to the responsible Minister, who will, of cour,e,
be guided by the oi inion of advisers of competent
knowledge and experience. Some arrangements
similar to those in Dr. Playfair's Bill are consi-
dered necessary, and it is recommended that such
advisers should be selected and nominated by the
Secretary of State, and their names mado known to
the profession and the public. The Secretary of State
is to have power of inspection, for which purpose pro-
perly qualified inspectors would be appointed, and of
obtaining returns and records of all experiments made.
Any place where experiments are performed must be
registered. Power is to be given to the holder of any
licence, in the event of his reoeiving notice of its with-

drawal from the Secretary of State, to demand a public
inquiry before one of the Judges of the Supreme Court,
aided by two competent assessors appointed by the
Secretary of State. Power is to be given to magi-
strates to search the premises of unlicensed persons
suspected of performing experiments on animals, but
provision is to be made to meet bond fide cases where
urgent necessity reqnired an experiment to be undtr-
taken by an unlicensed person."