Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-12-22

Sd Nay, lS47, and communicated By The
.author, 10 the Edin. New Phil Jour, roL.
THi., p. 3s5, from Which Il is cited.
Having had in my youth, an aversion 10
animal food, from an idea that il was cruel
TO destroy life for the purpose Of obtaining 1t,
| have been led by that feeling. and a few
| rather extraordinary circumstances which
have come under my notice, TO pay some at
tention TO the effects produced by injuries to
various animals; which investigation has
caused such a complete change in my opin-
ions on the use and distribution of the sense
of pain, that, so far from considering 1t an In
| Fiction, ] now believe tito be one Of the most
necessary senses we possess; that like all
other senses, il is given TO animals in as great
a degree as il is necessary and useful 10 them;
that no animals have a greater sense Of pain
Than is necessary for the preservation Of the
class TO which they belong; that those which
are designed for food, suffer little when kill
ed, in comparison TO what other animals would
feel from the same infection; and tina, some
are totally devoid Of the sense Of pain.
In submitting this paper to the considera-
ton Of the Ashmolean Society, ! beg to state
distinctly, that | do not pretend 10 any knowl-
edge of anatomy, but have been led TO my
conclusions by what appears TO be the effect
of injuries upon different animals. | do not
attempt TO assign any cause for the difference
Of the amount of pain, whether il be that the
nerves are less sensitive, or less numerous in
some classes than in others, or whether il is
owing to the want of reflective faculties, but
only TO show that there is such a difference.
! do not know that there is any thing new
in the opinions | advance; but as j have had
more than ordinary opportunities Of witness
ing the effect of wounds on some classes Of
animals, | submit this paper, believing that
the consideration of this SUBJECTS calculated,
in the highest degree, to excite feelings of
gratitude and admiration Of the merciful de-
signs Of Providence and as the discovery Of
The use of the vapor of ether has recently
brought the sense of pain under the conside-
ration of this Society, | hope the paper will
be in some degree interesting.
There can be little doubt that The sense of
pain is of the first importance to man, to
guard and warn him from injury. The skin
is very sensitive, the body being thus envel-
oped in a membrane susceptible of the slight
est injury, while the heart, lungs, brain, and
other vital internal parts that are thus guard
ed, are almost insensible; but although the
are, in a great degree, insensible of
pain during consumption, they are extremely
Of The impurities Of ihe air. inns
AGAINST The inhalation of ANYTHING
AS the hands. and esneciallv The
6noers. are verv liable 10 iniurv. the sense
of main is prea, in those parts: and / believe
there NAV be more real pain from a catherine
in the FINGER. than from very mapv of the
mos, fatal Complaints. The exterior coating
of the eye is extremely sensitive; while the
back and interior portions of that organ are
almost insensible. The sense Of pain in the
mouth guards the throat, and in the stomach
is a warning against our eating any thing that
is injurious. Rheumatic pains are bad but
how many more fatal cases would arise from
colds, &c., if man was not warned by pain
and inconvenience of the bad effects upon
his constitution of sudden changes of tempe-
nature.
One of the best WAYS 10 Judge of the value
Of anything, is to consider how we could do
without it and it will be well to do SO in
the present case. Thus, if a man had moi the
sense Of pain, he might sit by a fire, and in
his absence Of mind, put his foot upon il, and
soon find himself minus that useful member:
he might have lime blown into his ewes, and
thus lose his sight, if not warned by the pain;
in fact, there would be no end 10 his dangers
if not possessed of that useful monitor.
which guards him from injury, and is a check
to his excuses. There may be pains and
sufferings, the use of which il may be diff.
cult 10 see; but l would rather attribute this
10 a want of knowledge, than believe that the
rule which holds good in so many cases does
not hold good in all. In fact, the beneficial
use of the sense Of pain 10 man is so evident,
and has been pointed out so long since in Pa
ley's Natural Theology, that should not
have said anything upon the point, but that |
considered il necessary for the calculation Of
my subject, as regards its uses and dislfibu.
ton among the lower classes of animals.
Before [ enter farther upon the subject, il
will be necessary 10 consider hat NAV he
taken as a proof Of pain commissions ars con.
sidered by many as a sign of suffering. but |
believe i, is generally allowed by the medical
profession that the opinion is erroneous; the
cry Of animals cannot ALWAYS he densnSsd 80
as indicative If nain Mil ="