New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-09-26

pporper rpou MR. BERGH-THE CLAIMS of
prSryrr TO SCIENCE DIsPUTED-THE EXPERT
MENTs HELD To BE UNNECESSARY AND ON
TRUSTWORTHY.
70 the Editor Of the Trfbune'
SIR: In your edition OF the loth ins'' az
pears an article on viyisectlon winch ev :,
been procured through the instrumentaty OF one oi
, a,,arnr,s,n% reporters. Although the interview
wa. not personaby with Dr. Dalton nevertheless, MS
oninon on the sSblect given at much length Dy his
able colleague Dir. Flint, (which latter gentleman re-
ret 10 learn declines TO engage In the discussion pe
cause he Thought dscredited the assurance made 10
mo that he never experimental living animals except
~ INC tna invesxations OF the functions While
disayowing implied discourtesy 80 Tar as am con-
St frend Dr. Dalton on that point He DIR.
Flint has Just completed vaSoe WORK on fny s,oioey
~ Or Fiints work is founded upon the results OF his
careful experiments upon living animals"
beg YOU to believe that have not engaged In the
nnhc discussion OF this important subject but from
sense OF duty TO the cause with which am allied VIZ,
TO he understood as meaning that to kill animal out
right. and for the requirements OF aImeptaton per
hesitation in declaring that the living experiments OF
the dssectng are as barDarOns as they are unne
oessary / purpose combining myself to the arguments
advanced by DIR. Dalton, ana first IN order
comes the following: -Four hundred thou.
sand cattle we're kfed in Buenos Ayres alone in 1865
and the hides Imported to the Uuited States to supply
boots and shoes. Now II destroy sueh large mum
beT Of cattle TO supply boots aud Shoes 1t does seem
either reckless extravagant to sacrifice dogs ana
rabbits for the acquisition OF knowledge to benefit the
human race" A far greater number OF animals are
annually killed afford food for mankind, but fail TO
perceive any analogy between the Imperative anu
Expeditions killing Of slaughter house and the pro
onred spectacular fortunes OF the dissectng The
same authority goes on to say that this OFT acqureu
knowledge is no more open to the charge OF cruelty
than the dissection OF dead human bodies, for the
study of anatomy Is open 10 the charge OF sacege an
mpiey" aud proceeds thus: Ii Is SAID that the neces
sary steps the experimental operat0n-the lncsOhs'
lgatures mutations &c. place the organs IN an uha
url condition, and yate the results and render them
Worthless Such exactly TIE opinion OF the lealeu
men whose assurance gave In former communication,
but which DR.. Flint declares would never DC inlue ny
n practical experImenter." Now who are the physlolO-
gsts whom the learned Doctor thus ignoresf Why'
Colin. Sir Charles Bell Drummond, CINE, Lluget, Aoer-
nethy Eiotson Sir Ashley Cooper. Flemmng. Carpen,
ter Cuvfer Johnson the director OF the Imperial SGhoo
of Abort and that rem0rseiess prince OF NNlseo
tonsts Magendie himself. along with crowd more vi
the most illustrious personages known TO medica.
because of the limited space allotted to newspaper
communication As an Anerican 10. Pie "U1a mSpt
of Dr. Flint casts all these great lunlnaFes INTO tue
shade. - , ~
Flint is in turn made to speak, aud what do We hear
Why that there is no class Of men more averse 10 te
infection of pain than the naturailsts VINO make Tue
functions of the animal organism ther speciI ssuul
That aneshetics are now adopted ana Ia poht Oh acS
tine great majority OF experiments 30 performed as
be entirely painless" Bu adds the Doctor there Is
very small class OF in which anghetics cannot
be used, and here the animals must iee iney are ISIS
mainly of experiments on the nervous system 10 ascer
tain the existence non-e1sence OF sensioy ia par
ticular parts That no TACT Is better esaolisneu ~
physiology than that some experiments even on Ine
truth is, ordinary sensOllty Is IoGa!zed III pirucur
parts OF the nervous system, ana the eXpermens WIc
have demonstrated this truth are dIuOiy NaludOle,
&c. &c Now would ASK II tllese trutir nav , % y %,
well demonstrated what necessity Is here Ior utoh
torture which the mind shudder. at the contemplation
o-iacts which need no further demonstrating lie iur-
Their admits that some OF these experiments nave eA-
tended over centuries aud stl the Demon
STATIONS 20 on Among tAcm, perhaps; may be one OF
those which he cites-to wiz the Introduction O' ther-
mOmeters different blood vessels OF living AMI
mails, by which II Is asccraned that the blood Is u te
Now in the OF common sense OF what earthly use
this fact-whicb, however. has been dlspAed-wheh
obtained at such fearful cost of agony The PROBES
concludes " II ii nad not been for experiments
Oh living animals should at TINS day be ignorant OF
the properties aud functions OF the nervous system, OF
the nature and mechanism OF respiration ignorant OF
the circulation OF the blood, and OF tae HunIe.an Ope-
ration for aneurlsm," DC.
Now let inquire what ground there Is Tor these
assumptions Beyond all doubi,o Sr Charles Ben tAe
world owes the greatest advance IN tie study OF the
him i'm me Lonqon Times of Aug 49, 1868 the avOwaI
made that nothing is ever learned by NiyisectiOn"
quote further from the letter ITSELF:
& IN sTor eIermeat ION Ins aama They
contrary deductions anatomy and have hal eeu TO expert
menis, not to form ny oL.agn Ga 70 tI %
In the report OF the British Association Tor 1868 we
read eve know that but repeating the opinion
OF distinguished living physioogists III sayng that ne
nervous system Is great part already completed
Even Dr.. BrOwn-Sequard himself the very prince OF
exgermeners says must say mat II - pCssDd
what Is the precise depth or the injury II Is mere
guess work" lne spinal cord,' says Fleininlng = IN
ia entire length, has been exposed and divided
by transverse aud longitudinal sections, while the
animals were alive and conscious; but the results of
mountainous mutiatons only go to show that they
were unnecessary and unGstiidbe, when other modes
of discovery more servceabe and lar less brutal
And he continues, "As usual whenever experimental
ton began then began the squabbles or the ndnseres
torinrers and countless dogs and other animals
condemned to suffer the most awful agony possible III
these disputes; which subsequent and more reasonable
investigation has shown TO De III founded anu Oh the
nature of faction fights" Dr. Nasse remarks on this
subject 1.-The opening OF the NerteDrdl cana anu
laying the cord must cause such degree Oh pam
as would weaken OF destroy the manifestations, &c
SO much operations on the nervous system that
particular branch OF physiology TO which Dr. Flnt Is
especially devoted, and when he auits must DC per-
formed without an9sthetcs. go . $500,
Tae second assumption that without the aid OF this
fughtful slaughter aud torment OF animals, we snOnd
be Ignorant Of the nature ana mechanism OF respird
ton" II is not long since that COMMITTEE was app
poned by the Royal Medical and Chirurgica Society 10
investigate the subject Of suspended animation, and
among this Committee were several vyisectors Up
ward of 20 experiments were made by them living
dogs some them having to undergo Two or three dis
nct operations. IlcisiOns were made IN the tracheh,
of the supply Of air. in order ascertain death
struggles Others had their heads forciby held under
water or plunged int mercury or thrust into liquid
master OF paris. And what the RESULT Let me
quote from these learned vivisectors report.
and sy .,cod. AID recover dog ie
itself on being deprived Of ar during PEREZ Of four minutes mat
minutes h seconds and four inmates seconds and that de-
| prye a dog OF air certain period it vii die.
Tremendous discovery truly but not more so, ven
ture say than is continually being made at the Col
iege of Bellevue and elsewhere After these scientific
No definite conclusion concerning relative value of the
and ths therefore the on-le dead human body
| comments at length on them in All he Year Round,
thus; -. p..r.,,,o, II c,,.,-
Royal nhumsne Society," According to an Official nearly
HUNDRED experiments have been made the animals
After 9aopS The experiment given above be
duration Of ,s hearts action wa, A;tsI.oe BY Of
So the heart continued 70 beat the moved snd its
10 be audible Passing l6 other Of cutting and