Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-07-12

you have been brought here, Wea are the
spirits, the souls, if you choose, of dead
animals, clothed in human flesh. Animals
that have died in the cause of science ,
Animals that have been cruelty drugged
and butchered to throw light upon various
physiological phenomena. We are, or
rather were, dogs, cats, sheep, horses,
cows, rabbits, frogs, toads and fish, that
have been ruthlessly tormented and butch
cred by the so-called men of science, often
without any definite object in view; often
10 simply demonstrate to class of coun-
try pumpkins, aspiring to the title of
Doctor of Medicine, a point in physiology
that could have been equally well ex-
planned without such sacrifice. We have
been cut, burned, subjected to violent
shocks of electricity; starved to death, to
prove that butter and sugar will not sus-
tain life for Heightened period We have
had tubes sewn into our stomachs, and
our gastric juice drained off, to give the
physiological chemist an opportunity to
analyze it. We have had our intestines
tied, and our kidneys extirpated to make
or break the wild fancy Of an empty theo-
rist, and then been killed to show the
manner in which Rochelle salts acted. We
1lcsNC lIei0 Jul hCl % SuI Ou6 NY lIl6 IL,
to demonstrate the reproduction of nerve
tissue. Our legs have been broken and
allowed to unite at all sorts of angles to
show the nature of bony union and the
manner in which fractures united. In
fact, doctors, medical students and men
Of science have taken from us the life
God gave US, and, when not doing that,
have taken away the pleasure of living,
which is life itself. 1t is bad enough to
hack and mutilate the dead, fashioned in
the image of their Maker, but worse to
torment and kill animals that cannot help
themselves. You hurt US; did you not
hear us cry out?
Within the past year you, too, have
been our prosecutor and destroyer, and it
is given us to retaliate upon you Upon
those whom we obtain we try all manner of
physiological experiments, being guided
in our cruelty by the old law, an eye for
an eye and tooth for TOOTH The rabbit
whose kidneys you removed not long since,
and who died in the most intense agony, is
here. He shall name the kind of expert
ment we will try upon you. Rabbit, step
forward and name his fate" g.. -a
| was Mortified beyond measure. I could
not speak. | could not beg. Now | saw
it all, but too late.
An old graybeard came forward and
handed a paper to him Of the scarlet cap.
Having read it carefully, lie addressed the
assembly with: Brethren, it is the will
of our friend and fellow-sufferer, so ner
cilessly butchered by this human being,
that both his legs be broken at the thighs,
that he be then poisoned with strychnine,
In order that we may try our new antidOte
upon him. Nicotine, the active principle
fol = Il ~;
son, and has heretofore found no place in
the catalogue of useful drugs. A physi-
clan in Germany has lately been using it
as an efficient antidote IN strychnia poison
ing. We can test the truth of his state
ments by careful experiment on this
young man, and with both pleasure and
profit to ourselves"
" HOnOred President and BRETHREN - said
an old man, rising from his seat, 81 am
the dog into whose stomach this mortal
put silver tube by cutting through my
abdominal walls. He let it remain there
for months, draining away my gastric
juice day by day, starving or overlooking
me at his pleasure. | speak of these things,
not to show you what have suffered, but to
let you see that | am not biased in what
am about to say, by any desire to mitigate
this mans sufferings. The success of our
antidote experiment will, in great meas
ure, depend upon perfectly fresh and
quiescent state of the system Breaking
his legs will give rise to a certain amount
of nervous shock and after-fever, and will
render the experiment, if not failure,
certainly less satisfactory and conclusive.
Therefore, suggest that we proceed first
with the poisoning, and break the legs
afterward.''
Victim as | was, doomed to almost GER
tain death, could not but admire the
thoroughly scientific manner in which the
old man Tor dog had spoken. The vote
of the assembly being called for, they
unanimously agreed with the last speaker
1t was decided then to poison me with
strychnine. Great GOdl it was too much ;
ii was too hard. | would not submit to
it. | would spit the medicine in their
faces. | would starve to death rather than
satisfy the fiends. Obi if | had never
away from that cursed lake! But no; it
was too late-too late. My eyes were dry.
glazed and burning like Goals of fire. Per
haps they would throw pepper in them
and collect the tears for analysis. Thus
ran my thoughts
The President motioned to an old man,
who proved to be the drug gist. He came
forward and held a glass to my lips. |
struggled to turn my head aside. 1t was
useless. He poured the liquid into my
mouth and tilted my head back. trying to
make me swallow it. With a fierce effort
[ spat it out, full in his face. All! hal |
had the advantage of them. They could
not make me swallow i'll
The enraged druggist struck me in the
face, and, glazing angrlly at me, replen-
ished the glass. He held my nose and
tried to make me swallow the accursed
fluid. Again [ spat it out. A murmur of
surprise and dissatisfaction went round.
They were baffiedl Perditionl That
crafty, scientific dog again rose to speak
" Honorable President, | suggest that it
be given him by the hypodermic syringe !"
"Great Heavensl | had, not thought of
that Surely could no longer help my
self. 1t was useless to fight against my
fate. The druggist brought a little sy-
ringe about three inches in length AS a
nozzle it had golden needle perforated
Putting the hollow needle into a fresh So
luton of strychnine he drew the syringe
full, and piercing the skin on my arm
with the golden needle, pushed in the in
lection. | was furious with pain and
rage; yet 1 could not move. The mystic
1ious varnish or glue kept me immovable
| struggled in mind, but no movement of
my limbs answered the effort of my will
The sensation was something. terrible
God pity the paralyzed!
The solution of strychnia must have
been powerful one, for in few mo-
ments felt it tingling through my veins.
My head began to ache and throb; my
bones seemed to be grinding against each
other; my breath came short and quick
my heart seemed in a wise; spots danced
before my eyes; sudden tremor shook