The New York herald., 1879-10-02
VIVISECTION.
PROFESSOR THOMAS HAWKINS DEFENDS THE
PRACTICE AND souNDLY RATES ITS LEADING

PROFESSOR THOMAS HAWKINS DEFENDS THE
PRACTICE AND souNDLY RATES ITS LEADING
OPPONENT
On the occasion of the opening exercises OF the
second winter season Of the Columbia Veterinary
College, at No. a17 East Thirty fourth street, last
evening" an address vivisection, by Professor
Thomas II. Hawkins. read by Professor Bates'
in which Professor Hawkins (who was prevented
by indisposition from reading his own ao-
dress) took up tho cudgels for the ViVi-
sectonists against the attacks of Mr. Henry Bergh'
and in turn handled that gentleman with no great
tenderness Indeed. it became quite manifest from
the tenor of the address that il vivisection Is 70
be s.opped entirely by the law Professor Hawkins
would at least like to enjoy the hnal priv
ilege of vivisectng the President OF the
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals After vigorously denouncing the
sensational and ''exaggcratcd" statements OF Mr..
Dergh in regard TO vivisection. Professor Hawkins
placed him deliberately among 'halt witted fools.
enthusiasts, riders of hobbies and narrowminded.
uneducated and uncultivated men,. Professor
Hawkins claimed that by far the greatest number
made with the use OF an9sthetics. and
that in but very few cases was pain
necessary and right for man to slay animals in
order exist and to prosper it equally right
and happiness. In every case where the object OF
vivisection to benefit mankind it was. in his
opinion. justified Professor Hawkins asserted that
without vivisection the science OF physiology,
with it's immense results. would be still almost
unborn. and that no important physiological prob
lem since the time of Gaen had been solved
without the aid of vivisection. He pointed at the
results achieved through vivisection by Alagendie.
who. after killing number OF dogs-aileged 10 have
been about thousand-establshcd the distinction
between the motor and the sensory nerves; by Har-
vey. who 1916 discovered the circulation Of the
blood; by Marshall Hail. who demonstrated impor-
tant principles regarding reflex action. and oy
Haller. who laid the foundation of the phys
iology OF the nervous system. What would
now DO known about digestion had not Bassows and
Blondlot III 1912 and 1o43 experimental on dogs by
means Of gastric fstulae? Almost nothing. The
speaker, in pursuing this train OF argument also
referred to John Hunter "the father OF modern sur
gery;' to Chaveau. to Claude Bernard mastery of
the mystery of Diabetes and to to other eminent viv
sectionists. to prove what vivisocton had already
done for science ana how impossible further medical
progress would still be without 1t. He concluded
by expressing the hope that the vivisectionists
would not go to State prison desired by Mr.
Bergh, but that on the contrary Mr.. Bergh's place
as well as al high positions In his % society would
lists. The address was heartily applauded by the
small but intelligent assemblase. who had come to
listen to it and who appeared to be particularly
pleased with its frequent satrical aud denunciatory
thrusts ut Mr. Bergh.
MR.. BERGHs STATEMENTS CHALLENGED AND
THE FAME OF HARVEY vINDIcATED--THE
VALUE OF INVESTIGATION ON THE LIVING
SUBJECT.
NEW YORK, Oct l, 1873.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD-
In your valuable paper find letter from Mr.
Bergh answering some Of the points advanced in
defence of vivsection in former letter. Ihope you
will allow to correct MIR. Bergh when he states
fell into popular II not universal error by stating
that Harvey discovered the circulation of the blood
do not admit the error. but repeat. with as much
force as possible that Harvey was the first who
actually demonstrated the general circulation of the
blood from the left side of the heart by the aorta.
aud its subdivisions to the right side by the
VEINS and this he discovered by his Investigations
on animated nature by means Of vivisection. tSee
"Exercitatio Anatomica de Motu Cords ct Saugu-
inis in Anamalibus." 1921 This point is conceded
by every scientific man who has thoroughly investi-
gated the subject.
1t is that Servetus in his treatise ode Trini-
tatis Errorbus. published in 1881. maintained the
transition Of the blood by what he termed un-
known route through the lungs from the right to
the left side of the heart; but this description was
merely incidental to rhe developments OF theory OF
the soul he advanced. 1t IS also true that Colum-
bus. i'll 1863. announced the circular course
own. But the announcement falls to the
ground as scientific fact II his de-
&c cription did not come up the standard of perfect
demo onstration. This is considered the case for
after this announcement Cesalpinus, OF Arezzo. by
his investigations. gave more complete views OF the
Amatus Lusitanies. Eustachius and Piccolhominus
investigated the valves OF the veins and it owing
the fact OF fabrcius explaining and
them to Harvey at Padua that this ambitious investi-
gator from elaborate experiments was able to demon
strate in all its pcrfectness not only of the small but
of tho general circulation OF the blood Science does
not accept poetical or imaginative speculation, but
only actual demonstrations II from Harvey is to
be taken the glory attached to this then
from Morse must be taken the glory of practical
teiegraphy and from Columbus the discovery Of
America.
rp uIrNfAN rAprANr
Much as We are compelled to admire the feelings
which prompt a man to protect the brute from
cruelty IN every lorm, still ambition should have
reasonable boundary and exceptions should be made
when results to be obtained are for the benefit OF
mankind, who themselves are able to perpetuate
such feelings. am not in favor by any means Of
promscuou vvisection among animals, and believe
that 1t only should be encouraged the benefit of
science-the solving Of some grand problem of life;
and further would urge that dissection OF the in
animate body should take its place whenever it is
possible. But let sacrifice not nine dogs out of
ten. but ninety out of hundred to the knife OF
the vivisector. u by so doing he discover
secret which will be benefit to mankind.
Mr.. Bergh dislikes my statement that NEARLY ali
that Is known in physiology has been obtained by
experiments on living animals" and brings high
authority to state that great many discoveries
made have been of no advantage to science. This
latter part be true but it does alter the
assert and can verify by stating that 1t would be
difficult to enumerate many important discoveries
which would be complete unless at least part OF the
investigation necessary to arrive at them
Quoted the animal in life. Surely the discovery
of the possibility of the transtusion Of blood
from animal to another IL an impor-
tant discovery, also the investigations
of natural and tcial respiration and of the study
OF the various digestive secretions important How
IL 1t possible to investigate the poison and its anti
dote except on the living animaly Should expert
ments bo conducted on human beings? How many
lives dear to us all have passed away under the in
wss unknown How happy would ths manv q
be who have boon swept out of existence from eating
tho toadsool f they had known that atropia is tho
proper antidotc for the poisonous alkaloid musca-
rine of the toadstool?
Instead of doing away with viviscction let us do
away with unnecessary vivisection--in other words
let us act like human beings. having feeling for the
brute as well rs for the benefit OF mankind.
HENRY A. MOTT JR., Phi. d.