Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-03-21

Considerable Extent, Upon the Mental
Element Animals of "A Low Grade
Some Cases in Point.
Of course do not intend 10 assert that
thrrr Is no physical pain, but We do assert
that apart from mel s:al activity the degree of
pain which exists thI Ioughout the domain Of
animal lIfr is relatively ~ much less than
what our S-n>atiDns induce Us u believe that,
If we We're ahle u eli inmate the mental eI.,-
ment in our experience, the pains we 50 often
t-ar would lo~e, not their existence certainly,
hut most surely all their severity. We pro
pos" to show our reasons for such n belief
The first point is this: all animals If lower
grade than human suffer very much ltss pain
from physical injuries than our own sensa-
tluns convey to US. We can readily see the
proof Of this in their habitual actIons Many
VI the Startishes detach parts Of their arms,
at the very smallest provoCatiun, and remain
unnjured by the change or loss. The Hol-
OthurIans pinch their bodies by contractions
Of their circular MUSCLES until the pUst-rior
PORTIONS drop of in successive fragments and
perish. This they would scarcely do if the
process involved .,ain.
CHOPPING A saARK-wOUNDED DEER
ing to the fishes, It Is fact well known to all
anglers that fish which has torn away the
hook from a line in its struggles To escape will
take the halt again soon as its fright has
passed of, and while the hook still remains IL
the jaw which it has perforated Catching
SWELL (Tetrodon turgidus in shallow
water, and dropping it overheard as of nc
value, You may any day Sc 1t swim to the
bottom and take your bait as quick as it
reaches there.
In cutting in" whale in the low latitudes,
sharks swarm around eager for food As
they may cause danger to the two men who
are at work on the body OF the whale il Is
customary to place a man on watch with
whaling spade to drive them away It Is
great fun for him, and he CHOPS the sharks
without mercy. Very often a vigorous blow
Of his keen-edged spade lays the whole side
Of SHARK open, leaving his intestines ex-
posed and floating out from his abdomen as
he swiuEs, and vet this does not stop him or
se,.n at the first to cause him any special an
noyance, for he snaps up every bite Of blub-
Der he can let aS readily AS before.
But 1t may lie said that these are cold
bl"oded animals, and probably very little
sensitive Turning, then, to a grade much
higher, a single incident may suffice to illus
trate our point as we'll As a detail Of many
others could do. One day young deer was
brought into camp whose fOreleg had been
brukrn by shot. In the hope of saving il
for a children's pet, we decided to amputate
the leg near the shoulder No chlorOfOrm
was at hand, and the amputation was made
without any anasthetic. This very subject
Of pain in animals We bad in careful consid
Grafton at the time, and we watched for its
manifestation But scarcely the slightest
sign Of it was apparent. The eye of a deer Is
Slngularly expressive; and if any faith can
be placed in such tokens, the actual pain
which that fawn experienced during the
operation was certainly very slight.
PHYSICAL ENDURANCE Of sAvAGEs.
Once more, and coming still higher We
recognize the fact, which Is perfectly well
know, that savages of the human race nav
small attention to injuries at which our more
polished classes would manifest intense suffer
ing. 1t may be said that 1t Is because they
take pride Ill enduring the pain, and there
fore make no manifestations. This NAV
possibly be true i'll some cases, as for instance
III the Presence Of hostile aSsailants, etc, but
other circumstances show quite conclusively
that they really feel the pain in only small
measure. One of the missionaries III Damara-
land stated, not long since, that the natives
there are constantly covered with blisters
which to US would be fearfully distressing,
but which they almost totally disregard. The
origin Of the blisters Is the curious point
They crowd up closely TO their camp fire.
for the sake Of the pleasant warmth, that the
skin Is burnt before they become conscious OF
the fact, and the heavy bilSters are the re
suit
Still again, every surgeon sees convincing
proof i'll his daily experience that the sensi-
tiveness of his various patients varies SO
widely that there must be some cause for II
beyond that which Is physical. Scientific
American