The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-05-28
ABOUT vlvlsEor,oN.
Its Practice Necessary for the Good {
Humanity

the pamphlets which they scatter broad
cast over the land they describe bow
the professors Of physiology are treating
the poor dumb creatures, who, being
deprived by nature OF language, can not
even give expression to their pain or
accuse those who so unfeelingly cause
them to suffer.
Reading these descriptions, which un-
doubtedly are based upon facts, heart
of stone must melt in pity, and people
whose imagination permits them to put
themselves in the place Of tho dogs,
eats, rabbits and frogs are easily in
duced to petition legislation to prohibit
such practice.
Yet, says tho Boston Globe, the whole
subject has another aspect. II any Of
these humane and sensitive persons
should be inflicted with disease the
cure OF which should require not alone
o well-learned physician, but one who
could perform an operation with skill
full and steady hand, would they not
wish that such man was available2
Would they not travel from one end Of
the world to the other in order to find
the person who, by his knowledge and
skill, could prolong their lives for a
couple of years? But whence shall that
knowledge or practice come to physi-
clan II he is not allowed to experiment?
1t shocks as yet the sentimentality
Of people that the bodies of do
ceased friends should be dissect-
ed, and the students of medicine
can obtain no other specimens
than the bodies Of people who died
friendless in prisons or poor houses, or
such as grave-robbers would offer them
for sale. Yet such corpses are without
great value to science, because they
either do not show that special disease
which the professor is treating In his
lectures, or the information is lacking
in regard to the progress Of the sickness
which caused tho death. Post-mortem
examinations will have much greater
value to science when people permit the
body OF friend to be dissected when
ever the physicians who treated that
person in life desires it.
Even then, however, the study OF
medicine can not reap the full benefit.
The hand Of the physician who is to per
form the operation must be trained on
subjects in which there is life in order
that 1t may remain steady ut the time
when deviation OF millimetre from
the right line might cause the death Of
the patient
II the professors Of physiology were
men who took vulgar delight in the
agonies OF dying animals, or II the stu
dents were men who for the sake OF
pleasure crowded around the dissecting
table, or IL, finally, vast classes Of peo-
pie would become infected with the
spirit Of cruelty by the practice Of viyi'
section, the objectors would be right
but while their objections show lauda-
BILE tenderness OF heart, they go too far
and forget that those who practice Wv
isection are but very few In numbers
that they are earnest men who have q
warm heart, for their fellow-creatures,
and whose desire TO relieve suffering IL
the motive Of their apparent disregard
Of pity.
There are two more points which
need TO he answered. II Is claimed that
without any use TO science animals are
maltreated, and that, II vivisection Is Ia
be permitted 1t should be restricted rs
closely as possible. The accusation and
proposition arc both utterly false. The
result OF thousand experiments docs
perhaps not bring about the cure OF one
disease, but these experiments lead
towards the discovery Of the principles
which underiie disease, and nobody
can tell whether the next experiment
will not be followed by more brilliant
success. As every year now scholars
enter the various schools Of medicine,
the same field must be gone over by the
professor again and again. The student
must be shown by illustration how 0
muscle or . nerve In life will act when
irritated, and his hand must be trained
to operate upon living being. From
tho moment that we shall endeayor 10
limit the amount Of experiments
science will come TO q standstill.
The second point 10: Why should
these poor animals be made TO suffer fot
tho bensht Of the human being? To
this answer: Why are they killed to
be eaton by tho human being2 In this
world OF ours man takes first cognizance
Of himself and measures all that l,
right and wrong by judging how II will
affect him. II we should ever 20 30 70,
as to give tho same rights TO all sres-
lures whish We give 70 man wo would
have TO starve and 20 naked, because
even vegetarianism would be cruelty.
For all we know, even the plant mag
suffer pain while we are destroying IL
II 10 humane 10 avoid as much n
possible oil useless cruelty TO animals,
but when human welfare can be pro
NOTED through CIV isection, and human
suffering can be relieved through the
suffering ofsone animal; when, further
more, only scholars, men who are
earnest in their endoavors TO aid hu.
manity, arc allowed TO conduct such OK
perimena, we ought not 10 lot ouI
sensitiveness slop over or our sympa'
thies to shoot beyond the mark.