San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-06-26
INGERsoLL ON vIvIsECTION.
He Calls 1t the He'll of Science, and
Scores Vivisectionists.


Scores Eivisectionists.
Special to the Globe Democrat.
Boston, Mass, une 25.-Robert G..
Ingersoll has addressed the following
letter to q Boston philanthropist on
the evils of vivisection:
Phillip G. Peabody, ESQ., Boston,
Mass: My DEAR FRIEND: Vivisec-
ton is the inquisition-the hell-of
science. All the cruelty which the
human, or rather the inhuman, heart
is capable of intlicting is in this one
word. Below this there is no depth;
this word lies like a coiled serpent
the bottom of the abyss. We
can excuse, in part, the crime of pas
sion. We take into consideration the
fact that man Is liable TO be caught
by the whirlwind, and that from a
brain on fire the soul rushes to
crime, but what excuse can ingenuity
form for a man who deliberately and
with an unaccelerated pulse. with
the calmness of John Calvin at the
murder of Servetus, seeks with Curl
Gus and cunning knives in the living,
quivering flesh of dog, for the throb-
bling nerves of pain? The wretches
who commit these infamous crimes
pretend that they are working for
the good of man, that they are actu.
ated by philanthropy; and that their
pity for the sufferings of the human
race drives out all pity for the anil
mails. They slowly torture them to
death, but those who are incapable of
plying animals are, as matter of
fact, incapable of plying men. A
physician who would cut a living
rabbit in pieces-laying bare the
nerves. denuding them with knives,
pulling them out with forceps-would
not hesitate to try experiments with
men and women for the gratifi-
cation of his curiosity. To settle
some theory he would trifle with the
life of any patient in his power. BY
the same reasoning he will justify
the vivisection of animals and
patients. He will say that it is bet
ter that few animals should suffer
than that one human being should
die, and that it is far better that one
patient should die, if, through sacri-
flee of that one, several may be saved.
Brains without a heart is far more
dangerous than heart without brains.
Have these scientific assassins dis
covered anything of value? They
may have settled some disputes as to
the action of some organ, but have
they added to the useful knowledge
of the race? 1t is not necessary for
man to be specialist in order to have
and express his opinion as to the
right or wrong of vivisectiOn. 1t is
not necessary to be scientist or a
natura list to detest cruelty and to love
mercy. a bOve all the discoveries of
the thinkers, above all the inventions
of the ingenious, above all the victor
les won on fields of intellectual con-
tlict, rise human sympathy and
sense of justice. / know that good
for the human race can never be &C
cOmplished by torture. l also know
that all that has been asCertalned by
vlvisectiOn could have been done by
the dissection of the dead or, at least
Of animals completely and perfectly
under The merciful influence of ether.
| know that all the torture has sim
ply hardened the hearts OF the GRIM
inals without enllghtening their
minds. 1t may be that the human
race might be physically improved
if all the sickIy and deformed babes
were killed and if all the paupers,
liars, drunkards, thieves, villains,
and vivisectionists were murder
ed. All this might, in few
ages, result in the production of a
generation of physically perfect men
and women, healthy and heartless,
muscular and cruel-that is to-day,
| 4 l.
he the friend OF one who vivisects his
feIlow-creatures. I do not wish to
touch his hand. When the angel of
pity is driven from the heart, when
the fountain Of tears is dry, the soul
becomes a serpent crawling in the
dust of desert. Thanking you for
the good your are doing, and wishing
you the greatest success, | remain,
yours always.
| Signed r. G. INGER~OLL.
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