New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-11
WHAT HAS VIVISECTION GAINED?

ALI. ITS CLAIMS DENIED on ITS OWN PROOFS
TO the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: In an article in The Herald" it was alleged
that important benefits 10 mankind have been gained
by vivisection; in other words, by the cruel and
revolving practice of experimenting upon living an
finals. VIII you allow me space for the reply that
the publisher of this msstatement refuses TO print
The writer that article twice says that the circu
ton of blood discovered by means OF vivisec-
ton by Harvey This is aftcrward repeated in the
list given by Dr. Shrdy Of the great discoveries made
through this agency. This statement is most posi-
lively untrue, and surprised that any physician
or any scientist should make IT, after the contradiction
that nv colleagues and ] have given TO the assertion
in pamphlets, in newspaper articles and In magazines.
j quote Ilarvey's own words. Robert Boyle says in
his book:
remember that when I asked famous Harvey.
in the only discourse had with him (Which was but
little while before hc,ded) what were the things that
induced him 70 think of circulation of the blood. he
in the veins of so many parts of the body were 50
placed that they free passage 10 the blood toward
contrary way he was melted To think that 50 prov
idcnt cause nature had not placed 50 many
valves without a design, and design seemed more
probable than that, since the blood could not because
Of the nterpong valves be sent by the veins 70 me
limbs il should through the arteries and should
return through the veins, Whose valves dld not oppose
the course that way.
SO this discovery the result Of Harveys study
Of the dead body, and that alone.
The second claim to great benefits arising from vivi-
section on DR.. Shrady's list is the function of the
spinal nerves" il IS evident that this eminent sur
geonn has not read the article written by me that ap
pearcd IN The Forum of last March. Otherwise he
could not continue repeat the hackneycd arguments
OF the vvisectOrs which there concusvcy dis
proved by the words Of the very men who made the
discoveries The function of the spinal nerves. was
first made known b ,le world by the great English
surgeon sir Charles Bell When speaking Of this dis
covery In his work on the Nervous system he says
In foreign review Of my former papers. the results
have been conceded in favor of experimenting on
living animals. They the contrary. deductions
from anatomy. and | have had recourse to expert
ments not 10 form NY opinions, but % Impress them
upon others II must De my apology that my utmost
powers Of persuasion were lost while urged my state
ments on the ground Of anatomy alone.
So this is another Of ths great results Of close study
of the dead body and has nothing whatever to do with
vivsecton further than that Sir Charles Bell made use
OF experiments to those who were incredulous
of the truth of his discovery.
The third claim that Dr. shrady makes is that
OF the action of Gavanc currents, and this.
too is attributed to vviscCton whereas, If he had
investigated the subject little further, he would have
found out that Galvani's discovery was not made
through experiments upon living animals, but upon
dead ones. Over the balcony Of the house where ne
lived In Bologna Is inscription saving that GAvam
made his great discovery by means of morte rane y
dead frogs. HIS wife had prepared some frogs for
supper and hung them from copper spit III the bal
cony Galvani noticed that whenever the legs OF the