New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-06
JAMES VI. GREGORY.
-. T.. Wl>EMhN.
W. IL. BROOKS.
VI. j. NAILDR.
DOES NIyI~FCrION LEAD To cEIMEf

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: What +, the underlying cause e. that mys
rerlous outbreak ~ homicide among young physicians
revealed by The criminal records Of 1r02l When
rirlnan was murdered ny Hr. Webster In November.
l-4g II was an event monarouS and unprcccc'ntfi
that for 4 cuartcr Of Il century it was the subject OF
comment In Great irlap no EnglisD physician has
been found guilty Of murder fer many years Dr.
Cream VS. - Canadi,n and Dr. LnnlSon. Who poisoned
BIS invalid brother In l792 Tor th" -ak" Of Little
money was said to be- 10y naturalization. cliIcn OF
inc United ,ilir.. Bnt look at the strange record
for Loo First Dr. C-ram. Canadian physician.
cNccutcd IN London. l@!2 for the murder of Young
women. object. amu~' mcni The pleasure OF billing
second Dr. Graves. American physician: foGnd guilty
u murder ,y l-i~on. in Col Iraio. lo': Object
money Thlrl. Dr. II. VI. scuddcr. American phrsl-
cin ION aud grandson OF eminent clersymrn. charged
with murdo- uf Wifr'S mother In Chicago. le9..
Object money. Escaped trial 10y suicide in jail.
Fourth Dr. Robert ". Buchanan. found guilty OF
wife ,l.onln; New Ork l,32. object. money. fih.
,arlvi" Harris, medical student "~cut'd May. 1893: ut
IA, AK. Of twenty three, for Erociou~ murder Of youne
wife hy poison. object. unknown Putting aside
hypothesis OF innocence. thi, most striking case
Of complete atrophy Of the moral sense.
Nov nature plays game Of sequence: there
+ no ,rcct without q cause. The great crimes OF
history may L often traced the education Of youth
It =, lust a century this present time since France
was shaken with commissions and drunken with blood.
b lchind the atrocities Of ~ the student OF his
tory VIII see popuacr watching the melted lead
poured into flesh Of DamenI, or the Wild horses
tearing him asundcr I'm the presence Of Louis Nv
and his court That utter decentralization OF society
which preceded the downfall Of the Roman Empire was
accomplished largely hy making mon familiar Win
torture. In his History Of EUROPEAN Morals, Mr..
Lccby tells III that. horrible aS was the hlo"iShcd
of giadatorla spcctaclcs. these games were perhaps
s,l more pcrnicons account of the oaIonsness OF
"a Apria all
Is it possible that the pctrifacton OF pity 10 which
educated young men must arrive before they can
murder gain those who hay" cOndcd IN them hhs
been In any caused by their familiarity Win he
torture animals wit pout other object than the sra'
hcn,ion of curiosity
THIS Is serious question. To what l'nstlS n"'
restrained by law or tlleion. scientific investigator
sometimes permits himself 10 ~, we may see ~
the work OF Professor Mantesnza. entitled the
"pnysology OF Pain The object Of his researches
and experiments was plrcly scientific II mad no ria'
ton to the treatment Of diScaSc; and its method was
the torture Of animals. one OF his devices lo'
creating extreme agony IS very ancient; II WAS 10
nail the feet OF The aniul. In cruciNion, 80 That
ty every movement It's torture world he Increased
To cxaspcratc pain. the Ingenious professor IN
vented a machine which he called the "tormen'or.'
With II he says, 81 can take m ear. or u paw or a
piece OF skin and 10y turning til" handle squeeze IL
beneath the teeth of The pincers: ! can lit tic
animal by the suffering part | can tear II ard
crush IL In all sorts OF ways one experiment WIS
on a gulnca-pis nursing It's Young another upon n
rnlbIt which after being tortured two hours IN the
.tormenor' has four long nail, stuck In i,s feet
whereby the professor succeeds In producing In
Tense pain Two other animals after being tor.
m"nted for two hours In the t0rmcntor' are lnrded
viii long thin nails. they suffer horribly and
'hnt in the machine two hours more. they rush
."anst each other. in.crlaccd with mouths open.
advanced In pregnancy WAS mcdc 10 endure doiorl
trncsslmI - so that II was impossible TO make oh
Saryotions on account of It's commissions. All these
ynrrimcnts extending over a year. were conducted.
,,,ynnzn moltissimL" with great delight and cx-
inrc natIrncc!7 And what results We're gnlncd
NonIne absolutely nothing by which medical science
i,. proGtrd In the treatment Of disease But
. pr, such experiments impossible In this country
M, nj ALL Everything is lawful; everything is
po,sblc Public sentiment as yet does not ask ior
unH i amount OF vhScction practisd IN
tmcrIca there no Indications OF any restrictions
hclnr imposcd.' SAYS tlr author OF report on
Id Ioricnl teaching In Colleges published recently
80 w. ' Washington Bureau Of Education. But what
n ou h the effect OF such methods Of teaching upon
The minds OF young me" tcc wee hhe nS experience
uhu vn,ch ihc students ut n yiySection; It Is the
ood nnt suffering not III" scencc that rlvets their
hrcnil les, attention. II hospital experience makes
,Henis less tender of suffering. vyisecton dcadcns
' Immunity and b,gets Indifference to it," says
nv Henry j. Bigclow, late professor OF surgery In
49, u.ryord University Medical school Going even
oN"m," H., n"htnn IIr Medical Registrar AT Truity
"l,er. Dublln lie says; Il would shrink win
Sorrnr from accus,oong Glasses OF young men to INC
.Icht Of animals under 'Nisectoh believe tIa.
slsn v nf Them would become cruel and hardened
"' and the world would have let loose upon IL
set OF yon a,o not an antl-vvseconist; do not