The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-06-12
vlvIsECTI0N AND ITS RESULTS.

Vivisectlon is one of the first fruits of
the introduction of scientific methods in
medicine. 1t has been widely condemned
by those who have sympathy for the brute
creation on account of the suffering some
times caused to animals experimental
on. That in some instances has un-
doubtedly been great but the discover
les made by such means have diminished
the sum of human suffering and have
heightened the average of life. The i'm
portance of the facts Of pathology and
physiology which have been revealed by
this method Of study can be appreciated
fully only by those who have a considerable
KNOWLEDGE of medicine. But the general
reader will be able to appreciate what good
has resulted from the use of the scientific
method in therapeutics. the study and the
effect of medicines in disease.
1t was only by such Acknowledgment
ment upon aDimals-that the virtues of
choral hydrate, sulphonal, paraldehyde
and drugs of a similar character were
ascertained. Now those unfortun ates who
have experienced the physical prostration
caused by lack of sleep, who have suffered
the tortures of nervous prostratioD, think
better Of the way through which relief has
come to them. The antiseptic effect of
iodoform. the virtues of antipyrin in fever,
Of jab0randi in dropsy, of nilro-Rlycerine
in sclatiea, were discovered through expert
ment. So with salicylic acid in rheumatic
fever. strychnine in nerve prostration,
nitrate of amyl in commissions of ura-
mia and epilepsy. carbolc acid in prevent
ing blood poisoning, tetanus, fever and
gangrene.
Probably no discovery has contributed
so much to lessening the mortality of
woman at childbirth as that relating to the
effects of ergot. Pepsin and pancreatin
owe their use to the discoveries made
through scientific experiment, and to them
hundreds of Thousands of children eve
their lives, and they have aided patients
suffering from debilitating diseases to re-
cover perfect health. The discovery by
experiment of the effects upUn the small
blood vessels of the application of ice has
rendered that article a most important
agent in the treatment Of certain classes
of affections. Experiment on animals has
also revealed the mistaken ideas 10 which
observation of the effects of medicine
upon people who were i'll gave rise. A
notable instance is found in the case of
digltalis. It had heen used for three hun
fred years as a sedative for the heart, and
was administered in cases of aueurlsm-a
thinning of the walls of the arteres-to
render the heart beats less violent and
thus diminish the danger of rupture of the
weakened vessels. 1t was supposed that
the irregular action of the heart, which
often occurred in these cases, was due 10
excessive stimulation, and that it was so
strong as to render rupture OF an aneurism
possible. Hence digitaIis was used to
weaken the force of the heart beats. Ex-
pertinent, however, showed that the IT.
regular action was due 10 heart weakness,
and that digitalis acted as stimulant,
making the beats stronger. and thus iu-
creasing the danger of rupture. Science
here corrected deductions which had been
accepted for three centuries. and showed
that the facts were exactly the opposite of
the conditions supposed.