The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-07-26
ADefence of vivisection.

Experiments on living animals may be
divided into three classes. In the first
class may be placed those experiments
in which, the animal is narcotized be-
fore the operation is begun and is killed
while still insensible to pain. This
class includes almost all vivisections in
physiology, i. e., almost all experiments
which determine directly the functions
of living organs, and almost all phar-
Theological experiments, those which
determine the action of remedies on
living organs. An example is the cut
ting of the pneumogastric nerve in the
rabbit, fully narcotized with choral,
in order that the action of this nerve
upon the respiration may be studied.
The second class consists of expert
ments in which the operation Is made
during full Inconsistencies and the an
imal then allowed to recover. The fol-
lowing illustrations will make plain the
purpose Of such work: In narcotized
dog an opening is made through the
abdominal walls into the stomach and
a short silver tube inserted. The mar
cotic is stopped. In few days the
wound heals completely. The pain of
the wound is usually so slight that
even the appetite of the dog is not af-
fected. Very exceptionally the wound
takes an unfavorable course In such
cases the dog, if seen to be suffering,
is killed. This opening into the stom-
ach enables the physiologist to deter
mine with much accuracy the digesti-
bility of foods, the nature and the
amount of absorption from the stom-
ach, the length of time that food re-
mains in this organ, the effect of rem
edies upon it's functions, and many other
matters of the first Importance.
The third class of vivisections is that
in no narcotic is given, Many opera
lions require no anaesthetic, because
they infiict little or no pain. An exam
pie is the injection of diphtheria toxine
into horses in order that the serum
of their blood may be used to destroy
the diphtheria bacillus in the very
tissues of the sick. Other operations CT
| this class do cause pain. Painful vivi-
sections, when made at all, are made
for the sake of determining functions
that are temporarily suspended by mar
| cotics. Here truth is gained at the ex-
pense of suffering because there is no
other way. Such Investigations are
| rare. 1t is asserted that vivisection is
not necessary. This we deny. Vivisec-
| ton is the unavoidable consequence of
two incontrovertible propositions; the
first, that there can be no adequate
knowledge of the whole without ade-
| quate knowledge of the parts which
| compose the whole; the second that
| the functions of the complex organs
which compose the higher vertebrae
| cannot be clearly made out by the
study of dead organs or by the observ-
| atoms Of the non-vivisected animal. II
| would be easier to create the science
| of strategy from observations on dead
soldiers than to reproduce the present
| knowledge concerning the circulation
of the blood from a study of the dead
! blood vessels. Whole series of phenom.
ena are hidden alike from the student
of lifeless tissues and from the outside
investigator who confines himself Y
man or the non-vivisected animal.
| Instances of the practical value of the
knowledge gained by vivisection are
almost numberless. The discovery OF
the restraining action OF the pneumo.
gastric nerve upon the heart disclosed
a previously unsupported attribute OF
nervous tissue, threw a searching light
far into the gloom that still enshrouds
the higher functions of the brain, anC
left an ineffaceable mark on practica
medicine. This discovery was solely
the fruit of vivisection. 1t is now but
gist Hitzig stimulated certain areas or
the exposed brain of narcotized dog
and observed that each stimulus caused
a particular group of muscles to con.
tract. This experiment has given q
mighty impulse to the diagnosis of Ger.
ebral disease, has opened the almost
superstitiously dreaded brain to the
surgeons knife, and has rescued many
who once were thought beyond the
reach of art.
It is not to be disputed that the Ger.
tain cure of any sick man depends or
the accurate determination of his dis
ease. 1t cannot be denied that clear
conception of the normal functions OF
a part is the necessary basis for the re-
cognition of the abnormality of func-
ton which constitutes disease. It fol
lows that the cure of disease must be
founded on the knowledge of the nor
NAL functions Of the body. It has beer
pointed out that this knowledge has
been gained and must continue to be
gained largely from experiments or
living animals. Vivisection is therefore
an Indispensable aid to the practice OF
medicine and the progress of medical
science, and an Indispensable agent il
the preservation of the public health
Professor William T. Porter of Harvard
Medical School in Boston Transcript.