Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-03-04
THE INTERESTS OF SCIENCE
Discussion of Viviseo:ioo Before the An
thropoogioal Society.
It's Value and Necessity Maintained by
Surgeon General Sternberg and
Other Speakers. ;.

Other Speakers.
Vivisection, its advantages to science and
the objections to it from a humanitarian
point Of view, was the subject of an inter-
est ting discussion before the Archaeological
Society last evening. The meeting was held
in the assembly hall of the Cosmos Club and
attracted large and brilliant audience.
The principal speaker of the evening was
Surgeon General George M. Sternberg Of the
army, who read a scholarly paper on ''Viyi-
section, Its Objects and Results" The dis
cussion which followed the paper was open
ed by DR.. Frank Baker, who spoke on the
relations of vivisection to ethics and human
welfare. OF those who took part in the dis
cussion only one was opposed to the prac-
tee.
said that by dissection of dead plants and
animals only can we determine the nature of
their functions. The study of the results of
disease processes in the post-mortem room
cannot settle questions, he said, relating to
the etiology of disease, it's mode of trans
mission, if infectious, it's clinical history or
its treatment. These are questions which
concern patient and physician, and scientific
medicine depends upon their solution by
scientific methods-that is, by experiment.
Progress in the biological sciences calls
for experiments on living things. the term
vivisection originally related only to cutting
operations upon living animals. Its use has
been extended by those who have been led
to enter upon a crusade against experiments
on living animals, SO that now 1t includes all
experiments to which they are subjected.
Thus, sad the speaker, the injection Of
bacteria under the skin of a guinea pig be-
comes vivisection. 1t is by experiments of
this kind that our knowledge of disease
germs has been acquired, ard without such
experiments 1t would be absolutely impossi-
BILE to distinguish the harmless bacteria and
the deadly germs Of tuberculosis, cholera, ty-
phoid fever, puerperal fever. anthrax and
the like, which are now well known In path
illogical Laboratories.
Such experiments have resulted in an i'm
mense saving of human life. yet the anti
vivisectionists insist that they are unjustifi-
able. and would enact measures calculated
to entirely arrest all profitable research In
this most important department of human
knowledge.
More Facts Needed.
Continuing General Sternberg said that
when the dissection of dead plants and
animals was first practiced there was great
opposition to 1t on the part of those who
did not realize what could be accomplished
thereby. One great fault that has serious
ly retarded the progress of medicine is that
there has been altogether too much deduc-
ten from insufficient data. This is proved
curious feature of the times, the re-
vival of interest in palmistry. faith
cure and matters Of that sort, and the
absolute reliance which a great many peo-
pie place in the virtues of patent medi-
cin's as panaceas for all ills. If one con-
troverts the views of a believer in any of
these he will be met by the recital of solne
particular incident. unsupported, which an
su erS the purpC Sc of absolute proof to the
credulous. This sort of credence is not
altogether lacking in the medical profess
sion. Final conclusions cannot always be
reached by chemical methods but much
must be done by hospital experiments
These often furnish extremely valuable
additions to our scientific knowledge, but
1t is not always possible to carry these
experiments sufficiently far. Fuller and
tanned by experiments on the lower ami
mails in the hands of a master.
He quoted. in support of his position. the
story of one of Pasteur's experiments by
means of which, sacrificing the lives CT a
few animals, he discovered the bacillus Of
anthrax, and thereby saved the lives of
millions of animals. The fact that anthrax
incubation is now so generally practieed
was due to Pasteur's work, which could
never have been carried through without
yivisection. Formerly ten per cent of all
the sheep and five per cent of all the cattle
in France died from this disease, and his
study Of the nalady has resulted in
saving. IN France alone, Of 5,GO,OOO francs
a year for sheep and 2,OO0OO0 francs
worth of cattle. He also spoke of Pasteurs
experiments on the subject of hydrophobia,
pointing out the tremendous blessings
which have accrued to the human race
from the work of the famous French scien-
fist, work, however, which necessitated
the sacrifice of few animals. AS result
of his experiments and study, mortality
fl ON hydrophobia among human beings has
been reduced to less than one per cent. In
a record of 416 cases of people who had
been bitten by animals known beyond ques-
ton to have been mad, treated by the
Pasteur method. not one died.
Advance In Science.
Viv:section has resulted in a great in
crease in the exactness of medicine and sur
gerry, and airy further progress in biology
calls for experiments upon living things.
In the consideration of vivisection is placed
on the one side the tremendous advance in
science. the increased immunity from dis
ease and the great saving to the material
wealth Of the world, while on the other side
of the balance is the thought Of the ami
n ais, comparatively few in number, which
have been sacrificed. AS human lives are too
sacred to risk in solving the questions OF
pathogenic potency, we resort to lower ami
mails, and vivisection has resulted in
81 eat saving of human life. The painful
dissections made by the early investigators,
and necessary in the beginning, are rarely,
If ever, made nowadays. The statements
presented by the ultra NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
that unnecessary cruelty Is used and that
many exper- mentors seem to take an actual
delight in the sufferings of their victims,
Gen. Sternberg char aete lied as a gross and
urfounded calumny. Vivisec.ion Is prac-
ticed by members of the humane profession
of science in the interests Of humanity
Those who deny that any valuable results
have ever accrued from vivisection simply
show how ignorant they are, and only prove
themselves fit subjects for a course Of ele-
mentary lectures.
The discovery of anti-toxn is one Of the
blessings that has resulted from expert
ments upon the lower animals. Scientists
would have to stop just where they are to-
day If they were prevented now altogether
from the practice of vivisection. In secur-
ing the ant-toxin, very little suffering is
inflicted upon the horse, from which 1t is
obtained, but it must then be tested upon
guinea pigs to determine its character and
potency. If We object to using guinea pigs
for this purpose, then we are compelled to
act bltndly and must take our chances v it'll
the children.
In conclusion, DIR. Sternberg characterized
as we'll meaning, but i'll advised, the efforts
of those people who seek, by organization,
agitation. and In every other way to hinder
or absolutely put a stop 20 practice which
Is recognized as necessary to any further
advance in scientific medicine.
Due to Vivisectfon.
DR. RaEer considered tho oras+3on S,o,.