Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-01-31
TALKING OF VIVIsECTION.
Doctors and Humanitarian Before
the Commissioners.

the Commissioners.
A hearing was given by the District Com
missioners yesterday upon Senate bill 1852,
which has for its object the further pre-
vention of cruelty to animals. The ILL Is
intended to prevent vivisection.
When the hearing commenced, large
number of prominent physicians, patholo-
gists and psychologists, as well as num-
Der of ladies and gentlemen Interested in
the protection of dumb brutes, were Ires-
ent to take part in the discussion. Mr..
Crammond Kennedy, representing the HUI
name Society, was the first speaker, and
made an argument in favor OF the bill. DR..
Busey, speaking for the medical fraternity
In opposition to the bill as drawn, said it
would entirely prohibit vivisectIon under
any conditions, and for that reason should
be defeated. DR.. Busey made an argument
in favor Of vivisection, under proper re-
strctions, and rehearsed the many import
ant discoveries that had been made by it's
use, and the millions Of lives it had saved
DR.. Busey was followed by Mr.. r. Ross
Perry, who spoke against vivisection. DIR.
A. Levrfngwell of Cambridge, vino devotes
large portion of his time to the subject of
preventing crueities upon dumb creatures,
spoke for nearly an hour. While he be-
lieved in vivisection, he was convinced that
the practice should be regulated by law, for
many unnecessary cruelties, he said, were
daily practiced on animals. He had seen, in
his experience, cruelties practiced under the
guise Of science that made his heart re-
volt. He admitted the great aid vivisection
had been to medical science, but thought
experiments should be taken out of the
hands of the inexperienced, and properly
restricted. When asked by Commissioner
TrueSdell II the present bill was properly
drawn, he replied that it was not such a
bill as he would recommend. 1t was such
an important matter, however, that he pre-
ferrcd to put his opinion in writing
Surgeon General Sternberg of the army
the next speaker, said, in opening that lie
objected to being classed as an inhumane
man. He had done great deal of vivisec-
ton, and had seen a great many expert
ments in the laboratories of the world Yet
that was not fully Justified 1t was often
necessary, to prove an experiment, that the
animal operated upon should suffer- hut
whenever 1t was possible, anaesthetics
were employed. AS for himself, he was op-
posed to inhumanity in all forms, and
would not be the means of producing main
in dumb animals for the purpose of illus
trating a fact that had already been
proved. But vivisection, he claimed, was
necessary. All of the great discoveries of
the medical world, he said, We're directly
due to vivisection, and all future knowi-
edge depended upon it. The bill under dis
cusSion, he said, was cunningly drawn ard
it would absolutely prevent experiments If
1t became a law. In fact, calf could not
be vaccinated unless, according to one nro-
vision of the bill, it was first anaesthetized
In reply to a question, he said he did not
think any legislation was need I'D on the
subject.
Commissioner Truesdell suggested that
Gen. Sternberg and Mr.. Crammond Ken
nedy get together and decide upon a bill.
and the former expressed his Willingness
to serve upon any committee, If the Com.
missioners thought legislation necessary.