The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-25

Y Y Y Y
DR.. George p. Shrady was asked to
state his opinion for or against vivisec-
ton. AS editor of the Medical Record,
he has kept abreast of general opinion
on this subject, and is well qualified to
speak. He said:
Wen, you know L am considered to
be an arch fiend on this subject by the
ANTS, but, as a matter of fact, my
disposition is such that viViSection,
when L am present, causes me more
pain than it does the animals. My gen
eral attitude in the matter was nodded,
1 suppose, by an incident which oc-
CURED early in my career. remember
was demonstrating some nerve func-
lions to class of students, and found
1t impossible to get on, because I had
no subject with which to illustrate my
remarks. I should have had an ami
NAL present. We were in q quandary,
WHEN q. beggar entered the room with
a poor, mean little cur, and one Of the
students remarked, Doctor, there is q
subject for US The man was asked
how much he would sell his dog for,
and he said so cents. We bought the
dog. Then I tried to kill that dog in
the manner ordinarily employed, but
missed the vital part which should
have been touched with my instru-
ment. Then 1 tried to choke the ami
nal, but it looked up at me in such a
pitiful way that could not do it.
AGAINST VIVISECTION.
Nov, 1 do not think that the prac-
tice Of vivisection in schools can be
justified from any standpoint 1t is
wrong every way you look at it. But,
on the other hand, vivisection is abso-
lutely necessary from the point of view
of higher science. There are certain
things which can be found out only
through the destruction Of and expert
mentlng upon these lower forms of Gre
alton. L might say that nearly every
thing we have learned from the time
Of Jenner to the present day, and par
ticularly what we know Of the action
of the nervous system, is due TO ami
NAL experimentation In view OF this.
therefore, the opposition Of the anti
viVisectiOnists is q blow at the higher
science. If the thing could be argued
out on a fair basis from each side, it
might be adjusted, but the opponents
of Vivisection do not seem to care to
do this. They can see nothing but their
own side of the story. AS 1 have said.
/ cannot speak strongly enough against
Vivisection in the schools. but when
it is practiced for scientific purposes.
we have but to point to nature as an
al Ql4CAll III Ldf u u IL Nature ner-
self is cruel in her methods, and while
we may interpret her. we cannot alter
her laws. The law Of the survival of
the httest holds good in this case. The
lower and weaker forms must succunlb
for the benefit Of the larger ones.
AIDS IN PREVENTION OF DISEASE
Now, the preventing of disease is
quite as important as the getting of the
/, --e-+.,- &c
that Sustenance, it is one of nature S
laws that one animal shall Kill another.
so, in order to find out the laws which
govern disease, it is necessary that the
lower forms in the animal kingdom
shall be experimental upon. Is if not
better that a dog should die than that
we should have no knowledge of con-
tagious diseases, or of the actions of
pOiSonS, or OF the other branches nj
medicine which have been studied. and
can be studied, only through animal
experimentation?
You viii observe also that I used
the term animal experimentation in
preference to ViVisection for il is NOT
always necessary to hurt an animal in
experimenting upon it. My experience
has been that in every university every
precaution is taken to prevent the ami
NAL from suffering. If it is purposed To
experiment upon certain parts of the
body, you viii find in most cases that
connection with the brain is cut off or
stupefed, so that the irritation of fine
parts viii not be felt by the animal In
fact, the practice of vivisection in coll
legeS is necessity.
Il ana opposed to many Of the l11x11-
rieS of life but when its necessities are
considered, nothing should stand in the
way. I viii willingly do without INV
own dinner If the getting of the food
viii cause pain to certain animals
That is a thing which concerns me
alone, but if I can further the ciIrino
of disease by experimenting upon anil
mails, consider that experimentation
TO be not only just, but necessary
DR.. Frederick S. Lee, demonstration
and lecturer on physiology in Columbia
college medical laboratory, was en-
phatic and TO the point in his opinion
OF the necessity for vivisection. His
experience covers fifteen years. He
said:
Opponents of vivisection are accus.
toned to make two claims: First. thai
vivisection is cruel, since it causes
pain; and, secondly, that it is unnec.
essary. since 1t results in no pratical
benefits
FEW PAINFUL OPERATIONS.
Regarding the first claim, Professor
Yeo, a well known experimental ply
siologist of England, has estimated tina
rs per cent of all physiological expert.
ments are painless; 20 per cent are a.
painful as vaccination; per cent a:
painful as the healing of a wound, anc
1 per cent as painful as a surgical oper-
alton without anaesthetics. In an ex.
perience of some fifteen years as al
active worker in physiological labora
tories. 1 do not recall having seen one
experiment of the last class.
Regarding the second claim, among
hundreds OF similar cases that of nj
trate Of anyl may be cited. Since 1856
this drug has been used to counterac
the terrible pain Of angina Dectoris. L
does this by dilating the blood vessels
and thus relieving the heart of some
Of its work Its Introduction into medi.
cine was due directly to the vivisectio1