The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-11
CIRCULATION STATEMENT.
WEDNESDAY. MARCH IL, 1900.
8 Discussion on Vivisection.

Discussion on Xivisertion.
Tho New England i-viyisection So
cieiy publishes in its official organ some
Interesting things which happened during
the hearing on the bill for the Ie-
s'riciion of vivisection in Massachusetts.
At this hearing viyisectors and profess
sional men closely connected with their
interests spoke against the bill, while on
the other side were disinterested petition
ers representing all the learned profess
sions including that OF medicine. The pc
titicn of the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. was
signed by nearly one hundred physicians
in Boston and vicinity.
One of the things which must strike
those who read the report of this hearing
is the amount OF ignorance displayed by
the opponents OF the bill. They never
heard" Of most of the horrible things
which are said, on good authority, TO have
been done in the laboratories of vivIsec-
tors. Asked If the animals suffered pain
when subjected without anesthetics, to
certain experiments, the vivisectors re-
piled that they could not tell" Yet
they were quite positive in asserting that
possible pain suffered by the animal.
Notwithstanding the fact that they did
not know how much the animal endured,
how many fruitless experiments were
performed, or how much of the progress
made by medical science was directly de-
pendent on yivisection.
President Eliot, Of Harvard College,
made the remarkable statement that he
should not feel like putting any limit to
the suffering of animals for one child In
other words. he would, If necessary, tor
lure thousand guinea pigs, cats. or rab-
bits, II by so doing he could save the life of
one human being. This statement Is
worth thinking about. Such radical
sentiment, ingrained in the civilized
mind, involves the continual measuring
OF the value of one existence with an
other. The human being, as the most
valuable Of all the animals, is thus given
the right not only to kill but to torture an
fuesnnlte number of members of the
brute creEtion. 1t is but step from this
idea TO the notion that the civilized man
has an inherent right 10 torture the saw
age and use him for experiments IN vivi-
section, IL necessary.
The principle involved in this business
differs somewhat from that involving
merely the taking Of life. 1t is sometimes
necessary to sacrifice the life OF one hu-
man being for the good Of the community
When war is necessary to protect the in
terests Of a nation, certain number OF
men must die for the rest; but that is a
matter of common consent, and a neces-
sary condition Of citizenship. The reason
why the theory of vivisection, In spite of
all the fine words that can be used about
it, is revolving and cruel, is that it in
wolves the suffering of the defenceless
If civilization. Christianity, and progress
mean anything at all, they mean justice
and mercy. not the torture of helpless
creatures, human or otherwise. 1t is not |
desirable that children and young people !
should grow up with the idea that it is |
permissible for them to infiict pain on |
others. for the sake of any benefit, how |
ever great, TO themselves. They should |
be taught that if they must kill animals, |
IL is their duty to do it as painlessly as |
possible; and they should be severely pun
Il is not safe TO form the ideas of society |
on any other theory. The child who is
allowed 10 torment cat will extend his
experiments to his younger brother or
sister, and IL he is permitted to continue
these practices. and is naturally inclined
to cruelty, ne will be anything but a
blessing TO his wiz, children, and assoc
cisies. We. as 4 people. cannot possibly
afford TO sanction cruelty in any form.
The opposition to vivisection is often
sGeered at as emotionalism and sentimen-
tally There are various kinds Of emo
tlonslism. What about the kind which
leads a mob of sayages to howl and dance
around a stake where a human being is
slowly roasting? Is not the physician who
shrnks from infiicting pain unless it is
absolutely necessary safer person to have
charge OF the inyalids of the community
than the enc who is more intent on a
beautiful operation" than on the life or
feelings OF his patient? There Is not much
chance that any doctor will refrain from
performing an operation or doing any
thing which VIII cause pain. if it will, in
the end benefit the patient. 1t is abso-
luteiy certain that there are some men
In The profession who, In their zeal for
IsncwIedge. viii torture not only animals
but human beings. It is at this end of the
scale that restriction is necessary.