The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-09
OPPOSED TO VIVIsECTIoN.
DIR. Lees Address Before the SOcia
Science Association.

DIR. Lees Address Before the Social
Science Association.
Vivisection was attacked last night by
DR.. Elmer Lee at the meeting of the Amer
lean Social Science Association at Columbia
University, who declared 1t to be cruel
unscientific. and profitless abhorrent alike
to man and the Creator. Owing to the tech
nical character of the programme which
related mainly to medical science the at
tendance was net so large IS at the former
sessions of the association
DR.. Lees subject was 1.-THE Genesis of
Disease" The prime causes of disease,
he said, are eating food either oversuffi-
cient in quantity or else improperly pre-
pared for assimilation: and the use Of
lluids containing elements dangerous to
the system. The increased knowledge of
biology and the study of microbes and
germs has induced a false system of medi-
cine, aiming to deal beneficially with these
microbes
Laboratorians, said Dr. Lee, had evolved
a system Of medicine having as its basis
the eradication of the microbe. In carry
ing forth their experiments they had car
ried vivisection to an extreme never be-
fore dreamed of Thousands of dumb
udu UeeU Will SeTuIuS
and lymphs, and. tied down upon the oper-
ating table. have died death of indescrib-
able agony to crafty the misguided zeal
of the enthusiastic students of microbe life.
Although this thing has been going on for
years and hundreds of thousands Of inno-
cent animals had been tortured to death.
the cause Of true science had been only
casually benefited thereby.
In the absence of William Paul Gerhard.
C. E., of New York, DR.. Lee read the for
mer's paper on "A Plea for Raiubaths in
the Public Schools
Surgeon General Wyman. of the Marine
Hospital service, delivered an interesting
address on the suppression Of epidemics.
Like conhagration, an epidemic is
most easily checked at its start" he de-
clared ITO try to hide an epidemic dis
ease is an ostrich-like policy which an en-
lightened public sentiment should brand
with scOrn. The reluctance of a physician
in announcing an infectious disease is un-
derstood when we see the abuse too often
heaped upon them medical man who has
the temerity to tell the truth. To the
honor of the profession, however, it may
be said that the pressure brought against
the physician by mercenary citizens who
desire tc secure a suppression of the facts
at the expense of endangering the public
health are generally foiled by the integrity
of the physician himself. whom neither
pressure nor promises can swerve from
duty.
1T is a plain duty for health boards to
use every effort to suppress the incipieGt
epidemic by giving such publicity to tie
facts as may be necessary. The vicious |
pandering to petty tradespecple who Ge-
sire suppression Of the facts has done eror-
nous harm in assisting the spread of
plaques. On the other hand there SHOULD
be no needless and sensational reports of
the facts through the newspapers. 1t lies
with boards Of health to decide on how
much they will give out for publication.
With the aid of modern science, the
spread of an epidemic can be checked If
taken in time. and even tine plague has
now been successfully repressed or its sp-
pearance in the Western Hemisphere.
The feature of the session yesterday
morning was an article on bettering the
milk supplies of cities, by Raymond A.
Pearson. representing the dairy division
of the Agricultural Department A tech
nical paper on the deficiencies of present
medical systems was read by DR.. Lee
the absence G. its author, DR.. Thom.s
Powell, of Los Angeles.
The department of education and art
will hold two sessions today-One at $50
O'Clock this morning, and the other at $3.50
o'clock tonight. Two important features
are an address on the years progress by
w. T. Harris. Commissioner of Education.
and article by Prof Atwater on the
food value of alcohol