The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-22
ANTI VIVISECTION BILL
Arguments Heard For and Against
Its Passage by Congress.
Advocates of the Proposed Law Open
the Discussion Before n Sub-Com-
mittcc of the Senatc-Mr. Perry's
Appeal - Surgeon General Stern
berg on Experiments in the Army.

The Anti-vivisection bill was the sub
ject of a hearing given yesterday by the
subcommittee appointed from the senate
Committee on the District OF Coiufnpia'
Mr. Gallinger. Chairman of the sup-eoih-
mittee. presided. the other members pres
ent being Messrs. Pritchard and Kenny
, A large number of persons Interested IN
the bill attended the hearing, and in addi-
tion TO many well-known medical men and
LAWYERS from different parts of the coun-
I try nearly a score of ladies were present
/ Mr.. Gallinger opened the hearing with
! brief explanation of the rules by which 1t
! would be governed. and announced that
/ the advocates Of the bill would be heard
first, and that one of them would make
the closing remarks, after those opposed
I 10 the bill had spoken. r Ross Perry, at
torney for the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. was the
/ first speaker.
MIR. Perry's Appeal.
/ Mr.. Perry spoke of the many cruelties
that are constantly being praeticed under
the guise of science. and declared that the
results are not such as 10 prove that
! science is the gamer by this practice lie
( said that those very diseases when are
constantly being investigated through the
medium of vivisection are rapidly increas-
I ing every year-that diphtheria, smallpox,
I and brain maladies seem each day TO be-
come more prevalent. and that the num-
I Der of cures is not increasing proportion
| ately.
Mr.. Perry made pathetic appeal for the
proper treatment of dumb brutes, and said
! that doctors had become dulled TO natural
| instincts by their professional training as
1 he had known lawyers dcfying justice had
become so dulied TO justice that theg couiu
not recognize it.
The next argument in favor Of the bill
was made b. Dr. Matthew Woods. OF Phila-
delphia He denied that the progress OF
medical knowledge Is dependent upon viyi-
section. and said that those branches IN
which the greatest advantage is claime1
to have been obtained from the pracuce
have shown the least advance. Dr. WOODS
! quoted from various records Of viviseetlon
! experiments as showing that in many in
stances downright cruelty was the princi-
| nal requirement of the success OF the ex-
pertinent.
II viyisectionists are positive that the
! practice is right, he wanted 10 know why
they object to investigation. He declared
that brain surgery promises TO derive mot.
! benefit than any other branch OF medicsi
J
mails but that even after years oil TINS
kind of experimentation tumor could not
be located outside the motor centres OF the
brain. -,,.
Or. David II. Cochran. late President
! of the Polytechnic Institute OF brooklyn,
| trustee of Hamilton College, and Presi-
! dent of the American Society Tor the reg
| ulaiion of vivisection. said the pending
! bill merely guards against the abuse OF
viyisection and not against its use. He
referred to the widespread practice OF an
imal experimentation in the schools and
colleges. and declared that In many cases
the presidents Of those institutions are
unaware OF the manner in which these ex-
periments are carried out.
DR.. Cochran referred to the declaration
| that there is no vivisection in the schoois
| of New York, and that any anti-vivisec-
| ton bill vas unnecessary there. and said
/ these statements are untrue. He Staten
! that the idea that everything should he
| demonstrated had become SO prevalent
| that viyisection has been resorted TO IN
numerous cases. There had grown up
practice OF verifying experiments OF 9th
! ers through vivisection, and these expert
] ments were made in public schools OF
| New York State He was sorry 10 say
| that the ladies' were the most persistent
| of these experimentists. and they seemed
TO think that 1t was mannish to do So
Mr.. kenncdy's Argument.
Crammond Kennedy, the Washington at
torney. in beginning his remarks said that
while he believed that vivisection should
be entirely prohibited. he feared that this
end could not be attained. and he favored
| the pending bill because 1t regulates the
practice and prevents its abuse. He said
- H.. call cd a N IL
yiyisection'' bill and has been spoken OF
as prohibiting viyisection. The fact is, he
| declared. that the bill legalizes viyisection
| and saws that no one shall perform these
| delicate and painful operations without
| certificate from a college or others snow
ing that he is qualified TO perform such
operations. The bill provides that these
experiments snail be reported, and ne
thought that would be in the real interest
| OF science.
hill and declared that its passage would
benefit both man and beast. He said mat
any person who could show that he ought
to be permitted to practice vlvisectlon
would have do trouble in obtaining per
mission TO do so under the provisions oil
the hill. Mr.. Kennedy quoted statements
from a number of professors OF medical
colleges. in which they state that many
{ pupils experiment for the purpose oil con-
yincing themselves Of things which they
ought TO believe instead Of trying TO de-
rive new information.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Kennedy re-
marks an adjournment was taken untii
| 100.
The Oppo, Ition Opens.
When the hearing was resumed the first
argument in opposition to the bill was
presented by Dr. William W. Keen. Presi-
. dent Of the American Medical Society. DIR.
Raen said that the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. are
willing 10 submit their case 10 decision
based on tie results that have been OBJ
,ained for the benefit Of science through
animal experimentation. He said that,
while not vivisectionist. not day passed
that he did not anply knowledge gained
from that practice. lie then referred to
numerous cases of remarkable feats OF sur
gerry which he said would not have been at
tempted and could not have been success
! ful without experiments having first been
made uoon animals. DR. Keen's speech
was of a somewhat technical charactsr
hui while he opposed the bill from scien-
tifc standpoint he also referred TO II as
unnecessary TO further the interests OF
humanity. When he had concluded he was
, asked a number OF questions by Mr.. Gal
linger. who apparently did not agree will
some OF the statements made by DIR. keer
DR.. Keen then quoted from published
statements of number of eminent ply
slcians who conceded with his views.
Bishop Lawrence, OF Massachusetts,
made o few impromptl remarks in opposi
ton TO the bill explaining that he was in
.eresfed in the pending measure because