Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-08
DEFENDS VIVISECTION
DR. KEEN ADDRESSES LETTER TO
SENATOR GALLINGER.
Declares Cadet Aiken Owes His Life TO
Skill Gained by That
Means.

A dispatch from Philadelphia yesterday
SAYS: Dr. William w. Keen. the eminent
surgeon of this city. who was recently sum-
moned to Annapolis to perform an opera
ton on Midshipman Aiken to relieve him of
the effects of injuries sustained in foot
ball game. attributes tine success of his
operation to knowledge gained through eX-
periments in vivisection. DR.. Keen has adj
dressed a letter setting forth the facts in
the case to Senator Gallinger whom he re-
CARDS as one of the leaders of the anti-vlvi-
sectionists In this country. DR.. Keen. in his
letter says:
II deem 1t my duty to call your atten-
ton to the case of Midshipman Aiken OF
the United States Naval Academy. who was
recently injured in foot ball game My
reason for doing so is to show you by
single concrete example that knowledge
gained by animal experimentation Is an inn
nense boon to humanity. and that. there
fore. such experiments should be heartily
encouraged.
THE facts of Mr. Aiken's case are as fol-
lows; When 1 first saw him three days
after the accident | found that he had been
unconscious for a half hour after the acct
dent. and ever since then had complained
bitterly of headache. which he located al
ways in the forehead. Soon after the ac-
cident he began to develop commissions. In
six hours and half after 1 saw him he
mad tWenty-fOur or these attacks, all limit
ed to the right arm.
There was no fracture of the skull The
only physical evidence of any injury was
q very slight bruise at the outer end of
the left eyebrow.
Had I seen this case before 1885 would
have been unable to explain why the
spasms were chiefly manifested in the right
arm l would have been justified in in
ferring that probably the front part of his
brain was injured at the site of the bruise.
/ q
would have found perfectly normal brain
and have missed the clot. The young man.
therefore. would have died, whether his
skull had been opeend or not.
"In 1902 observe the difference. AS a re-
suit of knowledge derived from expert
ments upon animals which have located
precisely the center formation of the right
arm l reached the conclusion that there
had been a rupture of the blood vessel
within the head and that the situation of
the clots correspond to the arm center.
Its position was fixed absolutely a result
Of experiments upon animals.
AS soon as the skull was opened at this
point the clot was found. it's thickest point
being exactly over the arm center. and the
blood was removed, with the result that
the patients life was saved. This is only
one of hundreds of cases in which similar
exact location has been made by surgeons
both In Europe and America.
THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. have frequently
denied that surgeons have learned anything
from SuCn experiments. L state with the
greatest positiveneSS that without the
knowledge derived from experiments upon
animals which have demonstrated the facts
OF cerebral localization l should never have
been able to locate the clot in Mr.. Aiken 8
head and to remove it.
"In view therefore, of the evident and
positive benefit of such experiments 1 trust
that you will be willing to desist from fur
Their efforts at such repressive and, as re-
gard it. most inhumane and cruel legisla-
ton