Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-03
state began to look into the question of

state began to look into the question of
mines, into the conditions in factories
where children were employed into the
conditions in the insane asylums. it found
such abuses. and by legislation remedied
them: We may hope. therefore, that II
vivisection is at all liable to cruelty, as
eminent physicians have claimed. by
bringing it under government control the
abuse will be remedied The second prop
osition states that in the opinion of emil
nent physicians vivisection has been some
times cruel and is liable to abuse"
In support of this DR.. Leflngwell read
from the views of DR.. Henry ]. Bigelow.
for nearly forty years professor in Har-
ward Medical School: from an address by
DR.. Theophilus Parvin. for many years
professor in Jefferson Medical College,
Philadelphia, and from an address by DR..
George Wilson. delivered before the Brit
ish Medical Association few years ago.
THE third proposition" he said. us that
conviction for cruelty in. the laboratory
is impossible 80 long as experimentation
Is performed in secret. The secrecy with
which experiments are conducted Is the
greatest obstacle to success Of any move
nent toward reform. and It Is to the de-
OF any society should be directed. AS was
pointed out by an English writer many
years ago, SO long as the present privacy
Is maintained 1t will be impossible to con-
Vlct any SIuOent OF cruelty, no n0dttcE uoW
extreme 1t may be. for want of evidence.
Matter Of Witnesses.
mo student can be expected to voltin-
teer as a witness Of a cruel act when he
knows that he would be driven from
among his fellows by 50 doing. I'm an
address before the American Academy Of
Medicine some years ago by DR.. George
NJ. Gould. one of the most distinguished
medical writer's Of America. he declared
that the secrecy on the part of the ex-
mistake. 1t is mistake to think our
work cannot bear the criticism Of such
enlightened public sentiment as exists
here and now. If there is necessary &C.
crecy there Is wrong said DR.. Gould.
1.-The fourth proposition that I should
ask you to accept Is that such legislation
is desirable as without injury to scientific
Investigation shall af1ix penalties for cruel
virons the laboratory. A restrictive law
should require that all places for expert
mentation should be licensed; that every
experirfaenters should work under gov
eminent license. and that reports Of what
Is done should be regularly made to some
central government authority.
This is not anti-vivisection." Dr. LET
fingwell concluded. land implies nothing
more than what every lover of reform
and scientific. worker alike could accept
and approve"
At the conclusion Of DR.. Leffingwelrs
address Mr.. Page paid him high COM
pliment and the meeting gave him a vote
of thanks.
Declaration Of Principles.
Then followed the adoption of the fol-
lowing declaration Of principles: -
THE Society for the Legal Regulation
of Vivisection in the District of Columbia
takes the ground:
THAT nothing can be held to advance
the condition Of humanity that builds I'D
what is of lesser consequence by tearing
down what Is Of UNNECESSARILY greater
consequence.
That since the discovery of anesthet-
les all agonizing experimentation on AMI
mails Is violative Of this fundamental law.
and is both morally wrong and practically
unnecessary.
THAT even should measurable advan-
tage to the human race apparently come
from such experimentation. the cost
would be too great to be compensated for
by any purely physical benefit received;
the cost in the long agonies inflicted on
NAL kinxdom cost in the loss to our race
of the finer qualities of heart and mind
which our civilization has been so long
in building up. and in the consequent bru-
talizing Of our people.
THAT should vivisectiOn in some de-
gree be deemed necessary in the interests
of science 1t should not be left to the
Judgment Of whoever may choose to en-
gage In its practice. but should be regu-
lated by law.
That, therefore, all vivisection should
be licensed by law: all places where ex-
Fermentation on living creatures is con-
Quoted should be registered and open at
all times to legal inspection. and no vivi-
section should be performed except under
the influence Of an undoubted anes-
thetic.
Favor Humane Regulation.
Among those who signed In advance of
the meeting q statement that they were
in favor of the humane regulation Of vivi-
section. In addition to those named as
Officers. were: Mr.. and Mrs. Larz Ander-
son. Mrs. Nicholas Anderson, Miss Alex
ander, A. E. Angel. C. NJ. Ashby, Mrs.
Anderson, Mrs. 8. Allen. Mrs. E. ]. Alden,
John H. Anderson, Mrs. A. Alderman.
Miss Albrander. A. D. Addison. A. c.
Addison, Mrs Woodbury. Blair. Mrs. j.
Franklin Bell. Capt. and Mrs. Warren
Beach. Mr.. and Mrs. George r. Becker.
John Barrett. Gen. and Mrs A. E. Bates,
Mary X Bates. Howard Boyd. William
Beck, Katherine Barrett, Harriet Bar
| rett, Rev. Edward L. Buckley, Mrs.
George Bliss, Ruth Bliss. Harriet 8.
Bradford. Rose Mary Bradford. Mile. NJ.
Boucet. Miss N. A. Brown. w. F. Bros
nan. Mrs. w. F. BYosnan. Henry Bradley.
DR.. M. 8. Brown. F. 9. Brooks. 8. Boring,
F. Burlington. Mrs. H. B. Brown. Mrs. A.
/. Barber Ars Led. L. Barber Henry