The Washington herald., 1908-05-03
SOCIETY FORMED
FOR HUMANE WORK
Would Regulate ViyisectiOn
in the District.
Mr.. PAGE EXPLAINS THE PLAN
Would Place Under the Control OF
Law the experimentation on Live
Animals, which May Now BE Con-
dueted by Any One Claiming Sell
entihc Knowledge of Same.

For the purpose of bringing about legal
regulations OF vtvisecuon and 10 place
under the control Of law experiments on
/ live animals. the Society for the Legal
Regulation Of Vivisection in the District
of Columbia was organized yesterday aft
ernoon.
The meeting, which was held at the
home Of Representative J. Van vechten
Olcott, 2223 R street northwest. was at
tended by a large number of prominent
persons.
Commissioner Macfarland called the
meeting to order. and made brief ad-
dress dealing with the object OF the so
ciety After the disposal OF the report
OF the committee on organization. officers
were elected. Addresses were made by
Thomas Nelson Page. president. and DIR.
Albert Lef1ngwel Of New York.
The Opening Address.
In his opening address Commissioner
Maefarland said:
This meeting is the outgrowth Of con-
! ferences Of a number OF those who be-
/ lieve there should be legal regulation Of
vivisection in the District Of Columbia.
/ They desire conservative legislation
which will provide that animal expert
mentation shall be done under humane
| conditions and governmental registra-
ton and inspection. Granting all that
may be claimed for vivisection and vivi-
| sectors. for the sake OF argument. they
| believe it should be conducted under the
/ law. just as much as the national banks
of the District of Columbia. and that this
involves no more reflection upon the vivi-
! sectors than upon the banks. The ordi-
nary laws against cruelty 10 animals do
not apply to vivisection, and, therefore,
/ special legislation is required"
Explained by Mr.. Page.
After the Commissioners remarks the
! officers OF the society were elected. The
president Of the society was called on for
an address Mr.. Page said, in part:
''The object of this meeting is set forth
IN the declaration Of principles
Briefly, it is to secure. II possible, the
!
is 10 place under the control Of the law
the experimentation on live animals,
which 1t seems may now be carried on to
any extent by any one claiming to have
some scientific purpose in view. Our OBJ
| ject. or at least my object. Is not to
prevent scientific research; but, in fact,
to protect it where proper by difTerentiat-
ing it from the pseudo and falsely called
scientific which is really only the curious
and brutal.
Il cannot see why scientific investiga-
tors. who employ this method OF investi-
cation in that spirit OF earnestness and
even Of solemnity in which all true in
vestigators of Natures laws must enter
her presence, do not see the Importance
of distinguishing between their method
and the method Of the ignorant and often
brutal, who, wearing the uniform and
badge Of science. have nothing else in
common with them
Il recognize we'll the great debt we owe
10 that great body of earnest and devoted
investigators who have advanced alike
surgery and pathology; but there is a
!
ing that a great deal Of the so-caIled in
vestigation Of the present day Is conduct
ed by those who in no sense can claim to
come within the class of truly scientific
investigators.
A Feeling Is Aroused.
"A strong moral reprobation is already
aroused against this class, and it viii
have to be Teckoned with, and unless it
is reckoned with by men of science. they
themselves are liable to be the sufferers.
'"The question naturally arises: What
is a proper regulation? Some Of the med
ical faculty, eminent for their contribu-
tions, oppose all regulation whatsoever.
They say, Leave science untrammeleG.
We say, We propose TO leave science
untrsmmeled. but we do not propose to
allow her to be used as a cover for what
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