New-York tribune., 1908-02-22
IIISECTION.

Following many precedents, bill to pro-
hibit absolutely 1.-The barbarous and useless prac-
tce" of vivisection has been drafted for the con
Sidera ton of the Legislature and perhaps siml-
lar measures viii continue to be Introduced aS
long as the commonwealth endures. For ii is
unlikely that the vexed ethical problems under
living the question of yfvisection Will be solved
to the entire satisfaction of all citizens for
many centuries to come.
The dispute between vivisectionists and their
opponents turns upon the answer given TO the
general question: When is 1t right TO in1ict
pain in expectation of benefits TO follow! 1he
world almost universally admits that some pain
must deliberately be inflicted. Uncertainty
arises however as soon as the conditions under
which its infiction is juStitiable are sought ana
the cause of this uncertainty is, at bottom, the
apparent ncommensurability of pleasures and
pains When the discrepancy between veal and
woe is very great answer is easy but In the
case Of vivisp2tion the discrepancy is often OBJ
Scure the pains inflicted being real and intense,
while the ultimate advantages 10 society are
often problematic and always in the future.
For all this mankind accepts several ethical
poStulateS which. taken together. uphold vivi-
section under certain conditions. These postu-
lates, each of which must, OF course. be READ
with the qualification ''cGterfs pdri6Hs, are as
follows: Prevention is better than cure Pam
NAV be inflicted in order TO cure and T0rf'oFt
in order 10 prevent. The same intensity, dtlTa-
tion and after effects of given pain are more
important in man than in an anlma! When
eyer we are reduced TO the dilemma OF inf1lctlng
main directly or indirectly upon either man or
animal The discovery Of the causes OF dis
ease and of the physiological conditions under
which disease fourishes is the first half of pre-
yention and cure. Morally there Is no differ
ence between intiictinS pain by vivisection anu
infctng il by the administration OF chemicals
or bacterial solutions. These poStulateS which
the rational foes of viviSection do not challenge
leave open only one topic for legitimate debate,
namely the question whether the improbability
of discovering important facts through any
other known method warrants resort 10 vlyl-
section.
We believe that vivisection has often been
nractised when less agonizing experiments would
have served the same purpose, but 1t IS linpos-
sible to deny that in some instances highly
significant results could not have been gained
otherwise The discovery of the function of
the so-caled ''semi-circular canals Is such an
instance These organs. anatOmically part
of the inner ear lie inside the skull and are
absolutely inaccessible to direct observation.
Their function could not be even guessed AT IN
a mere post mortem examination. The need
of discovering their function was indlSputabe,
and the success following operations has just-
fed the pain caused. Though other experiments
have borne richer fruits. we cite this case be
cause its valuable results could not have been
reached save by vivsection. The right IT wrong
Of vivisertion must he decided in each par
ticuIar case For only when the specific de-
tails of the problem and its methods are
known can the probable value and necessity
Of the operation he estimated UNAUTHORIZED
+ cXncrimCnfs ought to bring severe punish
ment upon those who conduct them, whether
. the motive be honest desire to add to
the sum of useful knowledge or merely IA
hideouS curiosity. There is now before the Leg
iSlaturc bill which, because of its moderate
character. is likely to gain support which 1t
does not deserve. 1t proposes 10 transfer the
control Of viyiSection from the heads of medi-
cal schools and departments of colleges to the
State Department of Health In our Judgment
the authority requisite to prevent abuses is now
properly vested and the proposed change so
far from serving any useful purpose would
probably result in greater laxity of supervision
and an increase of the evils which it presum-
ably seeks to diminish.