Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-03
ORGANIZE A SOCIETY
Local Residents Want ReguIa-
ton of viyisection.
PROCEEDINGS At MEETING
Mr.. Mcfarland Presides and Ex-
plains the Objects.
NAMES OF OFFICERS ELECTED
Addresses by Thomas Nelson Page
and DR.. Albert Lefingwell-Dsc-
laration Of Principles.
PROCEEDINGS AT Meeting
NAMES OF OFFICERS ELECTED


the residence of Representative ]. Van
Vechten Olcott Of New York, Dob r
street. An organization was formed, to
be known as the Society for the Legal
Regulation Of Vivisection in the Distric,
OF Columbia. The meeting was called to
order by Commissioner Mcfarland and
its object stated by him.
This meeting" Mr.. Mcfarland ex-
planned rs the outgrowth of conferences
of a number of those who believe that
there should be legal regulation of vivi-
section In the District of Columbia. They
desire conservative legislation which will
provide that animal experimentation shall
be done under humane conditions and
governmental registration and inspection.
Granting all that may be claimed for
vivisection and vivisectors, for the sake
of argument, they believe that 1t 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 vivisectors than upon
the banks The ordinary laws against
cruelty to animals do not apply to vivi-
section. and therefore special legislation
Is required"
The Commissioner then submitted re-
port by a provisional committee on or
ganization appointed at the informal con-
ferences./
Election OF OmcerS.
The organization was perfected by the
election Of the following officers: Presi-
dent, Mr.. Thomas Nelson Page; vice
presidents. Mr.. Justice Harlan. Mr.. JUS
tice Brown. Mr.. Justice Day. Senator
Galltnger,, Representative Dalzell. Gen.
Robert Shaw Oliver. Representative o.
Sott. Mr.. 7. H. Newberry: Representative
1owden. Commissioner mcfarland, JUS
STAFFORD InRtfCQ
Perry, Rev. DR.. Edward Everett Hale.
Mr.. John r. Mclean, Mr.. Theodore W..
Noyes. Mr.. Scott c: Bone. Mr.. Edgar
B. Shaw. Chief Justice Stanton J..
Maj, Gen. ]. Franklin Bell. Mai. Gen.
Gorge L. Gillespie. Rear Admiral Brown
& Rear Admiral ONeill. Rear Admiral
H. rear Admiral Field. Brig. Gen. w w.
Wotherspoon. Brig. Gen. George F. Ell
Holt, Commodore r. L. Davenport, Capt.
Raymond Rodgers. Capt. s. A. Staunton.
Mr.. Clifford Pinchot. Mr.. William Corcoran
Eustis. Col. Archibald Hopkins. Mr.. Ed
Mr.. Hennen Jennings. Mr. Thomas. F..
Walsh, DIR. Henry c. Yarrow. DIR. Thomas
l. Macdonald. DR.. William c. Rives and
Mr.. Tiffany Dyer.
ant secretary Mrs. Gasch; treasurer
Charles y Bell: assistant treasurer, Miss
Executive committee. the officers named
q.
Mrs. Brown, Mrs Mcfarland. Mrs. Janin,
Mrs. Day, Mrs. Totten. Mrs. Cooley, Mrs
Henry Harrison. Mrs. Nen and Miss
Gwynn.
Scope Of the Organization.
Mr.. Page addressed the meeting briefly
as to the scope of the organization.
He said: 1.-The object of this meeting is
set forth in the declaration of principles
which will be presented to you for your
discussion and adoption. with such modi-
fications as you may decide on.
Briefly. 1t is to secure, If possible. the
humane regulation Of vivisection-that Is,
experimentation on live animals. which 1t
seems may now be carried on to any ex-
tent by. any one claiming to have some
scientific purpose in view: Our object, or
scientific research: but. in fact to protect
IL where proper by differentiating 1t from
the pseudo and falsely called scientific,
which Is really only the curious and bru-
tai.
II cannot see why scientific investiga-
tors. who employ this method OF investiga-
ton In that spirit Of earnestness- and even
of sOlemnity in which all true investiga-
tors Of natures laws must enter her pres
ence do not see the importance of dis
ttnguishing 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. Far be it from me to stand in the
way or pretend to stand In the
way of all proper scientific research.
recognize we'll the great debt that we owe
to 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-called in
vestigation Of the present day Is conduct
ed by those who in no sence can claim
to come within the class of truly scien-
tinc investigators.
Moral Reprobation Aroused.
"A strong moral reprobation Is already
aroused against this class. and it will have
to be reckoned with, and unless 1t is
reckoned with by men of science they
themselves are liable to be the sufferers.
1.-THE question naturally arises: What is
a proper regulation? Some Of the medical
faculty. eminent for their contributions,
oppose all regulation whatsoever. They
say. Leave science untrammeled.' We
say, We propose to leave science untram-
meled but We do not propose to allow
her to be used as a cover for what is at
once blow at science and blow at civil
h3atton. Speaking for myself. / should
say that no reasonable man should object
to having vivisection regulated by law. at
least to this extent. To the extent of re-
curing: first. registration Of all who shall
be allowed to engage in 1t: second. inspec-
ton Of all places where II shall be engaged
in: third. the requirement of sufficient an
esthetizing.
This registration and inspection to be
made under the direction of scientific ex-
perts. l know that this does not 20 as
far many would like to CO. but l be-
lieve that these principles are sound l
believe that these requirements are suffi-
ctent. / believe that these must secure
II not now. before long. the acuuiescence
OF all who can rightly claim to be inves-
tigators in the cause Of science.
Cannot Be Decided Onhand.
DR.. Albert Lefingwell of New York was
introduced by Mr.. Page as a high authori-
ty and author of several works on the
subject before the meeting. and Dr. Lef-
fingwell made an address of some length,
listened to with interest. He said that
vivisection is a question which cannot be
decided offhand. 1t might be regarded
from the standpoint Of anti-vivsecton or
upon living animals: or from the stand
point that there should be no restriction
whatever to any phase Of scientific expert
mentation which a teacher Of science or
an investigator desired to perform.
"There is however" DR.. Ieffingwell
added. "a middle ground which l COM
mend to your attention. and that is the
regulation Of vivisection. the regulation of
experimentation upon living animals with
out attemptngi to abolish 1t altogether or
to interfere in any way with scientific ad-
vancement. / desire to ask your judgment