Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-10-09
WOMEN DENOUNCE
VIV|SECT|ON ASA
SURGICAL HORROR
Humane Society Delegates, An
swering Professor, Say 1t Is
"Unpardonably Cruel

ATLANTIC CITY. oct 9.--Dr. r. Nj
Pearce. chief of the research depart
ment of the University of Pennsyl-
vania medical school. upheld the prac-
tice of vivisection in a debate with
Edward H. Clement, of Boston, presl -
dent of the interstate conference FOR
the investigation OF vivisection, at
yesterdays session of the American
Humane Association. Mrs. Caroline
Earle White and Mrs. Mary Lowell, OF
Philadelphia, who were prominent In
the prosecution of members OF the
University of Pennsylvania faculty on
charges of cruelty, told of the EFFORTS
made to save dogs from becoming the
subjects of vivisection
Mrs. Huntington Smith, of Boston,
eulogized cats in an address and said
that babies would not be safe for a
minute in their cradles If the cats
were killed off in the large cities.
"There would be an epidemic OF rats
and mice" she declared.
The convention adopted resolutions
calling upon Congress to consider
legislation relieving the suffering or
chickens in transit, and directed APP
pointment of committee to urge all
Governments to provide for reducing
the tortures of horses in warfare.
Why Viyisection is Opposed.
After laying stress upon the fact
that the public assumed humane So
cieties were interested at least as
much in children as animals, Or.
Pearce said
"Those who oppose animal expert
mentation do so on three grounds:
First, that it is morally and ethically
indefensible; second, that it is of no
L., rant adA M
knowledge of the diseases of man, and
third. that it involves objectionable
cruelty"
None of these charges was worthy
of support, Dr. Pearce declared, in
view of the fact that thousands OF
lives have been saved through such
experimentation, that a vast amount
OF knowledge has resulted, aiding in
the diagnosis and treatment of dis
eases.
In conclusion the University of
Pennsylvania surgeon said he had IN
vited the people of Philadelphia, and
particularly the leaders in the anti
vivisection movement, to visit the
laboratories of the university, where
animal researches are carried on, at
any time, and that but two had re-
sponded
81 was one of those two" exclaimed
Mrs. Mary Lowell, land my heart was
wrung by what l saw there She
look issue sharply with DIR. Pearce's
assertion that there was no unneces-
sary cruelty in organized expert
mentation," and obtained from the
surgeon an admission that he could
not say what transpired in private
experiments.
Mr.. Clement, the Boston sponsor OF
the -vivisectionists. said that
Great Britain. which has supervisory
animal experiments. is the spiritual
leader of the world
I'm England" he said. "it is known
who the vivisectionists are. and there
are $4,000 of them. There were $4,000
experiments in England last year, in
oluding 5000 cutting operations, In
which 5000 of the animals operated
upon died. If this occurred in Eng
land, what may not be happening in
the for-all debauchery of vivi-
section now going forward in this
country? DO you know that it is
claimed there is no law sto stop this
harbarity and that log-rolling in the
Pennsylvania Legislature may pre-
vent any reforms?"
The Bostonian expressed the belief
that thousands of the most respected
medical men of America had never
rbefouled their hands with such
operations and said America did not
want a brand of surgeons who
manufactured agony"