Evening star., 1919-11-02
DOCTORS PROTEST
ANT|-VV|SECT|ON
LAW PROPOSED
Tell Senate Committee Of
Disease Prevention Serums
-. - y.
Discovered by Method.


A preventive for yellow fever has
just been discovered at the Rocks-
feller Institute in New York. largely
through experiments upon dogA =
was revealed at hearing yesterdxS
afternoon before the Senate judiciary
bill to prohibit vfvisection OF dogs in
the District Of Columbia The details
of the discovery were not made pub
lie. but a serum has been found which
gives immunity from the dreaded
yellow jack" it was said.
This discovery was first mentioned
by DR. William H. welch. director Of
Health at Johns Hopkins University
and president Of the board Of directors
OF the Rockefeller Institute for Med
ical Research. DR.. Simon B. Flexner.
director Of the Laboratories OF tho
statement that the discovery has been
made, and that dogs were used in ex-
periments which made the discovery
possible.
Many Argue Against Enactment.
A galaxy Of famous physicians and
scientists were presented by the OPP
In addition to DR.. Welsh ana Or.
Flexner, there were included I'm the
list Col. c. w. Stiles Of the public
health service, whose work for q cure
of the hookworm is known the world
over; Or. w. p. Cannon. professor Of
physiology at the Harvard Medical
School; Dr.. Reed Hunt. professor Of
pharmacology At Harvard Medical
School; DR.. Van II. Manning, director
Of the bureau OF mines: DR.. John b.
Nhnv ~, -
committee Of the Medical Association
OF the District Of Columbia: DR.. A. NJ.
Stimson. DR.. Thomas 8. Cullen OF
Johns Hopkins University. DR.: vii.
vania: Dr. A. j. Carlson. professor at
the University of Chicago. and Col.
Russell, who spoke for the surgeon
general Of the Army. and Commander.
j. r. Phelps. representing the surgeon
general of the Navy. - s =.
All Of them declared that to pro-
hibit vivisection and experimentation
upon animals would be q great blow
to advance in medical science. They
ns,stsd that ~. the bill Wit!
Intended to be merely an entering
throughout the country to prevent the
use Of any animals in experiments In
These witnesses denied emphAtically
the stories of great cruelty. which
earlier in the day had been detailed
by supporters Of the bill. They In
sisted that the animals used were
given an anesthetic almost invariably,
and only in those cases where there
was no real need OF an .anestheti0 Or
where the use of an anesthetio would
submitted to the experiment without
being given one. -i,.s y
Proponents Also Heard.
The proponents Of the bill were
heard during the morning session OF
/ the committee. Rev. DR.. C. Ernest
Smith. president Of the Nattenal So
District 6f C6fumbfa, was one 6f the
witnesses heard. He declared that
the time would come when the public
would look upon -vivisectfon OF AMI
mails with the same abhorrence as It
now looks upon the toftures that used
to be inflicted because Of differences
in religious beliefs. The advocates Of
the bill will be given another opp0r~
tunity to be heard Tuesday fnothlng,
the witnesses against the measur3
also will be heard. i.
DR.. Welch told the committee etha4.
the medical profession was almost
Unanimous in support OF vfvfsectfon.
and that every medical association of
importance mas 8oue On TccOru IN
favor Of it. ana also the National,
Academy Of Sciences. The charge.
made by advocates Of the bill that
vivisection Of animals has added moth
ing to medical science was defided by
Df. welchs who pointed out that the
respiration ana digestive functions
had all largely been discovered
through experiments upon animals.
He said that only . narrow vision
would not see the tremendous behe-
its to little children and mothers
which have come from experiments
tion upon animals in medical research
He said that through such expert
ments preventatives for typhoid fever,
diphtheria, tetAntis and other disea1eE.
had been discovered.
Says Use Of Dogs Is Necessary. a.
DR.. Cannon said that It was necss-