ch. xv.] VIVISECTION, 1881. 305 



research. Shortly afterwards a Bill more just towards 

 science in its provisions was introduced to the House of 

 Commons by Messrs. Lyon Playfair, Walpole, and Ashley. 

 It Avas, however, withdrawn on the appointment of a Eoyal 

 Commission to inquire into the whole question. The Com- 

 missioners were Lords Cardwell and Winmarleigh, Mr. AV. 

 E. Forster, Sir J. B. Karslake, Mr. Huxley, Professor 

 Erichssen, and Mr. E. H. Hutton : they commenced their 

 inquiry in July, 1875, and the Eeport was published early 

 in the following year. 



In the early summer of 1876, Lord Carnarvon's Bill, 

 entitled, " An Act to amend the Law relating to Cruelty to 

 Animals," was introduced. The framers of this Bill, yield- 

 ing to the unreasonable clamour of the public, went far 

 beyond the recommendations of the Eoyal Commission. As 

 a correspondent writes in Nature (1876, p. 248), " the evi- 

 dence on the strength of which legislation was recom- 

 mended went beyond the facts, the Eeport went beyond the 

 evidence, the Eecommendations beyond the Eeport; and 

 the Bill can hardly be said to have gone beyond the Eecom- 

 mendations ; but rather to have contradicted them." 



The legislation which my father worked for, w T as practi- 

 cally what was introduced as Dr. Lyon Playf air's Bill. 



The following letter appeared in the times, April 18th, 

 1881) : 



C. D. to Frithiof Holmgren* Down, April 14, 1881. 



Dear Sir, In answer to your courteous letter of April 

 7, I have no objection to express my opinion with respect 

 to the right of experimenting on living animals. I use this 

 latter expression as more correct and comprehensive than 

 that of vivisection. You are at liberty to make any use of 

 this letter which you may think fit, but if published I should 

 wish the whole to appear. I have all my life been a strong 

 advocate for humanity to animals, and have done what I 

 could in my writings to enforce this duty. Several years 

 ago, when the agitation against physiologists commenced in 

 England, it was asserted that inhumanity was here prac- 

 tised, and useless suffering caused to animals ; and I was 

 led to think that it might be advisable to have an Act of 

 Parliament on the subject. I then took an active part in 



* Professor of Physiology at Upsala. 



