18751882] DR. FERRIER 437 



line, and perhaps he is right ; anyhow, he had the best of Letter 768 

 an argument with me on the subject. ... It seems to me 

 the physiologists are now in the position of a persecuted 

 religious sect, and they must grin and bear the persecution, 

 however cruel and unjust, as well as they can. 



To T. Lauder Brunton. Letter 769 



In November, iSSi, an absolutely groundless charge was brought by 

 the Victoria Street Society for the Protection of Animals from Vivi- 

 section against Dr. Ferrier for an infringement of the Vivisection Act. 

 The experiment complained of was the removal of the brain of a 

 monkey and the subsequent testing of the animal's powers of reacting 

 to certain treatment. The fact that the operation had been performed 

 six months before the case came into court would alone have been 

 fatal to the prosecution. Moreover, it was not performed by Dr. Ferrier, 

 but by another observer, who was licensed under the Act to keep the 

 monkey alive after the operation, which was performed under anaesthetics. 

 Thus the prosecution completely broke down, and the case was dismissed. 1 

 The sympathy with Dr. Ferrier in the purely scientific and medical world 

 was very strong, and the British Medical Association undertook the 

 defence. The prosecution did good in one respect, inasmuch as it led to 

 the formation of the Science Defence Association, to which reference is 

 made in some of Mr. Darwin's letters to Sir Lauder Brunton. The 

 Association still exists, and continues to do good work. 



Part of the following letter was published in the British Medical 



Journal, Dec. 3rd, iSSi. 



Down, Nov. iQth, 1881. 



I saw in some paper that there would probably be a sub- 

 scription to pay Dr. Ferrier's legal expenses in the late absurd 

 and wicked prosecution. As I live so retired I might not 

 hear of the subscription, and I should regret beyond measure 

 not to have the pleasure and honour of showing my sym- 

 pathy [with] and admiration of Dr. Ferrier's researches. I 

 know that you are his friend, as I once met him at your 

 house ; so I earnestly beg you to let me hear if there is any 

 means of subscribing, as I should much like to be an early 

 subscriber. I am sure that you will forgive me for troubling 

 you under these circumstances. 



P.S. I finished reading a few days ago the several 

 physiological and medical papers 2 which you were so kind 

 as to send me. I was much interested by several of them, 



1 From the British Medical Journal, Nov. IQth, 1881. See also 

 Times, Nov. i8th, 1881. 



- Some of Lauder Brunton's publications. 



