A 









MARY A. WILLCOX 



PROFESSOR OF ZOOLOGY, WELLESLEY COLLEGE, 

 WELLESLEY, MASSACHUSETTS 



MY DEAR DR. ERNST, - - I subjoin a statement of my rea- 

 sons for objecting to the proposed anti-vivisection bills. 



Yours very truly, 



M. A. WILLCOX, 



Professor of Zoology. 



1 . As instructor. We give a course of instruction in 

 physiology at Wellesley, in which we include vivisection 

 work for purposes of demonstration. The animals are kept 

 under anesthetics during the entire course of the experi- 

 ments, and are killed before regaining consciousness. We 

 consider these experiments of the greatest pedagogical 

 value, and object to being obliged to give them up, as we 

 should be if the bill became a law. Students who take this 

 work usually do so with the intention of becoming science 

 teachers or of studying medicine. We have at present 

 eleven students in the department who are intending to 

 study medicine; (this statement I did not make to the 

 committee). The physiology class is a small one, and in 

 view of the especial need for economy which we feel just 

 now, it is, as I wrote you, not offered during the current 

 year, but it must soon be given again. 



2. As scientist. My general objection is to anything 

 which fetters the free course of investigation. In my opin- 

 ion restrictions should be imposed only when they are 

 shown to be absolutely necessary. Evidence does not at 



