C. F. HODGE, PH.D. 



ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF PHYSIOLOGY AND NEUROL- 

 OGY, CLARK UNIVERSITY, WORCESTER 



To the Honorable Committee of Probate and Chancery: 

 MR. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLEMEN, Permit me to re- 

 monstrate against the passage of House Bills 855 and 856 

 relating to regulation of vivisection. My protest is against 

 these or any similar bills in toto upon the ground that not 

 the slightest reason for such legislation exists in Massa- 

 chusetts. 



Four years ago this same question was before the House 

 Judiciary Committee and was thoroughly discussed. It 

 would seem that if just cause existed for such a law the 

 petitioners would have brought forward sound reasons and 

 specific cases of abuse. In both they failed utterly and 

 the bill was reported adversely. Last year the same thing 

 was gone through with and with the same result. So far 

 as I can learn this was the first appearance of attempted 

 legislation of this kind in Massachusetts, but in New York 

 as early as 1867, Henry Bergh made every effort to obtain 

 the passage of an anti-vivisection law. He was, however, 

 firmly met by the Medical Society of the State of New 

 York ; and not only were his various bills completely de- 

 feated, but a section was added to the New York law for 

 the prevention of cruelty to animals calculated once for all 

 to protect physiologists from the senseless attacks of agi- 

 tators. It reads as follows : 



3 



