3 o6 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



passu. Each would consist, say, of two lectures a week, and the 

 rest of the time would be filled up with the dissection of typical 

 animals, the performance of the simpler physiological experiments, 

 and the preparation and examination of microscopic specimens of 

 animal tissues, all illustrative of the main points put forward in the 

 lectures. The student would also be made to draw sketches of his 

 dissections and microscopic preparations, and to describe them and 

 the results of his experiments briefly in writing, and so while learn- 

 ing thoroughly how to dissect and use his microscope, and the con- 

 ditions of success in physiological experiment, he would also have his 

 powers of observation regularly trained and tested. 



In connection with these courses there should be a museum, con- 

 taining not a bewildering multitude of specimens, but a small num- 

 ber of dissections and skeletons of typical animals, especially of 

 those which it is important for the student to know, but which are 

 too rare to be obtained in quantities allowing each to dissect one for 

 himself; and these specimens should be so placed that they may be 

 freely accessible to those desiring to study them. It is far better to 

 have to replace an injured specimen occasionally than to have the 

 things locked up behind glass doors, so as to render their thorough 

 examination impracticable to those for whose examination they are 

 placed there. Moreover, especially in connection with the physiologi- 

 cal course, there would be needed from time to time, according to the 

 subject-matter of the lectures, demonstrations of certain points; in 

 cases, for instance, needing the employment of the more delicate in- 

 struments, or w T here niceties of manipulation were required, such as a 

 beginner could not be fairly expected to overcome. 



I ought perhaps here to refer to the subject of vivisection. Phys- 

 iology is concerned with the phenomena going on in living things, 

 and vital processes cannot be observed in dead bodies ; and from 

 what I have said you will have gathered that I intend to employ 

 vivisections in teaching. I want, however, to say, once for all, that 

 here, for teachiug purposes, no painful experiment will be performed. 

 Fortunately, the vast majority of physiological experiments can now- 

 adays be performed without the infliction of pain, either by the ad- 

 ministration of some of the many anaesthetics known, or by previous 

 removal of parts of the central nervous system ; and such experiments 

 alone will be used here for teaching. With regard to physiological 

 research the case is different : happily here too the number of neces- 

 sarily painful experiments is very small indeed ; but in any case where 

 the furtherance of physiological knowledge is at stake where the 

 progress of that science is concerned, on which all medicine is based, 

 so far as it is not a mere empiricism I cannot doubt that we 

 have a right to inflict suffering upon the lower animals, always pro- 

 vided that it be reduced to the minimum possible, and that none but 

 competent persons be allowed to undertake such experiments. Placed, 



