Dr Drummond on Humanity to Animals. 177 



duct shows, that the bile is constantly pouring from it into the 

 intestine. But if we suppose, as has been generally done, that 

 the pancreas is in truth a salivary gland, we may readily con- 

 ceive that, as in those of the mouth, the effect of terror and 

 acute pain will be to suspend its action ; for every one knows 

 that both of these cause a great decrease or suspension of the 

 flow of the salivary secretion, and an ardent desire to take drink. 

 This is very obvious in tedious surgical operations. If, there- 

 fore, pain and terror suspend the action of the salivary glands 

 in the mouth, we may well suppose that the same causes will 

 suspend the secretion of the pancreas. 



I believe myself to be amongst the last persons who would be 

 inclined to throw any impediment in the way of improvement 

 or knowledge ; but I most conscientiously believe, that in at- 

 tempting to excite your detestation of such cruelties, I am speak- 

 ing the language of truth, as well as of mercy. What, again, 

 is to be expected of a young medical man who acquires a taste 

 for dissecting living animals ? Is that the way to pursue his 

 studies with advantage ? Is it not most likely to draw him from 

 the legitimate study of his profession ? In place of storing his 

 mind with a knowledge of chemistr)?, materia medica, human 

 anatomy, and the other fundamental branches of medicine and 

 surgery, he is employing his time in cutting up living cats and 

 dogs, in the hope, perhaps, that he too may become a discoverer ; 

 or as likely, it may be, from mere idleness. I am sorry that, in 

 our own islands, it is common among teachers of anatomy to 

 recommend the practice of vivisection to their students ; but 

 then, this recommendation is merely to " make experiments on 

 the lower. animals.^ Yes; but this making of experiments in- 

 cludes every species of cruelty that the most savage ingenuity 

 can invent : it includes sawing off portions of the skull, and par- 

 ing away the brain in slices, to see what effect is produced by 

 wounding one part more than another : it includes the starving 

 of animals to death, for the purpose of ascertaining the appear- 

 ance of their stomach : it includes the tying of ligatures on the 

 bile-duct, the thoracic-duct, the pylorus, and other parts, all 

 which is accompanied with excruciating torture to the victim 

 operated on : it includes the laying bare of thcheart, to observe 



OCTOBER DECEHBER 1831. M 



