Beneficent Distribution of the Sense of Fain. 307 



the hands, and especially the fingers, are verj liable to injury, 

 the sense of pain is great in those parts ; and I believe there 

 may be more real pain from a gathering in the finger, than 

 from very many of the most fatal complaints. The exterior 

 coating of the eye is extremely sensitive ; while the back and 

 interior portions of that organ are almost insensible* The 

 sense of pain in the mouth guards the throat, and in the sto- 

 mach is a warning against our eating anything that is injuri- 

 ous* Rheumatic pains are bad ; but how many more fatal cases 

 would arise from colds, &c., if man was not warned by pain 

 and inconvenience of the bad effects upon his constitution of 

 sudden changes of temperature. 



One of the best ways to judge of the value of anything, is 

 to consider how we could do without it ; and it will be well to 

 do so in the present case. Thus, if a man had not the sense 

 of pain, he might sit by a fire, and, in his absence of mind, 

 put his foot upon it, and soon find himself minus that use- 

 ful member ; he might have lime blown into his eyes, and 

 thus lose his sight if not warned by the pain ; in fact, there 

 would be no end to his dangers if not possessed of that use- 

 ful monitor, which guards him from injury, and is a check to 

 his excesses. There may be pains and sufferings, the use of 

 which it may be difficult to see ; but I would rather attribute 

 this to a want of knowledge, than believe that the rule which 

 holds good in so many cases does not hold good in all. In 

 fact, the beneficial use of the sense of pain to man is so evi- 

 dent, and has been pointed out so long since in Paley's Na- 

 tural Theology, that I should not have said anything upon the 

 point, but that I considered it necessar}-^ for the elucidation 

 of my subject, as regards its uses and distribution amongst 

 the lower classes of animals. 



Before I enter farther upon the subject, it will be neces- 

 sary to consider what may be taken as a proof of pain ; con- 

 vulsions are considered by many as a sign of suffering, but I 

 believe it is generally allowed by the medical profession that 

 that opinion is erroneous : the cry of animals cannot always 

 be depended on as indicative of pain, which is proved by the 

 noise a pig will make when taken hold of. It is also neces- 

 sary to make allowance for the struggling under restraint 



