June I, 1876] 



NATURE 



87 



On the return of the Porcupine from her last cruise, so 

 much interest was felt in the bearings of the new dis- 

 coveries upon important biological, geological, and physi- 

 cal problems, that a representation was made to the 

 Government by the Council of the Royal Society, urging 

 the despatch of an expedition to investigate each of the 

 great oceans, and to take an outline survey of that vast 

 new field of research, the bottom of the sea. The propo- 

 sition of the Royal Society met with great and genCTal 

 support, and the Challenger was fitted out as England 

 never before fitted out a vessel for scientific research. 



The University of Edinburgh having given their con- 

 sent, Prof. Wyville Thomson accepted the post of Direc- 

 tor of the Civilian Staff; for this post none could have 

 been better qualified ; through his energy was it that 

 this question of what lived in the ocean depths came to 

 be investigated at all ; the practical experience he had 

 now gained could not be better utihsed, while the sub- 

 jects to be worked out were all within his reach. Able 

 as a biologist to hold a high position, he combined with 

 this more than an ordinary knowledge of chemistry, 

 mineralogy, and geology, a knowledge far more than 

 enough to enable him to encourage and sympathise with 

 the labours of his staff. 



The Challens^er has now returned to our shores, her 

 mission worthily accomplished, her officers and crew in 

 the best of health and spirits. 



All England welcomes Prof. Wyville Thomson back 

 again, and thanks him for his voluntary exile of three and 

 a half years from home and wife and friends for Science 

 sake ; and while we congratulate him on having laid a 

 new realm at our feet and on having given us new food 

 for thought, may we express in addition the hope that he 

 will not long delay to give to the world the narrative of a 

 cruise novel in its conception, successful in its results, and 

 destined to live long in story. 



THE CRUELTY TO ANIMALS BILL 



IT is important that those who understand the national 

 importance of science, as well as those who know 

 how completely the art of medicine depends upon physio- 

 logy should agree upon a common defence, now that both 

 are so seriously threatened by legislation. 



We do not think that scientific investigators can fairly 

 claim to be entirely free in their choice of methods, on 

 account of the importance of their objects, tht purity of 

 their motives, or the respectability of their character. 

 Claims to absolute im.nunity from the interference of the 

 State were maintained on precisely the same grounds by 

 Churchmen in the Middle Ages, and the result proved 

 how dangerous it is for any class of men to seclude them- 

 selves from the healthy atmosphere of free criiicism and 

 from contact with the popular conscience. A much better 

 plea might be found in the small number of physiologists 

 in this country', and in the important fact that, after many 

 months of agitation and invective, their enemies were not 

 able to bring before the Royal Commission a single 

 authentic instance of cruelty. Still, considering the 

 stiong popular feeling on the subject, there are probably 

 few who will deny that some legislation is necessary, if 

 only to save physiologists spending their whole time in 

 writing newspaper articles and going on deputations to 

 Ministers. 



What scientific men have a right to demand is that any 

 regulations made should interfere as little with their legi- 

 timate objects as is compatible with the purpose of legis- 

 lation. No one except a few obscure fanatics pretend 

 that it is never lawful to subject animals to pain, or even 

 to death, for self-preservation forbids such a rule ; and no 

 one can maintain that it is right to bleed calves and swal- 

 low oyster-s alive, for luxury, to geld horses for convenience, 

 and hunt hares to death for sport, and yet that it is 

 wrong to give one animal a disease that we may learn 

 how to prevent or cure the same disease in thousands, or 

 to perform a well-considered experiment which will cer- 

 tainly increase our knowledge of the laws of our being, 

 and, more or less probably, tend to the relief of human 

 suffering. 



It is, therefore, of great importance that none of the 

 objects which justify experiments on animals should be 

 sacrificed in the etlort to save the rest. Teachers of 

 physiology in large and well-equipped schools might be 

 content with a registration Bill which would leave them 

 unmolested and forbid all research to outsiders ; phy- 

 sicians and surgeons might demand liberty to do ariy- 

 thing they choose which has a direct and immediace 

 bearing on the relief of human suffering, and this appeal 

 to self-interest would probably always be successful ; in- 

 dependent investigators might see, without complaint, the 

 teaching of physiology reduced to a study of words ani 

 opinions, and the advance of medical knowledge brought 

 to a standstill, so long as they were left in peace. But 

 such short-sighted narrowness would bring its own punish- 

 ment. The results of independent research can only be 

 obtained by those who have themselves been trained in 

 genuine workrooms and can only be properly criticised 

 by a properly instructed audience. Teaching without any 

 attempt at original observation soon becomes lifeless and 

 inexact ; and medicine is far less indebted to experiment 

 for the knowledge of tb ( effect of certain drugs or ope- 

 rations, than for the broud basis of demonstrated facts as 

 to the functions of the healthy organism on which all 

 rational attempts to remedy them when disturbed must 

 depend. 



The scientific objects, then, which rnust, if possible, be 

 protected from the mischievous Bill now before Parliament 

 are, first, freedom of original investigation by competent 

 persons ; secondly, freedom of teaching by necessary 

 demonstrations ; and thirdly, freedom of experiment with 

 the definite aims of the practical physician. 



The best method of securing these objects while pre- 

 venting the stain of cruelty from debasing the fair fame of 

 science, would probably be that indicated by the Report 

 of the Royal Commission. Laboratories would then be 

 licensed under the contiol of responsible persons. Special 

 certificates would be granted to competent investigators 

 who, from distance or other causes, were notable to make 

 use of these laboratories. The advance of sound phy- 

 siological knowledge as well as the direct prevention or 

 cure of disease, would be recognised as a legitimate 

 object of experimental inquiiy. The general condition of 

 the hcence or certificate would be that every experiment 

 on a living animal should be rendeied free from pain by 

 the skilled use of chloroform (or other ancesihetic better 

 adapted to the animal), except when this would defeat 

 the object of the inquiry, and happily these exceptions 



