438 VIVISECTION. 



gravity of operations performed,, or liable to be performed, 

 upon the human*subject? 



Concerning the answer there can be no doubt. The reply 

 will be emphatic Jand negative ; this too for obvious reasons, 

 founded upon a consideration of the difference between brute 

 and human life. Under no circumstance or possible contin- 

 gency is the surgeon permitted to take the life of his patient, 

 whatever the gravity of an accident ; whereas the contrary 

 rule legitimately applies to veterinary surgeons. Considera- 

 tion of this fundamental difference reduces the veterinary 

 surgeon's responsibilities to very small dimensions. Regard- 

 ing him only as a mechanician one whose duty may call 

 upon him to move amidst and to handle parts of machinery 

 more or less delicate belonging to the mechanism he has to 

 deal with ; measuring his duties and responsibilities as an 

 engineer with those of the surgeon then will the call for 

 dexterity on the veterinary surgeon's part fall to a low com- 

 parative standard. When one of the animated machines 

 which claims his solicitude gets disordered beyond a certain 

 mark, then he without compunction, and in the interests of 

 his patient, destroys the machine by taking away the force 

 the life that alone can actuate it. 



Contemplated ( under the light thus disclosed, the veteri- 

 nary surgeon's operative responsibilities will be seen to be 

 small as to extent and insignificant as to gravity, when placed 

 in comparison side by side with the ever-varying, often tre- 

 mendous operations it may be the surgeon's duty to perform. 



Perhaps when the whole field over which veterinary ope- 

 rations are possible is examined, it will appear that the re- 

 moval of tumours represents the veterinary surgeon's art in 

 its highest advancement and greatest delicacy. And assuredly 

 of tumours it may be averred, that if the plea of vivisection, 

 considered as a means of giving facility of hand, be weaker 

 in any one case than another, the very limit of weakness is 

 here reached. No two tumours are ever alike, whether as to 



