VIVISECTION. 443 



section, considered as a, means of imparting surgical dexterity, 

 is wholly unnecessary, hence unjustifiable ; I am not less 

 firmly convinced that the interests of science justify vivi- 

 sections in certain cases and under certain limitations. I 

 have no difficulty in coming to that conclusion: whatever 

 difficulty I feel has reference to the defining of cases and the 

 imposing limitations. 



Lest the general admission here made to the justifiable- 

 ness of vivisection in aid of science should beget a repugnance 

 in certain minds, unfavourable to tranquil investigation of the 

 proposition on its merits alone, I will cite an illustrative ex- 

 ample, concerning which it will surprise me much if the very 

 strongest dissentients to the practice of vivisection do not ac- 

 cede to the justifiableness even the duty of performing it. 



Here, perhaps, it may be desirable to enlarge the field of 

 debate, so as to take in certain cases of pain-infliction; not 

 vivisectional truly, but so far appertaining to a kindred cate- 

 gory, that they concern the revelation of vital action through 

 the pain-inflicting scrutiny of living animal organism. The 

 cases here referred to belong to the toxic or poison-scrutinis- 

 ing department of physiology ; they involve the administra- 

 tion of poisons with a view of noticing their effects. It may 

 be that the administration of certain poisons is attended with 

 a degree of pain more excruciating than has ever resulted 

 from vivisection. 



The field of debate being thus enlarged, two questions 

 present themselves. The first is an abstract, the second a 

 practical question. Is it justifiable, on moral grounds, to 

 inflict pain in order that science may be advanced ? or, what 

 comes to the same thing, that truth may be revealed ? Then, 

 if justifiable, what are the justifiying limits? 



In regard to the first or abstract question, I must hold it 

 to be universally conceded; wherefore the second question, 

 involving the idea of pain -infliction, only remains to be 

 debated. 



