1 8; 5-] VIVISECTION. 209 



Times will " burke " all his letters to this newspaper, nor am 

 I surprised, judging from the laughable tirades advertised in 

 * Nature.' 



Ever yours, very sincerely, 



CH. DARWIN. 



[The next letter refers to a projected conjoint article on 

 vivisection, to which Mr. Romanes wished my father to 

 contribute :] 



C. Darwin to G. J. Romanes. 



Down, September 2, 1881. 



MY DEAR ROMANES, Your letter has perplexed me 

 beyond all measure. I fully recognise the duty of every one 

 whose opinion is worth anything, expressing his opinion pub- 

 licly on vivisection ; and this made me send my letter to the 

 Times. I have been thinking at intervals all morning what I 

 could say, and it is the simple truth that I have nothing worth 

 saying. You and men like you, whose ideas flow freely, and 

 who can express them easily, cannot understand the state 

 of mental paralysis in which I find myself. What is most 

 wanted is a careful and accurate attempt to show what physi- 

 ology has already done for man, and even still more strongly 

 what there is every* reason to believe it will hereafter do. 

 Now I am absolutely incapable of doing this, or of discussing 

 the other points suggested by you. 



If you wish for my name (and I should be glad that it 

 should appear with that of others in the same cause), could 

 you not quote some sentence from my letter in the Times 

 which I enclose, but please return it. If you thought fit you 

 might say you quoted it with my approval, and that after still 

 further reflection I still abide most strongly in my expressed 

 conviction. 



For Heaven's sake, do think of this. I do not grudge 

 the labour and thought ; but I could write nothing worth 

 any one reading. 



VOL. III. P 



