126 



NATURE 



[June i i, 1891 



company they would not be able to appeal to the public for 

 funds with any success. In the first place, their institution would 

 have a mercantile character, which would tend to repel sub- 

 scribers ; and they had the opinion of counsel that under such 

 circumstances it would be in the power of the subscribers at any 

 time to agree to have the institute wound up and the funds 

 divided amongst themselves. To appeal to the public for sub- 

 scriptions, therefore, under these conditions would l;e absolutely 

 hopeless. On the other hand, if the licence were granted there 

 could be inserted by the Board of Trade a condition that the 

 funds of the institute should be used only for scientific and 

 charitable objects, and in that way their poition would be per- 

 fectly secured. The only practical alternative, if it was still 

 thought right to refuse their request, would be that they should 

 be incorporated by Act of Parliament — a process which would 

 involve very great loss of time and also very serious expense. 

 The importance of the object which they had at heart was one 

 which he thought need hardly be much dwelt upon. Preventive 

 medicine based upon bacteriology was a matter of comparatively 

 recent experience, but it had been making gigantic strides, 

 and every year and almost every week they were learning 

 of new triumphs achieved in the discovery of the essential 

 nature of disease and of the means of preventing such 

 disease. He might be permitted perhaps to refer to one 

 or two illustrations of the value of the work carried on at 

 such institutes both to man and to the lower animals. The work 

 done by M. Pasteur for the rescue of those bitten by mad dogs 

 from the horrible death of rabies was bearing invaluable fruits. 

 It had been estimated that within four years at the Pasteur 

 Institute I2,ckx) lives had been saved. During the last six years 

 403 British subjects had been treated, and out of those 403 only 

 seven had died. If they took into account the loss of time in- 

 volved in making arrangements for going to Paris, and con- 

 sidered also that the essence of M. Pasteur's treatment was to 

 intercept the disease before it arrived at the vital organisms in 

 the brain, they might anticipate a large amount of success if they 

 had the means in this country of having the same treatment 

 carried out. From Germany had come the discovery of what 

 was termed tubercle bacillus — that was to say, the micro-organ- 

 ism which was the essential cause of tubercle, the greatest 

 physical scourge that afflicted the human race. To establish that 

 that bacillus was really the essential cause of this disease in all 

 its diverse forms required a large amount of investigation such as 

 could only be carried on in institutes like that which they desired 

 to see established. That the institute would be of great benefit 

 also with regard to diseases of the lower animals might be seen 

 from the discoveries made as to the cure of anthrax by M. 

 Pasteur, and as to the treatment of another affliction known as 

 " quarter evil " by a scientist of Lyons. Various bacteriological 

 laboratories had been already established in the British Islands, 

 but it was universally allowed that none of those existing was in 

 the least equal to a great institute such as they desired to see 

 established. One proof that such was the ca^e was presented by 

 the fact that our best workers in these subjects had been going 

 continually to Paris or to Berlin for the superior advantages 

 that they could obtain there. He ventured to think that the 

 mass of educated opinion represented by the deputation was 

 surely more deserving of attention than the views of those who, 

 wiih whatever excellent intentions, had petitioned against their 

 scheme. The truth was that objections were made because the 

 petitioners objected altogether to the performance of experiments 

 upon living animals, and not because they th< ught that there was 

 already sufficient opportunity for work of this kind. If those peti- 

 tioners knew how very small was the amount of suffering really 

 inflicted upon the animals in such an institute, and how scrupu- 

 lous was t' e care taken to avoid all needless pain, they would 

 not (at least, the great majority of them would not) have made 

 the opposition that they had made. He even doubted whether 

 the question of their being likely to perform experiments upon 

 living animals was one which the Board of Trade had any fair 

 reason to occupy itself with. The licensing of places for the 

 performance of such experiments, and the licensing of indivi- 

 dual experimenters had always rested with the Home Secretary. 

 Foreign institutions such as that which they desired to see estab- 

 lished had been largely endowed by the State, and he did not 

 relinquish the hope that our Government might at some future 

 time see its way to give them substantial aid. But, however 

 that might be, they ventured to hope that no department of this 

 Government would oppose any unnecessary obstacle to an enter- 

 prise which had for its sole object the welfare of humanity, the 



health of mankind and the lower animals, and the general 

 progress of the public weal. 



Sir Lyon Play fair, M.P., said that experiments on living 

 animals had been sanctioned by Parliament, which had intrusted 

 the Home Secretary to make suitable restrictions for the carry- 

 ing out of the operations. The proposed institute was pro- 

 moted differently from those in foreign countries, which were 

 being founded by the State, and the deputation only asked to be 

 allowed to associate for a purpose recognized by Parliament, 

 and with such restrictions as Sir Michael Hicks- Beach or the 

 Home Secretary thought proper to impose. 



Prof. Dewar spoke of the importance of the proposed institute 

 from a chemical point of view, and Dr. Ray Lankester and Sir 

 James Crichton Browne also spoke. 



Sir M. Hicks- Beach, in reply, said : — I hope that it is not 

 through any fault of mine that those who have arranged for this 

 deputation have not come to me in the ordinary numbers of a 

 deputation, but have thought it necessary for their object to 

 summon from different parts of the country so very large a 

 number of gentlemen who are very actively engaged, and 

 whose time must be very valuable, not only to themselves, 

 but also to the public. I am not disposed to be influenced 

 in any matter by the mere numbers of a deputation. It 

 would be perfectly possible for you and for those who differ 

 from you on the other side to fill a very much larger 

 room than this. I think the deputations should be weighed 

 rather than counted, and if half-a-dozen of those who are now 

 present had come to me saying what has been said to-day, and 

 authorized to speak on behalf of all of you, I can assure you that 

 I should have attached as much weight to their arguments as I 

 can do now. But, of course, I accept your presence here as a 

 strong testimony to the great interest that you feel in this sub- 

 ject. I am sorry to confess to have differed from so many 

 gentlemen of such eminence as those who have supported this 

 movement, and to have found myself unable to grant the appli- 

 cation of the British Institute of Preventive Medicine for per- 

 mission to register the Association without the addition of the 

 word "limited." It is only due to you that I should explain, 

 as shortly as I can the reasons which induce me to arrive at 

 that decision. Now, the section of the Act of 1867, under 

 which you ask me to act, lays down two preliminary require- 

 ments which must be proved to the satisfaction of the Board of 

 Trade — first, that the Association shall be formed for one of 

 several purposes, such as, for instance, that of promoting science, 

 or some other useful object ; secondly, that the profits or income 

 will be applied to promote the objects of the Association, and 

 that the payment of dividends will be prohibited. Now, I will 

 assume that you have complied with both these requirements ; I 

 say nothing to the contrary. But the proof of such compliance 

 does not, in my opinion, compel the Board of Trade to act on 

 the section. Something has been said to day to the effect that 

 you have obtained counsel's opinion that it does compel the 

 Board of Trade so to act. I have taken another view— I admit 

 without legal advice. If you will place before me the opinion 

 upon which your view is based, of course I shall very carefully 

 consider it, and myself obtain legal advice upon that point, 

 because I view it as an important point, as you will see from 

 what I am going to say. I have considered, as I said, that the 

 section of the Act only empowers the Board of Trade to act, 

 and leaves it to the Board of Trade to decide whether the 

 licence shall be granted or not ; and if granted, whether any 

 conditions or regulations should be imposed and inserted in the 

 memorandum and articles of association. It therefore seems to 

 me that the Board of Trade could hardly grant such a licence 

 without expressing approval, by the mere fact of the grant, of 

 the Association to which it is granted. In your case I think I 

 have no right to express such an approval, because, if I rightly 

 interpret Clause 3<7 of your memorandum, I understand — and I 

 also gathered from what has been said to-day — "that experi- 

 ments on living animals calculated to give pain," to quote the 

 words of the Act of Parliament, are included among your 

 objects ; in one word, that vivisection would be part of your 

 work. Now, this is a subject which the Legislature by the 

 Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876, has placed under the control, not 

 of the Board of Trade, but of the Home Office. By that Act, 

 as you know, vivisection is made illegal except by licence from 

 the Home Office, and under the most stringent regulations, in- 

 cluding inspection by inspectors of the Home Office. I assume 

 that when you had established this institution, supposing my 

 licence were granted, an application would be made to the 



NO. I 128, VOL. 44] 



