212 DOMESTICATED ANIMALS 



for the reason that the state of mind shows a rapid advance 

 of the sympathetic motive, they are likely to question the 

 sound foundation of the objections that are raised to experi- 

 ments with animals, made for the purpose of discovering or 

 displaying the truths of nature. 



So far as the work of research into the phenomena of life 

 is concerned, there can be no question as to its importance 

 or as to the fitness of sacrificing the lives of the lowlier creat- 

 ures in any way that may be necessary for the advancement 

 of knowledge. In the last half century there has been an 

 improvement in the treatment and prevention of diseases so 

 great as almost to defy adequate description. To take only 

 the last of these precious gains, that in relation to the treat- 

 ment of diphtheria, the gain has been such that although 

 the process is not past its experimental stage the reduction 

 of the mortality in hospitals where the remedy is used has 

 lowered the death rate from above fifty to about fifteen per 

 cent, of the cases. Yet this result rests upon a vast amount 

 of experiment which has cost suffering and life to the lower 

 animals ; and to produce the remedy which is used, horses 

 have to be innoculated with the disease, and thereby much 

 pain is inflicted upon them. Weighed as against the life of 

 a human being, a host of the lower creatures must count as 

 nothino-. As all human advancement depends upon the dis- 

 semination of knowledge, it is difficult to see any objection, 

 from the point of view of justice, to the use of the lower 

 creatures to accomplish this end. The only real point in 

 the matter is as to the effect of such scenes on the minds of 

 young people ; yet they have to be accustomed to behold the 

 processes of destruction of life which are everywhere going 

 on about them. The gardener maintains his work by endless 



