18 HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY 



are as humane as other educated men and as reluctant 

 to inflict pain. The contrary assertion is familiar, but 

 it may be questioned whether it has ever been made by 

 anyone enjoying a wide acquaintance among such work- 

 ers. In the second place, the physiologist can almost 

 always avoid giving pain and actually promotes the 

 success of his work by excluding it. Pain would be a 

 disturbing factor in most experiments and the most 

 cold-blooded scientist would have reason to prevent it. 

 Many years ago, when there were no anesthetics to be 

 used, animals were certainly made to suffer severely 

 that physiologic knowledge might be advanced. The 

 results of the early work have proved so valuable that 

 we are glad that it was done; at the same time we con- 

 gratulate ourselves that the work can be continued with- 

 out the infliction of pain. 



It is sometimes urged that we have no right to deprive 

 animals of life or liberty for scientific ends. This cannot 

 well be maintained with any show of consistency unless 

 the advocate is a vegetarian. We can do without meat 

 and it will hardly be claimed that we are justified in 

 destroying animals for the gratification of appetite and 

 not for the increase of knowledge. Most humanitarians 

 recognize the necessity of doing away with superfluous 

 animals and make this a prominent function of their 

 organizations. The subjective experience of a dog or 

 cat killed by ether or chloroform could not be different 

 if an operation were performed upon it before it died 

 from what it would be if the anesthetic were at once 

 forced to a fatal intensity. 



In exceptional cases animals are allowed to recover 

 from anesthesia and are kept alive to observe the later 

 effects of an operation. This may sometimes involve 

 suffering, but it may also be the only way to discover 

 important truths. It is a fact that such experiments are 

 performed with genuine reluctance by the typical physiolo- 

 gist and in a spirit like that which animates any other 

 surgeon. Whatever hardship may have been imposed 



