1875 VIVISECTION COMMISSION 169 



wording is such as to render it very unacceptable to all 

 teachers of physiology. In discussing the draft with 

 Litchfield I recollect that I insisted strongly on the 

 necessity of allowing demonstrations to students, but I 

 agreed that it would be sufficient to permit such demon- 

 strations only as could be performed under anaesthetics. 



The second clause of the bill, however, by the words 

 " for the purpose of new scientific discovery and for no 

 other purpose," absolutely prohibits any kind of demon- 

 stration. It would debar me from showing the circulation 

 in the web of a frog's foot or from exhibiting the pulsa- 

 tions of the heart in a decapitated frog. 



And by its secondary effect it would prohibit discovery. 

 Who is to be able to make discoveries unless he knows of 

 his own knowledge what has been already made out? 

 It might as well be ruled that a chemical student should 

 begin with organic analysis. 



Surely Burdon Sanderson did not see the draft of the 

 bill as it now stands. The Professors here are up in 

 arms about it, and as the papers have associated my 

 name with the bill I shall have to repudiate it publicly 

 unless something can be done. But what in the world 

 is to be done ? I have not written to Play fair yet, and 

 shall wait to hear from you before I do. I have an 

 excellent class here, 340 odd, and like the work. Best 

 regards to Mrs. Darwin. Ever yours faithfully, 



T. H. HUXLEY. 



31 ROYAL TERRACE, EDINBURGH, 

 June 5, 1875. 



MY DEAR DAUWIN I see I have forgotten to return 

 Playfair's letter, which I enclose. He sent me a copy of 

 his last letter to you, but it did not reach me , till some 

 days after my return from London. In the meanwhile 

 I saw him and Lord Cardwell at the House of 

 Commons on Friday (last week). 



Playfair seems rather disgusted at our pronunciamento 



