NATURE 
THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 1883 
THE VIVISECTION BILL 
HE failure of Mr. Reid’s Vivisection Abolition Bill 
on April 4 affords cause of congratulation to all 
who are interested in science, although it is perhaps to be 
regretted that the Bill did not come to a “ division” in- 
stead of being “talked out.” Scientific men must be 
pleased because one more attempt of ignorance to stop 
the pursuit of knowledge has been defeated. But, more 
than this, the failure of the Bill is a boon to all who care 
for their own health, for that of their families, and for the 
welfare of society at large. Had it passed it would not 
only have stopped all experiments in physiology, patho- 
logy, and pharmacology in this country, but it would have 
rendered impossible the detection of crime by the appli- 
cation of physiological tests, Had this Bill been law at 
the time of the trial of Lamson for poisoning by aconite, 
his conviction would have been impossible ; for although 
chemical evidence pointed to aconite as the poison used, 
‘the tests for it were not sufficiently distinctive to have 
justified his conviction on chemical evidence alone, and 
it required to be corroborated by physiological evidence. 
This was afforded by the injection of the substance ob- 
tained from the stomach into some small animals. As these 
‘died presenting all the symptoms of aconitine poisoning, 
the chemical evidence was confirmed, and the poisoner 
was accordingly convicted. 
Under the present law, considerable delay was caused 
before a certificate could be obtained to allow these 
experiments to be performed, but if Mr. Reid’s Bill had 
been law, they could not have been performed at all ; and 
secret poisoners secure of immunity might have become 
as common in this country as they were in the days of 
the Borgias. 
To understand thoroughly the effect of the Bill upon 
medical science and practice, we must imagine to our- 
selves what would occur if experiments were stopped not 
only inthis country but in others ; for it is not alone in 
this country that the opponents of vivisection are active; 
they are endeavouring to stop it as far as they can in 
America and on the Continent also. 
Last week we published some facts and considerations 
regarding vivisection and its relations to medicine, issued 
by the Association for the Advancement of Science by 
Research. The data there contained we should think 
were sufficient to convince any reasonable person of 
the advantages that medicine has derived from experi- 
ments on animals. But it is curious to notice the way in 
which they are regarded by anti-vivisectionists. Finding 
themselves in many cases unable to deny the advantages 
of the knowledge which has been obtained by experi- 
ments, they say this knowledge might have been got 
without experiments, and so it might, if man had been 
difterently constituted. But being as he is, there is no 
royal road to knowledge, and he must take the only one 
which is available for him—that of experiment. 
As Mr. Cartwright pointed out in his speech, if experi- 
ments on animals are prohibited, experiments must be 
made on human beings, and in their rudest form. The 
contrast between such rude popular experiments on man 
VOL. XXVII.—NO. 702 
549 
and scientific experiments on animals was illustrated in 
a speech of Dr, Lyon Playfair in reference to these two 
kinds of experiments on cholera. The first experiment 
was tried on 500,000 human beings in London, who were 
supplied with water contaminated by choleraic discharges 
with the result that 125 out of every 10,000 consumers 
died from the effects of the experiment. In two other 
experiments made by another water company, 180 died in 
the first experiment, and 130 in the second, out of every 
10,000. 
These popular experiments on a large scale involved the 
sacrifice of half-a-million human beings. In contrast with 
this may be taken the scientific experiments made upon 
animals by Thiersch and others. These experiments were 
made on 56 mice, 14 of which died from the choleraic 
discharges. These were not mixed with water acci- 
dentally or carelessly, as in the popular experiment, but 
were administered under definite conditions, and the 
effect watched. The results of these experiments showed 
that water contaminated with choleraic discharges was 
deadly ; the water so contaminated was avoided, and an 
epidemic was escaped. 
The common-sense conclusion on the whole matter was 
expressed by the Home Secretary, who said that he dis- 
liked as much as any man in the House the infliction of 
pain upon animals, but felt satisfied that under the ad- 
ministration of the law at present there was very little 
pain inflicted upon animals, and that pain was inflicted 
under such circumstances as to guarantee that it was not 
wantonly inflicted, but that it had occurred in the course 
of experiments that were abundantly justified for the 
benefit of humanity at large. As a guarantee that no 
experiments shall be performed that are not abundantly 
justified, Sir W. Harcourt has made the agreement with 
the Association for the Advancement of Science by Re- 
search, that, “if they will undertake the task of reporting to 
him upon the experiments, he will undertake that no certifi- 
cate shall be granted except on a previous recommendation 
from them.” This Association is a representative body of 
the whole medical profession, being composed of the 
Presidents of the Royal College of Physicians and Sur- 
geons of London, Edinburgh, and Dublin, of the Royal 
Society of London, of the Medical Council, and of all the 
chief medical associations and societies, along with some 
others specially elected. It would be difficult to imagine 
a body better adapted for the purposes of maintaining 
the high character of the profession for humanity, by 
preventing any wanton infliction of pain upon animals 
by experiment, whilst at the same time preventing the 
serious consequences to human health and life which 
would ensue if properly devised experiments were pro- 
hibited by ill-judged and excessive care for animals. 
THE BRITISH NAVY 
The British Navy : its Strength, Resources, and Adminis- 
tration. By Sir Thomas Brassey, K.C.B.,M.P. Vols. 
I., II., I1I. (London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 
1882.) 
HE three volumes of this work already given to 
public by Sir Thomas Brassey are to be followed 
by three others ; but as these are to contain reprints cf 
speeches and publications on naval affairs it is preferable 
BB 
