1575 VIVISECTION 467 



The subject is again dealt with in " The Progress of 

 Science," 1887 {Coll. Essays, i. 122 scq ), from which I may 

 quote two sentences : — 



The history of all branches of science proves that they must 

 attain a considerable stage of development before they yield 

 practical " fruits " ; and this is eminently true of physiology. 



Unless the fanaticism of philozoic sentiment overpowers the 

 voice of humanity, and the love of dogs and cats supersedes that 

 of one's neighbour, the progress of experimental physiology and 

 pathology will, indubitably, in course of time, place medicine 

 and hygiene upon a rational basis. 



The dangers of prohibition by law are discussed in a 

 letter to Sir W. Harcourt : — 



You wish me to say what, in my opinion, would be the efifect 

 of the total suppression of experiments on living animals on the 

 progress of physiological science in this country. 



I have no hesitation in replying that it would almost entirely 

 arrest that progress. Indeed, it is obvious that such an effect 

 must follow the measure, for a man can no more develop a true 

 conception of living action out of his inner consciousness than 

 he can that of a camel. Observation and experiment alone can 

 give us a real foundation for any kind of Natural Knowledge, 

 and any one who is acquainted with the history of science is 

 aware that not a single one of all the great truths of modern 

 physiology has been established otherwise than by experiment 

 on living things. 



Happily the abolition of physiological experiment in this 

 country, should such a fatal legislative mistake ever be made, 

 will be powerless to arrest the progress of science elsewhere. 

 But we shall import our physiology as we do our hock and our 

 claret from Germany and France ; those of our young physi- 

 ologists and pathologists who can afford to travel will carry 

 on their researches in Paris and in Berlin, where they will be 

 under no restraint whatever, or it may be that the foreign 

 laboratories will carry out the investigations devised here by 

 the few persons who have the courage, in spite of all obstacles, 

 to attempt to save British science from extinction. 



I doubt if such a result will contribute to the diminution of 

 animal suffering. I am sure that it will do as much harm as any- 

 thing can do to the English school of Physiology, Pathology, 



