[August, 
504 The Present State of the 
We are not aware that our British anti-vivisedlionists 
haye ever attempted to justify the contradictions and incon- 
sistencies which have just been pointed out.. But as the 
agitation has become “ international,” — or epidemic, which 
is much the same thing, — we felt bound to hear what 
foreign denouncers of biological experimentation might have 
to advance. One work especially attracted our attention. 
Its author, Prof. Zollner, is a man of totally different calibre 
from the English anti-viviseCtionist oracles. He is not a 
hysterical novelist nor a sensational philosopher. He is 
neither a sportsman quite ready to practise and uphold 
killing for killing’s sake, nor a worshipper of Anubis, pre- 
pared to inflict any inconvenience or injury upon his fellow- 
men so that dogs may be made more comfortable. Nor, 
lastly, is he a physician or surgeon, careless for the advance 
of Science so long as his own practice may be increased. 
On the contrary, he is a thinker whose erudition is no less 
wonderful than his acuteness and profundity, who has 
“ won his spurs ” in physical and astronomical research, 
and whose passionate love for truth and fearlessness in its 
utterance are universally recognised. 
It might naturally be awaited that such a man, if he 
entered upon this question at all, would do it fundamental 
justice. We expeCted a philosophic discussion of the nature 
and limits of man’s sovereignty over the lower animals, and 
of his rights to inflict upon them pain or death. We 
trusted that he would have shown whether, in how far, and 
under what circumstances vivisection is in excess of such 
rights, and a departure from man’s duties towards his fellow 
tenants of the globe. We thought he would show, or at 
least attempt to show, when the conclusions drawn from 
viviseCtory experiments were trustworthy, and when they 
might be regarded as illusive. This we felt the more inclined 
to expea since he states that “ the right of judgment on 
the scientific-physiological value of viviseaion in its pre- 
vious extent belongs in the first place to physicists, and not 
to physiologists and physicians.” This is a paradox which 
we are not prepared to accept. We conceived it quite pos- 
sible that we might meet in this book arguments against 
experimentation such as we have never before encountered, 
and which might seriously alter our conviaions. 
We must first note that Prof. Zollner is not an advocate 
of the “ total abolition and utter suppression ” of viviseaion. 
He denounces its abuse (tnissbrauch) . Now it would be 
utterly illogical to speak of the abuse of a “ grievous sin ”* 
* See bills displayed at railway-stations and elsewhere. 
