260 Advancement of Medicine by Research. [May, 
accused were letting judgment go by default, and thus a 
very widespread and active prejudice — we will not call it 
opinion — was created against biological experimentation. 
There was another misfortune : the attacks were made by 
organised bodies, whilst the resistance was carried on by 
individuals. This was a twofold evil. Not the most illus- 
trious name — be it even that of Richard Owen or Charles 
Darwin — carries as much weight as does a society. What 
is of even greater importance, no private individual had at 
his disposal the funds for issuing advertisements, handbills, 
and posters in reply to the slanders issued by the enemies of 
research. Physicians,. professors, editors of learned journals, 
&c., have not time to range about canvassing for signatures 
to petitions. Hence the contest — if contest it can be called 
— was utterly unequal, and public ignorance was fully aroused 
and organised. Then came legislative aCtion. The Vivi- 
section Bill became law, and even this did not convince sci- 
entific men of the necessity of prompt, energetic, and 
united aCtion. On the contrary,' there was a widespread 
belief that with the passing of this measure our enemies 
would be satisfied. An esteemed medical contemporary even 
considered that the ACt would not “ in any material way ” 
hinder the progress of research, and that it would “ calm 
the needless apprehensions and put an end to the odious 
misrepresentations which have been recently rife concerning 
this subject, and which have been in ignorance adopted by 
persons of consideration who will probably in future take 
more pains to be correCtly informed . ” Never did a forecast 
more signally fail. The agitation grew more furious, the 
misrepresentations waxed grosser ; Bills were repeatedly 
brought in for completely abolishing vivisection under any 
circumstances whatever, and, if they have been hitherto 
rejected, what security have we for the future ? All these 
onslaughts and menaces, however, did not rouse those con- 
cerned to aCtion, and it was not till the outrageous prosecu- 
tion of Prof. Ferrier that this most ill-advised apathy came 
to an end. Rumours have since then been circulated that 
something would shortly be done. What that something 
might be was concealed, perhaps judiciously, from the 
friendly portion of the press. At last it has been laid before 
friends and enemies alike, and the questions naturally arise 
whether what is to be done is the right and the sufficient 
thing ? Let us, in the first place, express our pleasure that 
the protective movement was supported not merely by medi- 
cal men and biologists, but by men eminent in other depart- 
ments of Science, by clergymen, lawyers, and statesmen, — 
