1876.] Vivisection. 333 
thus imposing what they designate as the “ reasonable su- 
perintendence of constituted authority.” All persons en- 
gaging in experimental research are to be licensed and 
registered by the Home Secretary, under certain conditions, 
and to be subjected to the visits of an Inspector. With this 
conclusion a medical contemporary expresses itself satisfied, 
considering that there is no reason to fear lest the proposed 
legislation should “ in any material way ” hinder the pro- 
gress of research or diminish existing facilities, hoping that, 
on the other hand, such measures would “ calm the needless 
apprehension, and put an end to the odious misrepresenta- 
tions 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.” 
In these anticipations we find ourselves unable to agree. 
We must remember that in England a large amount of sci- 
entific work has always been performed by persons holding 
no official position, graduates of no college, and — -as Giordano 
Bruno says of himself — “ academicians of no academy.” 
These men are in the outset of their career necessarily un- 
known. Will they always be able to fulfil all the formalities 
necessary to obtain a license ? The Home Secretary as- 
suredly will not grant every application made as a mere 
matter of form, yet if he does not there will be a possibility 
that the progress of research maybe checked in a “very 
material way.” In such matters we should dread the inter- 
ference of the British Government more than that of any 
other. An authoritative definition of vivisection, and a clear 
exposition of the conditions under which licences are 
granted, will or should be included in the Bill, and if these 
are satisfactory it will be perhaps the first time that the 
British legislature has dealt advantageously with a scientific 
subject. 
The hope that such a regulatory ACt will put an end to 
“ odious misrepresentations,” and induce “ persons of con- 
sideration ” * to seek correct information before entering 
upon a career of agitation, is amiable, perhaps child-like ; 
but it will be doomed to disappointment. Since that Report 
was published the anti-viviseCtionists have showed no 
symptoms of relaxing their endeavours, or of desisting 
from the dissemination of “ odious misrepresentations.” 
* Can any person, of whatever rank, be considered “ of consideration ” 
when speaking upon a subject of which he is utterly ignorant, and on which 
he has not even sought for “ correct information ”? 
