334 
V bisection. 
[July, 
On the contrary, a book has appeared in which the Royal 
Commissioners are accused of having suppressed important 
evidence ! We have even heard it rumoured that attacks 
are being made through private channels upon men known 
or supposed to be engaged in biological experiments. If 
they are medical practitioners, their patients are to he cau- 
tioned against placing themselves in such dangerous and 
cruel hands. In whatever sphere of life they move they are 
to be cut off, as far as possible, from the good offices of 
society. It may be said that those who employ weapons 
thus obviously borrowed from the trades’-unionists lay them- 
selves open to legal proceedings ; but it is not very easy for 
a private man of perhaps limited resources thus to contend 
with the creatures of a wealthy combination. We cannot, 
indeed, lay our finger upon any of the agents who carry on 
this game, nor can we prove that this or the other “ person 
of consideration ” is cognisant of what is taking place. It 
is sometimes convenient to be able, with technical truth, 
to deny all knowledge of dishonourable adtions. To what- 
ever extent these attacks may be carried, we submit that 
the anti-vivisedtionists have proved themselves to be intransi 
gentes. It is imprudent to make concessions to those whom 
no concession will satisfy. 
There is still another reason why the Report of the Royal 
Commissioners should not be accepted. It is exceedingly 
had policy to yield anything to agitators who have not made 
themselves acquainted with the fadts of the case before dis- 
turbing the public peace and making unwarrantable and 
calumnious attacks upon private character. We think that 
all medical practitioners and all men of science are bound, 
in duty to themselves and the public, to oppose a firm and 
unbroken front to this senseless agitation. 
We regret to find that Government has not merely decided 
to legislate on the subjedt of vivisedtion, but that the pro- 
posed measure will be more dangerous to science than we 
had any reason to fear. It is declared that — “ A person 
shall not perform on a living animal any experiment calcu- 
lated to give pain, except subjedt to the restrictions imposed 
by this Adt.” Here we come to the first difficulty. Who is 
to decide what experiments are or are not calculated to give 
pain, — a man of science or a humanitarian ? If the latter, 
the wording of the clause might as well have been “ any 
experiment whatsoever.” 
Again, not merely are the permitted experiments to be 
restricted to “ registered places,” and to be performed by 
“ a person holding a license,” but it is declared that “ the 
