EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 
683 
admitted that, in addition to practising vivisection for the sake of physio¬ 
logical research or experiment, every operation which could by possibility 
be required to be performed in the course of veterinary practice was, on 
two days a week, during the session, performed over and over again by the 
teachers and students, on living (diseased or worn-out) horses, operations 
of the most exquisitely painful nature being successively performed on dif¬ 
ferent parts of the same horse, until nature gave way, the wretched animal 
having been tortured to death by knife and fire in as barbarous a manner as 
man or devil could devise. To add to the brutality, horses which have only 
been partially experimented on are often left till the next operating or expe¬ 
rimenting day (not the following day), when a renewal of their tortures 
takes place. My question as to whether they ever gave chloroform or ether 
to the animal before vivisection was answered in the negative, and with a 
derisive smile. 
That such revolting barbarities are committed from week to week, and 
from year to year, in a country which not only claims to be civilized, but to 
be the leader of civilization, and whose ruler is called the eldest son of a 
Christian Church, must be a matter of great surprise and deep regret to 
many in this country, and must also react injuriously in brutalizing the 
minds and hearts of considerable and successive portions of the youth of 
France, not only the veterinary practitioners, but the many who in the rural 
districts throughout the provinces and in the army come within the sphere 
of their influence and example. For their sake, therefore, but more espe¬ 
cially for the sake of the suffering, helpless, unoffending brute, such cruelty 
should be exposed and condemned, and, as there is no one whose denounce¬ 
ment of the practice, and whose opinion as to its being utterly unnecessary, 
can carry greater weight than the learned principal of the London Veteri¬ 
nary College, every humane man must feel indebted to that gentleman for 
having spoken out on this subject in a manner alike creditable to his head 
and heart. 
It is right to state that there does exist in Paris a “ diluted ” imitation 
of the London society—namely, the Societe Protectrice des Animaux, of 
which an enlightened and talented physician, Dr. Lobligeois, is secretary. 
This gentleman confirmed the correctness of the information which I received 
from the Sieves at Alfort, and he expressed his regret that, while he and the 
Societe Protectrice condemned the acts, they were unable successfully to 
combat the difficulties thrown in their way by interested and indifferent 
parties. 
Apologising for trespassing so far on your valuable space, 
I have the honour to be, Sir, 
Yours most obediently, 
15, Harrington Square, Oct. 15th. D. FRASER, M.D. 
Here, then, we may safely leave the question for the 
present. That good will arise out of the discussion, no 
one can doubt ; and if but a modification of this system 
of teaching the practice of the veterinary art be effected, 
all will have reason to rejoice that the subject of vivisections 
formed the chief theme of the inaugural address of I860. 
