146  Editorial  Notes  and  Comments.  {Kmil^^^ 
facts  connected  with  digestion  and  assimilation,  etc.  As  a  result  of 
the  work  of  physiologists  on  living  animals,  Weber  laid  down  the 
principles  of  a  rational  treatment  for  the  prevention  of  heart  failure  * 
Duhamel  and  others  explained  the  processes  by  which  wounds  are 
healed,  and  injured  parts  restored,  and  especially  how  fractured 
bones  are  united ;  Esmarck  and  others  have  by  use  of  ligatures 
inaugurated  the  era  of  bloodless  surgery,  etc.  See  what  vivisection 
has  done  in  abdominal  surgery.  In  the  Civil  War,  out  of  3,717 
cases  of  intestinal  wounds,  3,273  ended  fatally.  Since  that  time 
experiments  made  upon  dogs  which  were  etherized  and  then  shot 
showed  the  feasibility  of  opening  the  abdomen.  If  what  we  know 
to-day  had  been  known  then,  3,273  soldiers  instead  of  446  would 
now  probably  be  living. 
See  what  experiments  upon  living  animals  have  accomplished  in 
indicating  to  us  the  value  of  over  150  new  remedies  introduced  dur- 
ing the  year  1899.  This  means  that  instead  of  experimenting  upon 
human  kind  to  get  this  information  lower  animals  have  been  used. 
Surely  no  sane  man  can  fail  to  appreciate  the  conditions  under 
which  we  live.  It  is  man's  privilege  to  save  life  and  no  one  recog- 
nizes the  privilege  and  duty  more  than  the  conscientious  physician. 
He  will  save  man,  dog,  canary  bird  and  even  the  ubiquitous  sparrow. 
If  he  can  save  all,  he  will,  but  he  must  prolong  and  save  man's  life 
under  nearly  all  circumstances  and  all  lower  forms  of  life  must  be 
sacrificed  if  needs  be.  From  the  beginning  it  has  been  recognized 
that  man  was  to  have  dominion  over  all  and  that  every  form  of  life 
was  to  contribute  to  his  life  in  health  and  disease.  In  matters  of 
food  hundreds  of  lives  of  lower  animals  are  sacrificed  for  sustaining 
the  life  of  man,  but  in  medicine  comparatively  few  lives  of  lower 
animals  are  given  to  the  saving  of  countless  millions,  as  statistics 
will  easily  demonstrate.  The  matter  of  legislation  regarding  vivisec- 
tion and  experimentation  upon  the  lower  animals  can  safely  be  left 
with  the  scientists  and  professional  men  themselves.  It  is  well  to 
remember  that  it  is  the  type  of  man  like  Darwin  who  not  only 
hesitates  to  hurt  a  living  creature,  but  who  recognizes  his  responsi- 
bilities to  the  whole  living  world. 
There  can  be  no  question  in  the  mind  of  any  enlightened  person 
that  it  should  be  the  highest  duty  of  all  to  protect  every  living 
object,  plant  or  animal,  which  has  any  claim  whatsoever  to  our 
mercy  and  consideration.    Many  of  the  humanitarian  and  kindred 
