WATER POLLUTION
Very appropriate, therefore, are the words which Professor Crew has caused to be carved at the entrance of this institute, which I now formally declare to be opened: " To the advancement of science anid to the service of manikind this btuilding is dledicated."
Abstract
WATER POLLUTION. [Tu BZTriB 59. I9301 I ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~MEDICAL JoWRWA% ass-uming office how essential such experiments are for the progress of medical knowledge -and for the public health. The antivivisection .societies have, and can have, no real influence; their propaganda wili never prevent a sick person from calling on the services of a doctor whose knowledge is founded on vivisection. It must be undersstood that all the work of this and kindred institutions is based upon vivisection. Literally the word miieanis the dissection of living animals, and therefore every siiigical operation is a vivisection. But technically and legally it means any experiment on a lower animal of any kind, whether by operation, or by injection, or merely bv feedinig. This (lefinition of vivisection is not imiine; it is thtat given by the Act of Parliamiient regulating the practice. No one can make any sort of experiment, whether it is painful or niot, upon a vertebrate animal -even upon a fish or tadpole-without a licence from the Home Secretarv. Thlat is to say, provided the experiment is made to advalace knowledge and(i not for sport. No farmer mav test the effect upon his stock of a novel food withlollt a licence; if he coniducts sutch a test he makes an experiment for the purpose of advanicing knowledge, and, if his animlals suffer froma the change of diet, he endlers himself liable to prosecution. Thousands of experiments on animials are recorded every year and reported to Parliament by the inspectors under the Vivisection Act. At least 99 1*e1 cent. involve no operation; they consist merely of feeding, or at the most of hypodermic injection. By far the greater niuimiber are done in connexion with, and b)y the (lirectioll of, the Public Health Services of the counitrV. All olperations whlich inivolve incision are perforimied, like suirgrical operations, undr profound anaesthesia; ai(l if ani animal is kept alive after operation it is treated in exactly the same way as a hospital patient, the only difference being that if the animal appears to l.e suffering pain it is killed painlessly by chloroform. We who exp)eriment iul)on animiials have every regard for the siufferings of aninlals, but wi-e liave a greater regard for tile sufferings of humanity. Very appropriate, therefore, are the words which Professor Crew has caused to be carved at the entrance of this institute, which I now formally declare to be opened: " To the advancement of science anid to the service of manikind this btuilding is dledicated."