What has vivisection done for science? : a paper read before the Cheltenham Natural Science Society / by Francis Day.

  • Day, Francis, 1829-1889.
Date:
[between 1870 and 1879?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: What has vivisection done for science? : a paper read before the Cheltenham Natural Science Society / by Francis Day. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    11/16 (page 11)
    lose si<^ht of the fact that it may occasionaUy have been badly per- formed. I remember once a native vaccinator was suspected ot making false returns, so some coloured water was sent him with directions to report as soon as possible whether the fluid sent was as good as the lymph which he was employing? In due time he wrote to say that it was far better. In another instance the magistrate of a district sent for the native vaccinator, and asked, What are your duties ? My duties, your Excellency, replied the native, are to vac- cinate the people. What is the purpose of vaccination? Vaccination, your Excellency, is by introducing a modified disease by means of lymph into a human being, to render him secure from an attack of small-pox. What is lymph? Lymph, your Excellency, is the juice of a tree which grows in the neighbouring jungle. There exist a class of venomous animals almost unknown to the dwellers of these islands, I allude to poisonous snakes, which are computed to kill upwards of 20,000 persons yearly in British India. It has been believed by many that some remedy might be discovered by means of experiments on living animals, and, as I presume no one would suggest for this purpose the employment of our convict population, we have to choose between two courses, let the thousands die and wait for chance to supply a remedy, or, try experiments on the lower animals. Some years since Dr. Shortt of Madras had charge of an enquiry into how a remedy for snake-bites could be found out, and a large reward was offered, and still exists for this purpose. Dr. Shortt left for England, and I took charge of his duties. A native came one day claiming the reward, as he announced that he had dis- covered an infallible remedy for snake-bites, so positive was he that he proposed trying it on himself. Here was a dilemma, the man wished to prove the efl&cacy of his drug and claimed the money; to prove the usefulness a case must be tried. Shall such be tried upon a man or on a dog? I let it wait until Dr. Shortt's return, and he considered it best to try on one of the lower animals. The dog was bitten, and in spite of the remedies the dog died. The discoverer of the remedy was astonished and left, expressing his satisfaction that the experiment bad not been made on himself. In 1869 I was at Balasore and went to the marine watering place, where the sands are as soft and fine as those we have in Tenby Bay. I wished to examine the stake-net fishery that extended some distance out to^ sea, and a party of us were called down to the beach at the time for taking up the nets. Some of us, myself amongst the number, took oft our shoes and socks and waded out, as the water was very low, the tide being on the ebb. I felt some- thing round and smooth which wriggled under my feet, and a