Our Home Letter.

Bruce Herald, Volume IX, Issue 807, 30 May 1876, Page 6

Our Home Letter.

(From our own Correspondent.)

The subject of vivisection is engrossing a vast amount of attention, in the social as well as the scientific wo.'ld. Vivisection lias been the instrument of much valuable discovery in surgery and physiology, but of late years it has been freely used for illustrating class lectures in the operating theatres of medical schools. Admitting that vivisection is excusable as a means— perhaps the only means — of discovering and establishing facts of vital im^ portance to the human race, it is not, therefore, excusable to inflict pain — and pain more or less intense there is in nine cases out o^ en— merely to illustrate facts, however important, already iucontestably established. The tendency in the case of many who take part in aud. witoegg tbeee operation.!} upou

living animals is to make them callous and indifferent to pain. Some time ago a society was formed for the purpose of doing what was possible to check vivisection. Expressions were culled from the reports of the most distinguished operators, notably from those of Dr Ferrier, London, to shew that the living subject suffered pain when in the hands of the operator. And, indeed, one is not a little shocked at the flippant way in which these ex" hibitions of pain are noted. Baroness Burdett Coutts, than whom no one has done more in the cause of dumb animals, pointed out in a recent letter that donors to hospitals were supporting the practice of the cruelties connected with vivisection by supplying the cash wherewith to carry [them on, for in hospitals as well as medical schools does the practice of wholesale vivisection prevail ; and that, unless a check was pnt upon these operations, humane, though liberal-hearted, men would be chary of giving donations to hospitals. More lately still, her Majesty has signified her disapproval of the practice by a donation to an anti-vivisection society. A Commission of Enquiry sat upon the subject, aud the report is now to hand. The issue of licenses to qualified operators is recommended; also the appointment of trustworthy inspectors to see that the conditions of the licenses are complied with, the forfeiture of license in the case of undue infliction of cruelty, and some similar considerations. The matter is at the present time one of great intereat. An ugly murder has been committed in the western metropolis. The author of the foul deed is one Barr, an engineer. He had not been two years married, but was at the time living apart from his wife, who resided with her mother in Glasgow. Barr used to cause considerable annoyance by his frequent and unwished-for visits at the house of his mother-in-law. One day he called aud the mother appeared at the door. Barr attacked and murdered her. His wife, coining to the assistance of her mother, was wounded in a most frightful manner ; indeed, he almost committed a double murder. Barr immediately made himself scarce, leaving his hat behind him. But the hat he replaced by coolly taking the cap of the first boy he met. He went into a public-house, had a glass of beer, disappeared, and has never since been heard of, although the strictest search has been made by the police.

The 'Life of Dr Xorman M'Leod, 1 edited by Donald M'Leod, brother of the late Doctor, is the most important publication of the mouth. The book is deepty interesting, and abounds in strikingly beautiful passages. Some of the descriptions of men, manners and countries from the diary of the late Dr Xorman M'Leod are, to say the least of them, magnificent. The late Doctor's opinions upon many important beliefs are very candidly expressed. ludeed, this candid expression of opinion may, in the case of some, work much harm, as when he says that he does not quite believe the accepted doctrines of future punishment, atonement and election. " The common notion of punishment of hell fire and for all eternity, the punishment of all who have not been elected, and have for Adam's sin been justly left dead without an atouement : the atonement itself, as explained by hyperCalvinists ; the utter impossibility of any teaching or salvation after death (how, we may not see), these and the Avhole complicated system of sacerdotalism and Popery seem to me a thousand times doomed." His remarks on the Church of the future are also very suggestive. "Neither Calvinism, nor Presbyterianism, nor Thirty-nine Articles, nor Low Churchism, nor any existing organisation, can lie the Church of the future." The first edition, 3000 copies, was soltl ere it left the binder's hands. The Queen has commanded a copy to be given to each of the members of the Royal family."

Mr J. Adam has paid visits to Wales, West of Scotland, and South of Ireland, for the purpose of securing men for the slate quarries of your Province. His first and last impressions of Wales were not very flattering to the people of that ancient kingdom. He experienced considerable difficulty iv convincing the suspicious Welshmen of the good faith of your Government. Few or none of the people at the slate quarries (Festiniog) could speak good English, hence negotiations had to be carried on in a very primitive style. "Suppose," said a travelled quarryman, "that we go there, your Government give us no work." " Suppose," rejoined your energetic agent, equal to the occasion, " that the moon fell down and struck you on your head." This smart rejoinder seemed to gain the confidence of the Welshmen, for several accepted schedules. IJut Mr Adam was assured by an old Otagoniau, whom he met in Cumbrie, that such cowards were these men that hardly one or two -syould be prepared to go when the day of departure came— perhaps not even one. Tn tbe visit to Scotland, considerable opposi* tion was experienced. At one place not a hall could be obtained to lecture in. The' parish church had been secured, but at 11 o'clock on the evening preceding the lecture, the minister called to say that owing to the opposition of his elders he had to refuse MiAdam the use of the church ; so no lecture could be delivered in that district. Indeed, tbe good people in that quarter look upon immigration as a sort of national evil. You have little idea of the difficulties your agent has to contend against. After visiting Ballachuli.sh and Oban, Mr Mhm went to the slate quarries of Valencia. County Dcrry, too, was to x'eceive a visit; tbe lecture was to be on a living subject, a farm-settler — Mr Frank Dale.

Two Otagonians are .it present studying farriery in this county, Mr Crombic, formerly of Southland, at the Veterinary College, Edinburgh : and Mr Robt. Bennett, formerly of Fairfax, at tlie sister institution, Glasgow.