REVOLTING SCIENCE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 151, 1 August 1914, Page 3

REVOLTING SCIENCE.

VIVISECTION IN FRANCE.

OPERATIONS IN PUBLIC. A disgrace Lo science and scientists, ia tho only comment that can lie based on thv) prof'fietliugs a), the Institute Marey, last month. On that day the President of 'the Republic inaugurated a monument to Hie great French physiologist Marey, whose name the institute bears. .A pro-gramme'of-scientific experiments followed the inauguration. M. Poincare,. who is a lover of animals, left before the second part (/'Experiments in Vivisection") began. If he had stayed, says the ' ' Intransigeant," this is what he would have seen:—

No. 1. Professor Frederieq: Microscopic Vision of the Movements of • the Vibratile Cilia, in the Frog. The Professor took a live frog, pinned the mouth and the forelegs, stretched it on a cork plate, and cut open the belly in order to lay bare its organic system in full working. Living Dog's Heart Torn Out.

No. 2. Micro-fibrillation of a live dog's and rabbit's hearts. The professor, in view of the spectators, ripped open a live dog in order to tear out its heart and exhibit it in full working. The same thing was done.with the rabbit.

No. Profesor Wertheimer, on a cortical reflex in the dog. No. 4. Professor' Mislowsky: Influence of curare on the terminal nervous apparatus of the striated mus- . cles. Curare is a terrible, poison, which completely paralyses the motive nerves, while leaving the nervous system its entire sensibility.

No. 5. Professor von Grutzner: The effects, of the facial nerves on the bones. F.or these experiments, says the "Intransigeant,", a table-had been placed in the garden of the institute,'and anyone who wished "could look on.

Before the seance, whito the public; were watching M. Poineare 's departure, a little k?iofc of .sayaats stood chattiug; by the table,.on which vthe. live animals were to be out up, and this is the conversation that the correspondent of the " Intransigeant'' heard:—* "When do you begin?" -v.'-. ; No "Dirty Tricks."

"In a few moments, "replied, one of; the professors'. "We mustV v give the public time to come back, for theld.og.'s heart cannot wait like -that of a fi-osr, once it is exposed. Besides, it won ; i: be very long. To-day I •'shall-not'perform; any 'dirty tricks' on account of the: public.";. . , \ I

"Dirty tricks" is what Marey called' vivisecting, and before his death lie for-' ■bade that there should be any vivisect •" ing in this house that bears his name. .'.'We must be very prudent,'' femark-j ed- another professor. '' The, section campaign isbeginning to , be. very troublesome;" v-.-" 1 . .' "I am pestered," was the replyj "fly; the number of anonymous letters I receive every day. .The Press,-too, has got hold of the affair. There is even a .Bill before Parliament agalnsi. us. All this is very annoying. What shall we; do soon?" •'"•■'.'

"I am of opinion that we ought to take the offensive," remarked" one of the party '' and declare at once that we shall accept no and no control in our laboratories." Animals' Piteous Howls.

At that moment the public returned, and the laboratory assistants brought forward the two dogs, which were trembling in every limb and uttering piteous howls.

* ; Why the deuce do those animals yell in tliat way?" grumbled one of the professors. This is what M. Paul Meunier demands in the Bill now before Parliament: That np animals be experimented on unless they have, been previously put under anaesthetics; secondly, that the animal operated on be killed before it returns to consciousness if any of its organs have been injured in such a way as to cause it suffering.

The vivisectors say that these conditions are impossible.