To Edward Cardwell 29 October 1875
Oct 29— | 1875
My Lord.
From the strong interest which I feel with respect to experiments on living animals in the cause both of humanity & science, I shd feel bound willingly to attend the commission, if I could give evidence of any value. But I have never been concerned directly or indirectly with experiments on living animals. I could only express my conviction on general grounds, (firstly, that the [important] science physiology can progress only by the aid of such experiments; secondly that all Physiology wd come judging from a wide-spread analogy to confer sooner or later great benefits on mankind; & thirdly that most experiments can be performed on animals in a state of insensibility; & that to hesitate to try experiments, on animals in this state, whether for original research or for training future physiologists, is mere folly.
On the other hand to try any experiment on an animal, which causes suffering, without full deliberation & the belief that it is necessary, seems to me a great crime
Should the Commission wish me to express those opinions viva voce, I shall feel bound to attend at any time which may be appointed, though my health would suffer considerably, & it is possible I may be incapable of attending at the specific time.
I have the honour to remain | Your Lordship | obed & obliged Servt
Manuscript Alterations and Comments
0.1 Oct … Cardwell 0.2] added pencil
1.1 with respect to] above del ‘on the subject of’
1.2 in … both] above del ‘both on the grounds’
1.3 if] above del ‘though at the expense of some suffering from ill-health. But I doubt whether’
1.3 evidence] after del ‘any’
1.3 But] after comma altered to point, above del ‘as’
1.4 directly or indirectly] transposed from before ‘been concerned’
1.4 experiments] after added and del illeg
1.5 the [important] science] interl blue crayon
1.6 can progress] after interl ink and del blue crayon ‘which seems to me one of the most difficult & highest *of all the [interl] sciences’; final ‘s’ of ‘sciences’ added
1.6 only] after del ‘only’
1.6 the aid of] interl pencil
1.6 secondly] after del ‘&’
1.6 all] after del ‘from [del pencil] the analogy [below added and del ‘a widespread’] of most [above del ‘all’] other sciences’
1.7 judging] interl after interl del ‘if analogy’
1.7 judging … analogy] interl
1.7 sooner or later] transposed from before ‘to confer’
1.7 great] after del illeg
1.8 performed] above del ‘tried’
1.8 in a state] after del illeg
1.9 experiments] after del ‘such’
1.9 on animals] after del ‘whether’
1.9 this] altered from ‘the’
1.9 , whether] after del ‘of insensibility’
1.10 physiologists,] comma pencil
2.1 to try] after del ‘even’
2.1 on an animal] after del ‘causing suffering’
2.2 is necessary,] after del ‘promises a [greater] result’
2.2 seems to me] above del ‘seems is’
2.2 a great] pencil above del pencil ‘an abhorrent’
2.2 crime] below del ‘a detestable crime’
3.2 which] above del ‘when’
3.2 though] after del ‘should I be although’
3.3 possible] before del illeg
3.3 be] after del ‘not’
3.3 incapable of] above del ‘able to’
3.3 at] added
3.3 specific] below del ‘appoint’
4.1 have the honour] above del ‘beg leave’