Ɛpsilon

To G. R. Jesse   21 April 1881

April. 21st. 1881.

to — Jesse — Confidential

My dear Sir—.

In answer to your courteous note of the 19th I beg leave to say though I have resolved not to enter into any controversy on the subject, that I think that I could answer at least to my own satisfaction most of the remarks in your letter.1 I have, however, so far departed from my determination that I have sent a second short letter to the Times, which I hope that the Editor will print; but I shall not depart a second time.2 Feeling the strongest conviction of the enormous injury to mankind which would result if a the study of physiology was stopped I think myself bound to answer the Swedish Professor & to publish my letter in England; though I did so unwillingly, as I expected to be answered & possibly to be abused.3 Pray do not think that I am indifferent to the sufferings of animals. Owing to rumour which I heard (but which was not confirmed on making further enquiries) I had a bill drawn up (, with the advice of a few friends); but this bill differed from that which was subsequently laid before Parliament by Dr Lyon Playfair.4 We must each of us follow the course which seems to us right. I shd. feel more sympathy with your side, were it not for the flagrant injustice of execrating only—physiologists many of whom have never operated on an animal except under anaesthetic whilst not one word is said against the infinitely greater annually suffering caused for mere sport by the trapping of vermin & the wounding of game every year, which in my youth I witnessed.5

My dear Sir | Your faithfully | C. D.

ADraftS

1
See letter from G. R. Jesse, 19 April 1881, written in response to CD’s views on vivisection as presented in his letter to Frithiof Holmgren, [14] April 1881, which had been published in The Times, 18 April 1881, p. 10.
3
After sending his letter to Frithiof Holmgren to The Times (see n. 1, above), CD stated that this had provided him with an opportunity to bear his share of the abuse poured on physiologists by anti-vivisectionists (see letter to G. J. Romanes, 18 April 1881).
5
For CD’s advocacy of the humane treatment of animals, see Atkins 1974, pp. 78–84. See also Correspondence vol. 11, Appendix IX, for the the Darwins’ involvement with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the campaign for humane vermin traps.

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.1 In] after del ‘I am obliged’
1.1 of the 19th] interl
1.3 at least … satisfaction] interl
1.3 I have, … time. 1.6] above del ‘I have, however, so far dep’
1.7 if] above del ‘if [del] from the’
1.7 the study] after del ‘cessation of’
1.7 was stopped] interl
1.7 I think … bound to 1.8] above del ‘unwillingly answered’
1.8 to publish] ‘to’ interl
1.8 I did] ‘I’ after del ‘I expected to be attacked’
1.9 answered] above del ‘attacked’
1.9 possibly to be] above del ‘possibly’
1.9 abused.] point altered from comma; before del ‘as [illeg]’
1.10 Owing] after del ‘The first draft of a bill’
1.11 (but] interl above del ‘&’
1.11 was] after del ‘subsequent enquiries [above del ‘on further investigation’]’
1.11 on … enquiries)] interl
1.11 a bill] interl
1.11 a bill drawn up 1.12] circled and transposed to follow ‘friends’; transposition cancelled
1.12 (, with] after del ‘by a lawyer [above del ‘by a lawyer’]’
1.12 ; but] after del ‘the draft of a bill’
1.12 this bill] ‘bill’ added
1.13 subsequently] interl
1.13 Playfair.] point added
1.13 We] after del ‘& others & which’
1.13 of us] interl
1.14 were it not for 1.15] interl above del ‘if’
1.15 execrating] after del ‘having’
1.15 many … anaesthetic 1.16] interl
1.17 annually] interl
1.17 for mere sport] interl after del ‘annually’
1.18 every] after del ‘for’
1.18 which] after del ‘of’
1.18 in my youth] interl
1.18 witnessed.] after del ‘have been a’

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-13131,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-13131