To E. H. Stanley   15 April 1875

Dear Lord Derby,

I hope that, you will excuse the liberty which I take in troubling you.– with a long letter.

I feel, a deep interest in preventing cruelty to animals & on the other hand am convinced that physiology is one of the most important of all the sciences, & is certain to confer great benefit on mankind, but that it can advance only by experiments on living animals.— I have lately spent ten days in London consulting several eminent physiologists on this subject.1

We first drew up ⁠⟨⁠14 of a line⁠⟩⁠ This petition has been signed by the Presidents of the Royal Society, College of Surgeons, & of Physicians, & ⁠⟨⁠professors of⁠⟩⁠ Physiology in Oxford, Cambr⁠⟨⁠idge⁠⟩⁠ Edinburgh. by Prof Owen, Huxley, Sir J Paget Burdon San & myself.; justifying the necessity of occasional experiments on live animals, & praying Parliament to have a due regard in any legislation for the interest of science,2

Since then several of the persons just named have thought it advisable to have a sketch of a bill drawn up, which served to answer the double purpose of protecting animals & science, namely by enacting that experiments shall not be tried on animals without the use of anaesthetic, for the mere purpose of teaching,: that such animals shd be immediately afterwards killed; & that licences shall be granted under certain regulations to men carrying on original research.— Recommendations to the same effect, but not so strict, were passed in 1871 by the British Assoc. for Science; & I hear that they met with the approbation of the Cruelty Prevention Soc.y.3

Now my colleagues are very anxious to interest your Lordship on this subject, & I offered to write to you believing that you would excuse me. We are desirous, unless you see some objection, that you should mention the subject to the proper members of the Cabinet, such as the H. S. or the L. President of the Privy Council, who, I believe is at the head of all the scientific departments science.4

We are informed that no less than three associations of gentlemen who care chiefly or exclusively for humanity; are preparing bills;5 & we hope that the Government will not legislate without due consideration for physiology.— We could soon send our sketch of a bill, or a small deputation would wait on any member of the Cabinet person or we wd do whatever else you think best, if you would be so kind as to give us your counsel.

I trust that this letter may be favourably received by your Lordship [illeg] for the sake of humanity & science & I remain your Lordship | very faithfully | Chas Darwin

April 15. 75

1
CD stayed in London from 31 March to 12 April 1875 (Emma Darwin’s diary (DAR 242). He met with James Paget, Thomas Henry Huxley, and John Scott Burdon Sanderson; see letter to J. S. Burdon Sanderson, [11 April 1875].
2
On the draft petition to regulate vivisection, see the letter to J. S. Burdon Sanderson, [11 April 1874]. Joseph Dalton Hooker was president of the Royal Society of London; James Paget was president of the Royal College of Surgeons; George Burrows was president of the Royal College of Physicians. CD also refers to Richard Owen, Thomas Henry Huxley, James Paget, and John Scott Burdon Sanderson. The representatives from Oxford, Cambridge, and Edinburgh were George Rolleston, Michael Foster, and Robert Christison, respectively (see letter from J. S. Burdon Sanderson, 12 April [1875] and n. 5, and letter to J. S. Burdon Sanderson, 15 and 19 April [1875] and n. 6).
3
On the guidelines for vivisection drawn up in 1871 at the meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, see the letter to T. H. Huxley, 14 January 1875 and n. 6, and Appendix VI. CD refers to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
4
Richard Assheton Cross was home secretary; the lord president of the Privy Council was Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox, who also presided over the education department (ODNB).
5
Apart from CD’s bill, the only proposed legislation about vivisection was that initiated by Frances Power Cobbe (see letter to J. S. Burdon Sanderson, [11 April 1875] and n. 3); the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals supported Cobbe’s original memorial but did not present a bill (see French 1975, pp 64–70). On the formation of anti-vivisection societies, see Appendix VI.

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.1 , you] after del ‘when you read my letter’
1.1 excuse] added before del ‘excuse’
1.1 the liberty] after added and del ‘forgive me for troubling you with a rather long letter’
1.1 with a letter. 1.2] added
1.1 long] after del ‘rather’
2.1 I feel] after interl and del ‘in the following circumstances’
2.1 , a deep] after del ‘like so many other persons’
2.1 preventing cruelty to] interl above del ‘the suffering of’
2.1 & on] over em-dash
2.1 am] after del ‘I’
2.2 convinced] after del ‘str’
2.2 & is certain 2.3] del and stetted
2.3 great] after del ‘great [2 words illeg]’
2.3 on mankind] ‘on’ altered from ‘of’
2.3 , but] comma over point
2.3 but that it] above del ‘Physiology’
2.4 spent ten days] above del ‘been’
2.4 consulting … subject. 2.5] interl after del ‘for 10 days and spent nearly my whole time in seeing the most eminent men’; before del ‘who have studied physiology namely [interl above del ‘in name’] Sir J. Paget, Prof. Huxley & Burdon Sanderson, *Michael Forster, others some by correspondence [interl] and they also have consulted others. We have had drawn up a sketch [after del ‘draft’] of a
2.4 several] after del ‘with’
2.5 physiologists] above del ‘men’
3.1 We first] after del ‘In some respects I was [illeg] little ⁠⟨⁠13 line destroyed⁠⟩⁠ never have [interl] tried any [after interl and del ‘and never shall try’] experiment on a [above del ‘the’] living ⁠⟨⁠13 line destroyed⁠⟩⁠ [illeg]; & on the other hand if one ⁠⟨⁠14 line destroyed⁠⟩⁠ strong [interl] interest in [above del ‘of’] science.
3.1 This … by] after del ‘Houses. * of Parliament [interl]’; transposed from after ‘interest of science’; ‘This petition’ added
3.1 the Presidents] after del ‘which has been signed by all the most [below del ‘several’] e⁠⟨⁠  ⁠⟩⁠’
3.2 & of Physicians] ‘& of’ added 3.2 Physiology … Edinburgh. 3.2] transposed from after ‘myself.;’
3.2 Physiology in] interl after del ‘the Professors of’; above del ‘Physiology’
3.3 Edinburgh.] before del ‘& others.’
3.3 by Prof] interl
3.3 Sir J Paget] interl
3.3 & myself. 3.4] interl
3.4 occasional] above del ‘occasional’; above del ‘a certain number of’
3.4 live] above del ‘living’
3.4 on live animals,] interl
3.4 & praying 3.5] after interl & del illeg
3.5 have … regard] del & stetted before added & del ‘care for the’
3.5 science] after del ‘for’
3.5 in … of] interl before del ‘; & this’
4.1 several] above del ‘some’
4.1 advisable] above del ‘better’
4.2 to answer] after del ‘to a’
4.3 science,] after del ‘the’
4.3 namely] above del ‘of physiology’
4.3 by enacting that] above del ‘. It enacts that no’
4.3 experiments] after del ‘painful’
4.3 not] interl
4.3 animals 4.4] altered from ‘animal’ after del ‘any’
4.4 without … anaesthetic] transposed from after ‘teaching,’
4.4 such] interl above del ‘the’
4.5 shall] altered from ‘shd’
4.6 regulations] after del ‘proposed’
4.6 to men] above del ‘for those’
4.7 same] interl
4.7 for … hear that 4.8] interl
4.8 they] after del ‘&’
4.8 met with] above del ‘have met’
4.8 of the Cruelty] ‘of’ after del ‘as I hear’
5.1 are] after del ‘in this affair’
5.1 very] above del illeg
5.2 , unless you see some objection, 5.3] interl
5.3 that] after interl and del ‘, if our request is a proper one’
5.3 should] below del ‘wd’
5.3 the proper] ‘the’ above del ‘any’
5.4 I] after del ‘is’
5.5 is at … departments] below del ‘concerned with all subject of the’
5.5 at] interl
5.5 all the] interl
6.1 informed] above del ‘assured’
6.1 than] interl
6.1 who … humanity; 6.2] interl and transposed from after ‘bills’
6.2 that] added
6.3 physiology] after del ‘the interests of’
6.3 could soon] interl after del ‘would’
6.4 sketch] above del ‘draft’
6.4 a small] above del ‘wait on a’
6.4 member of the cabinet 6.5] before del ‘proper’, above del ‘member of the cabinet’
6.5 or] after del ‘who’
6.5 we wd.] interl
6.5 or . . counsel. 6.6] added
7.1 letter] after del ‘may’
7.1 be] after del ‘receive’
7.1 [illeg] for the sake of 7.2] interl above del ‘in the interest of’
7.2 & I] after del ‘about wh’
7.2 remain] after del ‘beg leave to’
Top of letter: ‘£4.2’ 10’ pencil del pencil

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-9933,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-9933