Lord Henniker gave notice yesterday week that he would post-
pone for a month his Bill in relation to the restriction of Vivisec- tion, in consideration of the Royal Commission proposed by the Government, though he did not admit that there was any need for a Commission of Inquiry,—the allegations on the strength of which the need of such a Bill is advocated not being in dispute. These allegations are, of course, that a practice known to be most dangerously and cruelly prevalent in other countries is gaining ground in ours, and ought not to be allowed to gain ground,—not that the practice has already become alarmingly prevalent. We confess we agree with Lord Henniker, and could have wished to see legal restrictions adopted without delay. But as the Commission is now promised, we trust its investigations may be thoroughly made, and that it may result in something likely to compensate for the delay. What is to be feared is that the medical profession, who are powerful everywhere, but especially powerful in England, will succeed in obstructing an inquiry which, no doubt, bodes serious hindrances to one of the methods of scientific investigation now most esteemed in that profession.
Previous page
