VIVISECTION.
ITO THE EDITOR OF THE SPROTAT011."]
SIR,—With reference to your article of last Saturday on "The Vivisection-Restriction Bills," I would remark that there is one very important point which you have omitted to notice in favour of Mr. Playfair's Bill as against Lord Henniker's.
The House of Lords Bill distinctly permits vivisection for purposes of demonstration, subject to restrictions of place, an- msthetics, &c. The House of Commons Bill as distinctly limits it to purposes of new scientific discovery. The horrible abominations of the lecture-room may continue under the former Bill, but they are ordered to cease by the latter.—I am, Sir, &c.,
EVELYN ASHLEY.
[We believe the "horrible abominations" of the lecture-room to be exceedingly trivial compared with the "horrible abomina- tions" of the physiological laboratory. For the most part, the demonstrations of the lecture-room are really performed under chloroform. Nevertheless, we should be glad to see such de- monstrations prohibited on account of their influence as moral example, and we have no doubt Lord Henniker would willingly adopt this provision from Mr. Playfair's Bill.—En. Spectator.] • This letter is referred to in "The Life and Letters of Rowland Williams, D.D." Vol. L, p. 289.
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