868 MBMICErnIOU"] THE ANNUAL MEETING OF 1893. [OCT. 15, 1892. in Dr. Galliard's opinion, the certain death of the mother in prelates and church dignitaries who patronise them. It is order to give a very small chance of life to the child. unfortunate that neither Sir Andrew Clark, Sir Jaipes Paget, nor Sir George Humphry were present to support their ANTISEPTIC TREATMENT OF CHOLERA. Surgeon-Captain E. J. ERSKINE RISK writes to suggest the trial of naph- courageous and able young colleague. But their weighty thalin in 10 to 15 grain doses every two hours, suspended in mucilage letters on the subject will have had great influence in inform- or other vehicle. A few cases of cholera in India, in 1887, in which he ing the public and the clerical mind, and they deserve a used the drug recovered, but they were not sufficiently numerous to rest the merits of this drug on a statistical basis. He has found the premoni- permanent record in these columns, where the history of the tory symptoms best treated by strong acids -sulphuric or acetic-com- whole movement of attack and defence is chiefly to be found. bined with opium in small doses. Sir A. Clark telegraphed:- " My absence arises from official engagements which cannot be set aside. My sympathies with experimental research are THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASSOCIA- strong and unwavering. The law of sacrifice is the law of life, TION AT NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE, 1893. which no one can escape, and, provided it is conducted with A MEETING of the local General Committee was held in the reverence, of necessity and under supervision, I regard experi- Council Room of the College of Medicine, Newcastle-on-Tyne, mental research not as a mere privilege, but as a moral duty. on October 6th. The President-elect, Dr. Philipson, took the My distinguished colleague, Dr. Wilks, will take my place." chair, and Mr. Williamson, the Honorary Secretary, an- Sir James Paget wrote- nounced that the Archbishop of York had consented to preach "1, Harewood Place, Hanover Square, W., London, the annual sermon in the cathedral. The Dean of Durham " October 5th, 1892. wrote expressing his desire to further the objects of the meet- "My Lord Archbishop,-I sincerely thank you for permit- ing, and as Warden of the University he placed the College of ting me to write to you on the question which is to be Science at the disposal of the Committee also, and the Castle discussed at the Church Congress to-morrow, as to whether at Durham for the convenience of visitors. A special convo- 'the interests of mankind require experiments on living cation of the University will also be held for the conferring of animals, and, if so, to what point they are justifiable?' I honorary degrees, etc. A special vote of thanks was passed to think it certain that if the saving of lives, the maintenance of the Archbishop and the Dean. health, and the relief from pain may be reckoned among the Dr. BEATLEY, the Honorary Treasurer, announced during interests of mankind, the opinion of the members of the the meeting that £640 had already been promised towards the medical profession and of other scientific men is on this expenses of the meeting. question as nearly unanimous as is any opinion held on The various subcommittees-Museum, Printing and Pub- any subject by any large number of persons. And I think lishing, Entertainments, Excursions, Dinner, Soir6e, Recep- that they may fairly claim respect for their opinion, because tion, and General Purposes-were then elected. none know so well as they do what such experiments are, and There seems a general desire on all hands to work energetic- what results in scientific knowledge and in its useful applica- ally with Dr. Philipson and Mr. Williamson to make the tions to both men and animals have been gained by them. meeting one of the most successful the Association has held. Especially I think that the clergy may justly be expected to place confidence in the opinion of medical men, considering how commonly they work together in their nearly allied CONGRATULATORY DINNER TO SIR WALTER duties with mutual trust and confidence. On the question 'to what point are ' such experiments ' justifiable,' the first FOSTER, M.P., M.D., F.R.C.P., answer may be that in this country, with which alone, I Parliamentary Secretary to the Local Government Board. suppose, the Congress is concerned, the conditions under THE following names are to be added to the list already pub- which experiments on animals may be performed are deter- lished of those who will be present at the dinner which is mined by the Act of Parliament passed in 1876. This Act is a fixed on Wednesday, October 26th, at 6.45 for 7 P.M., at the stringent one; it is carefully enforced, and it renders the Whitehall Rooms, H(itel M6tropole, Dr. Withers Moore, experiments legally ' justifiable.' I believe that they would be deemed reasonably 'justifiable' by any person President of Council of the British Medical Association, in able and willing to judge reasonably if, instead of relying on the chair. The number of those who, up to date, have statements which are as erroneous and exaggerated as are expressed a desire to be present is 142. those by which the Church is attacked by its enemies, he [The tickets are 23s. each, and application should be made would learn for himself how the experiments are done, how to the Honorary Secretary of the Dinner Committee, 429, free from pain the greater part of them are, how slight is the distress produced by them, and what useful knowledge has Strand. Cheques and P.O. orders to be crossed "Union Bank by their means been attained. Whether they are also morally of London, Argyle Street, W."] 'justifiable' is, I apprehend, only a part of the much larger Sir RICHARD QIJAIN, President of the General Medical Council. question as to the degrees of pain which men may inflict on Sir HUGH OWEN, Under Secretary of the Local Government Board. animals for any purpose whatever, as for the pleasures of Dr. P. S. Abraham, London Mr. T. B. Goss, Bath sport, the luxuries of food, the acquirement of knowledge, or Dr. H. E. Armstrong, Newcastle Prof. Rawdon Macnamara, Dublin I not the Mr. S. Barwise, Derby Sir Robert Rawlinson, K.C.B. any other. This larger question is, believe, before Mr. H. C. Burdett, London Surgeon-Lieutenant-Colonel J. H. Congress, and I need not attempt to answer it; but I am sure Dr. P. W. P. Case, Croydon Reynolds, Shorncliffe that all the pain inflicted in experiments upon animals in this Dr. W. Douglas, Leamington Dr. W. R. Smith, London country is too small to be brought in comparison with that Mr. Francis Fowke, London Dr. T. W. Trend, Southampton which is inflicted on them for the attainment of many of the common pleasures of our lives. And I would add my hope that the selection of experiments on animals as the one cause SIR ANDREW CLARK, SIR JAMES PAGET, AND of pain to them which is appropriate for discussion in the SIR GEORGE HUMPHRY ON EXPERIMENTS Congress may not in any degree tend to the supposition that the Church wishes to resume the timorous or averse attitude ON LIVING ANIMALS. towards science, which, as your Grace has well said, she now THE debate on this subject at the Church Congress last week does not hold. Many men of science will be grateful to your at Folkestone promises to be historic, and is likely, we think, Grace for the expression of your opinion on the relations to be the starting-point of a new departure in this matter. between their studies and the teaching of the Church; for to The violent attacks on experimental physiologists by the many of us it has been a source of great happiness to observe antivivisectionists have long been marked, as we have the increasing evidence that natural science and religion are frequently pointed out, by bad faith, ignorance, and mis- constantly becoming more mutually illustrative and mutually statement of the grossest and most unjustifiable kind. helpful.-I beg your Grace to allow me to remain very faith- Professor Horsley has rendered a public service by not only fully yours, "JAMES PAGErT. Tepelling those attacks, but publicly challenging the veracity, " Of course your Grace will use my letter in any manner good faith, and knowledge of those who make them, and the that you wish."