Nearly a quarter of a century after the first appearance of this story, we meet it again. In an article entitled "Recent Surgical Progress," appearing in Harper's Monthly for April, 1909, we are told the same tale: "To complete his beneficent work, LORD LISTER WAS COMPELLED TO GO TO FRANCE, BY REASON OF THE STRINGENCY OF THE ENGLISH ANTIVIVISECTION LAWS." The law of 1876 has now multiplied into "laws" which obstruct and hinder even the researches of a Lister. And yet two years before, in his testimony before the Royal Commission, the President of the Royal College of Surgeons in England--Sir Henry Morris--had stated: "I think the present Act of 1875, under which vivisectional experiments are done, was amply protective against cruelty to animals AND SUFFICIENTLY FREE AND LIBERAL FOR THE DUE PROSECUTION OF PROPER SCIENTIFIC AND PHYSIOLOGICAL INQUIRY."[1] But of the readers of Harper's Monthly probably not one in ten thousand had ever seen this evidence in the Vivisection Report. [1] Minutes of Evidence, Question 7,805. It will be seen that no two of these accounts are precisely the same. They agree, however, in stating that one of the most distinguished of English scientists was compelled to leave England in order to do his work; he "was driven to Toulouse." It seemed to me worth while to investigate the truth of this story; and accordingly I wrote to Lord Lister, asking him, among other things, if it was true that he had been obliged to go to France to carry out experiments looking to the improvement of surgical methods, because the restrictions of the English law had made it impossible for him to carry out his investigations in England? The reply to my inquiry was clear and definite. The italics are mine. "12, Park Crescent, "Portland Place, "December 23, 1910. "MY DEAR SIR, "It is not strictly true that I was compelled to go out of the country to perform the experiments in question. "I COULD, NO DOUBT, HAVE OBTAINED A LICENCE TO DO THEM HERE. But they had to be on large animals; and the Veterinary College, in which, I dare say, I might have had opportunity given me for the investigations, is a long way from my residence, and it would have been inconvenient to have worked there. Thus, my going to Toulouse was a matter of convenience rather than of necessity. "The circumstance was of course of no interest to anyone but myself, AND I HAVE GIVEN NO ACCOUNT OF IT FOR PUBLICATION.... I have answered your question frankly, but I must beg you to understand that it is not intended for publication. "Believe me, "Sincerely yours, "LISTER."