Life and Letters of Charles Darwin — Volume 2Darwin, Charles
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Life and Letters of Charles Darwin — Volume 2
Darwin, Charles
Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882; Naturalists -- Great Britain -- Biography; Naturalists -- Great Britain -- Correspondence
physiologists thought would be its effect, and then judging for myself.
I certainly could not sign the paper sent me by Miss Cobbe, with its
monstrous (as it seems to me) attack on Virchow for experimenting on the
Trichinae. I am tired and so no more.
Yours affectionately, CHARLES DARWIN.
CHARLES DARWIN TO J.D. HOOKER. Down, April 14 [1875].
My dear Hooker,
I worked all the time in London on the vivisection question; and we now
think it advisable to go further than a mere petition. Litchfield
(Mr. R.B. Litchfield, his son-in-law.) drew up a sketch of a Bill, the
essential features of which have been approved by Sanderson, Simon and
Huxley, and from conversation, will, I believe, be approved by Paget,
and almost certainly, I think, by Michael Foster. Sanderson, Simon and
Paget wish me to see Lord Derby, and endeavour to gain his advocacy with
the Home Secretary. Now, if this is carried into effect, it will be of
great importance to me to be able to say that the Bill in its essential
features has the approval of some half-dozen eminent scientific men. I
have therefore asked Litchfield to enclose a copy to you in its first
rough form; and if it is not essentially modified may I say that it
meets with your approval as President of the Royal Society? The object
is to protect animals, and at the same time not to injure Physiology,
and Huxley and Sanderson's approval almost suffices on this head. Pray
let me have a line from you soon.
Yours affectionately, CHARLES DARWIN.
[The Physiological Society, which was founded in 1876, was in some
measure the outcome of the anti-vivisection movement, since it was this
agitation which impressed on Physiologists the need of a centre for
those engaged in this particular branch of science. With respect to the
Society, my father wrote to Mr. Romanes (May 29, 1876):--
"I was very much gratified by the wholly unexpected honour of being
elected one of the Honorary Members. This mark of sympathy has pleased
me to a very high degree."
The following letter appeared in the "Times", April 18th, 1881:]
CHARLES DARWIN TO FRITHIOF HOLMGREN. (Professor of Physiology at
Upsala.) Down, April 14, 1881.
Dear Sir,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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