CRAFT OF SURGERY

Hokitika Guardian, 25 July 1932, Page 7

CRAFT OF SURGERY

DEFENCE OF VIVISECTION. LORD MOYNIHAN S VIEWS. . LONDON, July 10. “It ’maysajfeJy; be • claimed,” raid Ixird Moynihan; ■ president of the Royal College of (Surgeonsj- in his (Romanes Lecture at Oifbrd, : .:':“tHat. the craft of surgery, has, 1 , in theste - days -almost reached the ertd oft its progress along the lines which so fdf.it. has followed. . “The full, fruins of 1 .1 Lister’s work have now been garnered." Operations are performed by -the': great masters with a success that lefives little hope of betterment. SurgerV’is mor e than science, mor© th'ah%-fifi‘; it is a sacrament. For the surgeon -an • operation is ; ah incident in, tire-, day’s work ; for our. patient it may.:- : Vbe ; the sternest; nfi>s.t dreaded of all “The normal man ‘-.who offers the most promising! fieLkifor enquii’y has been too much neglected. Patients seek our aid only, las' a rule, when something has gone seriously wrong or is threatening ,to do «o. Our opportunities are too, often confined to reiscUOS' In the lai?t ditch. What would surely advance OUi‘ khdwledge ahd jjei‘ s haps lead oh a lafgA Scale to the vctotloll of disease 18 hospital research on those suffering ffom slighter -ailments. Much of the experimental investigation carried out in laboratories -throughout the world would have a far higher value in, .respect <i immediate application, ’to , human need if closer brotherhood were created between physiologist.' and physician* Many, of us hoped that a strong bond •of nniop -might be forged by the Medical Research .Council, ~ but oiir hopes have not yet been fulfilled ‘‘The' early training of; medical" students, and the methods of observation, correlation, and decision on the one hand, and of experiment on the other,..is; I think, seriously defective. 'Many .of the earlier. months of the student’s career are engaged in acquiring knowledge by neither of these methods, but by the /sirtiple business of memorising a number of facts apparently unrelated Which he makes haste to forgfet as soon as .the necessary -examinations are passed.” Lord Moynihan vigorously defended the need for experiments -on living animals- if medical i, knowledge -is to continue to progress.

"Opposition to animal research, I firmly' believe, fc baeed upon lack of appreciation and understanding; as it" is certainly 'supported by grievous and, i I think, unpardonable mis-state-ment,,- '

“My heart is full of compassion. I cannot bear to cause or even to hear of suffering, 'Every one who' 'has experience of (laboratory work knows ■how little’pain is inflicted, and what i?teps are always taken to minimise or abo’ish it. The experimenter who excites .suffering defends his o\vn aims.”