Life, 1897-07-29 · page 15 of 20
Life — July 29, 1897 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes Dr. William J. Robinson's angry response to anti-vivisection activists (those opposing animal experimentation). Robinson had published a scathing letter in the *Medical Record* calling anti-vivisectionists "hard-hearted fanatics" and "deliberate prevaricators" with "mental irresponsibility." Life's editors mock Robinson's defensive, hostile tone, arguing he damages his own cause by attacking opponents rather than engaging rationally. The final lines are biting sarcasm: they suggest Robinson would prefer silencing critics entirely—even sarcastically wishing an anti-vivisectionist were "at the other end of that knife" (i.e., strapped down for experimentation instead of being allowed to argue back). The three accompanying illustrations are unrelated social sketches about bicycles and street encounters. The satire targets both Robinson's intemperate rhetoric and, implicitly, the vivisection debate itself—a significant animal-welfare controversy of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
** Children wheeling home from school.” And scorchers riding by that way A punctured tire to heal, Seldom would find a busier man In all the commonweal. Wm. Henry Walker. A GROUSE DRIVE. T is what men do not know about women that fascinates them most. The Cool, Calm Arguments of “ Science.” I* a recent issue of the Medical Record, under the title “The Malice and Vindictiveness of the Anti-vivisec- \ tionists,” we see some vigorous opinions expressed by William J. Robinson, Ph.G., M.D. This irascible gentle- man despises the anti-vivisectionists, and he tells why: Lused to consider them ill-informed, but well-meaning and kind-hearted people; now, after having studied imparually their literature, | know them to be hard-hearted fanatics (as fanatics are likely to be), deliberate prevaricators, and im- pudent ixnoramuses, who deserve no consideration and are to be handled without gloves. Many of their assertions, in fact, can be explained only on the hypothesis of meutal irresponsibility. A long letter in the same dispassionate tone is ended thus: And then they get angry when I tell them that their moral obliquity is equalled only by their mental perversity. 1 have become quite indifferent, though, to their anger and to their attacks. Wititam J. Rowinson, Pn.G., M.D. We fear that Dr. Robinson does not help his cause. He should keep out of print. Strap down another dog, Dr. Robinson, and vent your spleen where there can be no talking back. Wouldn't you enjoy having an anti the other end of that knife! comicbooks.com