Life, 1911-06-01 · page 36 of 52
Life — June 1, 1911 — page 36: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from Life magazine contains readers' letters debating animal welfare and medical research—contentious issues in early 1900s America. The **"From Our Readers"** section presents three letters: one requesting the ASPCA establish animal hospitals (citing European precedent); a humorous subscription renewal from a U.S. Consul in Switzerland who positions himself as an accomplished raconteur sharing American jokes abroad; and a **"From a Defender"** letter defending vivisection and medical experimentation on animals. The defender's argument—that 99% of the medical profession supports vivisection, that animals are anesthetized, and that critics lack credible expert support—reveals Life was mediating a fierce contemporary debate. Animal welfare advocates opposed medical experimentation; the medical establishment defended it as necessary progress. The cartoon at page bottom, captioned **"How Cold He Is!"** (unclear without seeing it fully), likely comments satirically on this controversy, though its specific meaning requires clearer visibility of the image itself.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
We are constantly in receipt of im portant letters, which are too long for ty is absolutely Deak Lire: I wouid like to ask through the pages of your valuabie magazine, why the A S. P. C. A. does not include in the vaunted perfection of its work, a hos. pital or clinic for animals? The Royal Veterinary College of London had such a clinic as long ago as 1802—1here are others in Copenhagen, Dresden, Berlin, etc. In consideration of the vast num- ber of working animals, as well as pets in New York, it would seem to be a cry- ing need. The clinic started by another society in Lafayette Street, » which treated more than 6,000 mals during the first year of its organization, shows how practical the work may be, and it is fair to assume that four or five of such clinics scattered through the bor- oughs would be equally patronized E..C. From a Hilly Country Dear Lire: Here is my little check to cover the year of fun, from the time when June first smiles this year to the same date in 1912, when I hope to be still in pos- session of my high appreciation of your diverting publication. I have taken the precaution, being mindful of your welfare, to add 10 cents to cover cost of collection of the check, which I have drawn for $6.14. I am reliably informed that my account is good for the amount. Spend my money soberly, advisedly, and in the fear of God. Let not sudden wealth incite you to reckless living. I feel that I can trust you, for though you look peren- nially young, you have reached years of discretion, There are those who assert that I am the most accomplished and inveterate story-teller—I mean raconteur, for I claim to be a truth-lover—in the Con- sular Service, for I tell them in four languages and h to concede the last word to any one. It is an important part of my official duty, as I see it, to be properly equipped to regale with the latest, most improved and up-to-date American jokes, not only the traveling but also the expatriated American, for it will tend to make the former feel at home and possibly induce the latter to return home. It seems to. me that Lire is so valu- able a help in this doing of a cheery duty that I ought not to be considered as on your books for a year only. I would prefer to have you think of me as an established name on your mailing list, one to whom you may, until further notice, send your paper regularly and your bill annually. Very cordially yours, Francis B. Keexr. American Consutatr, Geneva, SWITZERLAND, 1, 191t. From a Defender To tHe Evitor ov Livi In your propaganda against medical research, have you ever considered the following facts: That 99 99-100 per cent. of the medical profession is unanimous in the belief of the virtues of vaccina- tion and the necessity of vivisection for the bencfit of mankind? Not 1 per cent. of the human population desires to see suffering in any living object, yet you brand the medical profession as a whole with gloating over the imaginary suffering of dumb animals during medi- cal experiments. You, apparently intentionally, hide the fact that the vast majority of this work is done with the animal under angsthesia and it is usually destroyed without ever regaining consciousness, so no pain could possibly be felt. You have never yet produced in your support a single medical man of promi- nent reputation, and surely it is too much to believe that all the distinguished members of the profession are blood- thirsty villains or laboring under the one delusion. To the class which pre- fers a poodle dog to a child, of course, no comment is necessary. From one of this humane and noble type we gather the following from this week’s Liv If valuable physiological facts are in truth learned from viviseetion, our nobler instincts should make us scorn to purchase immunity from disease at such a cost Our friend has never seen the follow- ing: A child in the clutch of diphtheria, eyes bulging, face blue and swollen and with the death rattle in his throat, sit up and smile six hours after a dose of antitoxin. With Fido clasped tightly in his arm he exclaims, “ Thank God it is not you H.C. M, M.D. From a Faster Deak Live: You print a note about the man who fasted fifteen days and died. I'm a lit- tle sore on that story, for I am a fast- crank, and all the papers said that the man had fasted on my account and that therefore I had killed him. So may I have space to state that I looked up the story and found that the man abstained from water as well as food. Inasmuch as I have always in every- thing I have written about fasting told people to drink all the water they can hold I think my skirts are clear in this case. Don't you? Urtox Stxctate. “wow coLp HE 1s!" MAIN OF New York Chicago O Steg comicbooks.com