A critical and experimental essay on the circulation of the blood; especially as observed in the minute and capillary vessels of the batrachia and of fishes / By Marshall Hall.

  • Hall, Marshall, 1790-1857.
Date:
1831
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A critical and experimental essay on the circulation of the blood; especially as observed in the minute and capillary vessels of the batrachia and of fishes / By Marshall Hall. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    In this point of view, Dr. Philip has the highest merit. That gentleman discovered that in many cases the newly-dead animal might be substituted for the living one, not only without disadvantage, but with the great advantage of at once avoiding the infliction of pain, and its effects in complicating the result of the experiment. In every possible instance, therefore, his experiments were made upon subjects incapable of feeling pain. It was, in fact, but taking the rabbit killed as for one purpose, and applying it to another and a higher one. In all cases, the subject of experiment should be chosen from the lowest order of animals appropriate to our purpose, as the least sentient ; whilst every device should be employed, compatible with the success of the experiment, for avoiding the inflic- tion of pain. The batrachian reptiles are especially animals of this kind; and for many physiological purposes, they may be promptly deprived not only of sensation, but of motion, by a means which will be described in an early part of this Essay. Lastly, it should be received as a fifth principle, that every physiological experiment should be per- formed under such circumstances as will secure a due observation and attestation of its results, and