HC Deb 25 March 1903 vol 120 cc171-2
MR WEIR

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the fact that the Brown Institute was founded in 1871 by means of a bequest of £20,000 for the establishment of a hospital for animals, will he ascertain under what authority a School of Vivisection is now conducted at the Institute; and will he state how many persons who are attached to this school possess vivisection certificates, and the nature of such certificates.

* THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. AKERS DOUGLAS,) Kent, St. Augustine's

In 1877 the University of London, which is the governing body of the Brown Institute, applied to have the place registered under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876, for the performance therein of experiments on living animals. The place was registered accordingly. Sixteen persons hold licences under that Act authorising them to perform experiments at the Institute. Fifteen of these also hold certificates under the Act—viz., eleven authorising practically painless experiments such as inoculations to be performed without anæsthetics, coupled in five cases with the extra certificate required for experiments on dogs or cats; and fifteen certificates authorising the animal to be kept alive after an initial operation under anæsthetics, coupled in nine cases with the extra certificate for dogs or cats, and in one case for horses.