§ MR. ELLIS GRIFFITH (Anglesey)To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the practice resorted to at laboratories where experiments are performed on dogs and other living animals of cutting the nerves of vocalisation before commencing the experiments in order to prevent their cries being heard; and, seeing that such practices are in contravention of The Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876, he will say what steps, if any, are being taken to prevent this additional and unnecessary pain to the victims of vivisection.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Gladstone.) If my hon. friend can give me particulars of any cases of the nature referred to 1346 I will at once have inquiry made, but I am informed that it is certainly not the practice in laboratories in this country to divide the nerves of vocalisation of animals before commencing experiments. I would remind him that no experiment involving a serious operation is allowed to be performed unless the animal is under the influence of some anæsthetic of sufficient power to prevent it feeling pain.