Page:The moral aspects of vivisection (IA 101694999.nlm.nih.gov).pdf/5

 in superficial extension, but obviously of a virulent kind, the physician would unquestionably hold that there existed considerable latent danger. Much such a rapid development of peculiarly acrimonious moral disease appears to be taking place in that part of our social body which is just now the seat of highest vitality. Science is undoubtedly at this hour the ruling passion of the age. What the Chase, War, Art and Learning, have been in various past epochs, so is the pursuit of Physical Knowledge in our generation. The triumphs thereby achieved have dazzled us, as the people of France were dazzled by the victories of the first Napoleon; and even such of us as understand but very imperfectly wherein these boasted conquests consist, are really, like our betters, to cast our palms in the way of the new Messiah and shout "Hosanna!" albeit we have too seldom reason to believe that he “cometh in the name of the Lord.”

If any men may claim to be more than others, the representatives of the period, in the "foremost files of time," it is our men of science. Whether the rest of mankind will hereafter meekly follow in their mental track yet remains to be seen; but it is certain that no statesmen, no divines, no metaphysicians, offer themselves at the present day with so high pretensions to become our Moses and Aarons, and to lead us—it may be into a Canaan, it may be into a wilderness. What is done, thought, felt, by the mon of science is of almost incalculable weight in determining the proximate tendencies of thousands of lesser spirits—the direction to be taken by all those innumerable minds which have no motor force of their own, but follow the Zeit Geist whithersoever he goeth. A peculiar and abnormal manifestation of sentiment among the scientific class, or even of