If I can be of any service I shall be very glad to act on the Commission, sympathising as I do on the one hand with those who abhor cruelty to animals, and, on the other, with those who abhor the still greater cruelty to man which is involved in any attempt to arrest the progress of physiology and of rational medicine.

[The other members of the Commission were Lords Cardwell and Winmarleigh, Mr. W.E.  Forster, Sir J.B.  Karslake, Professor Erichssen, and Mr. R.H.  Hutton.

The evidence given before the Commission bore out the view that English physiologists inflicted no more pain upon animals than could be avoided; but one witness, not an Englishman, and not having at that time a perfect command of the English language, made statements which appeared to the Commission at least to indicate that the witness was indifferent to animal suffering.  Of this incident Huxley writes to Mr. Darwin at the same time as he forwarded a formal invitation for him to appear as a witness before the Commission:—­]

4 Marlborough Place, October 30, 1875.

My dear Darwin,

The inclosed tells its own story.  I have done my best to prevent your being bothered, but for various reasons which will occur to you I did not like to appear too obstructive, and I was asked to write to you.  The strong feeling of my colleagues (and my own I must say also) is that we ought to have your opinions in our minutes.  At the same time there is a no less strong desire to trouble you as little as possible, and under no circumstances to cause you any risk of injury to health.

What with occupation of time, worry and vexation, this horrid Commission is playing the deuce with me.  I have felt it my duty to act as counsel for Science, and was well satisfied with the way things were going.  But on Thursday when I was absent at the Council of the Royal Society —­ was examined, and if what I hear is a correct account of the evidence he gave I may as well throw up my brief.

I am told that he openly professed the most entire indifference to animal suffering, and said he only gave anaesthetics to keep animals quiet!

I declare to you I did not believe the man lived who was such an unmitigated cynical brute as to profess and act upon such principles, and I would willingly agree to any law which would send him to the treadmill.

The impression his evidence made on Cardwell and Forster is profound, and I am powerless (even if I had the desire which I have not) to combat it.  He has done more mischief than all the fanatics put together.

I am utterly disgusted with the whole business.

Ever yours,

T.H.  Huxley.

Of course keep the little article on Species.  It is in some American Encyclopaedia published by Appleton.  And best thanks for your book.  I shall study it some day, and value it as I do every line you have written.  Don’t mention what I have told you outside the circle of discreet Darwindom.