This information was delivered in such a calm and matter-of-fact tone that I involuntarily shuddered, and hastened to change the subject.
“Do you think I could witness an operation in that inner room without feeling specially horrified?” I asked next.
“You shall yourself be operated upon, if you will,” replied Principal Grey. “You are a guest of the Mother, and will have no fees to pay, but you will derive wonderful benefit. I wish to be operated upon myself, and we will go in together.”
“But stay one moment. Did you not say that people were inoculated at the expense of young animals, whose nerves are used to rejuvenate their tormentors? I cannot possibly go in there, and face vivisectional cruelties. To see the poor brutes writhe in tortured agony; to witness the fearful rolling of their glaring eyeballs; to listen to their despairing cries and groans, in order that I may benefit by their sufferings, is an ordeal I cannot go through. I will wait here, until you have been inoculated, but I cannot go myself.”
“Nonsense, my dear woman,” smiled the Principal. “You are talking with no more perception of the advancement of science than if you really lived in that nineteenth century to which you so oddly claim to belong. The animals do not suffer one little bit, as you will see when you go into the ‘Renewing Rooms.’ Long ago, a German chemist invented a wonderful ether, which he called ‘Bändiger.’ It had the power of instantaneously arresting sense and motion. Perfect unconsciousness was produced with electrical rapidity, and the clever chemist expected to earn his country’s gratitude for his marvellous discovery. But in those days governments were exceedingly narrow-minded, and the German Government was so struck with the remarkable powers for harm which the new discovery possessed, that it ignored all its beneficial qualities, and actually forbade the chemist to manufacture ‘Bändiger’ in future. Happily, he was more enlightened than his rulers, and not merely did his best to improve upon his invention, but left careful instructions to his successors relating to its manufacture. Many years after this, a miniature revolver was invented which, instead of cartridges, was charged with minute cells of ‘Bändiger.’ These ‘Bändiger’ revolvers were subsequently manufactured in large quantities in America, and as the State monopolised the manufacture, and charged high prices for every weapon, besides exacting a heavy tax for the privilege of using them, they proved a very profitable monopoly. From America their use spread to India, where they were speedily efficacious in ridding the country of the countless numbers of wild beasts which annually slaughtered a great proportion of the population. The ‘Bändiger’ does not kill. It only stuns instantaneously, the effect lasting long enough to enable us to kill outright, or to make such experiments as are required in the interests of science and progress. An animal once subjected to its influence feels no more pain, for it is absolutely unconscious during all subsequent operations, and if it has been too much cut up to recover easily, it is at once killed. If not, the administration of Schlafstrank enables it to recuperate painlessly, and be available for future experiments.”
“This ‘Bändiger’ is really a frightful power. Does it never happen that crime is committed by its aid?”
“Never. Nobody ever has the handling of a ‘Bändiger’ revolver, except our duly qualified and licensed surgeons, and they would not imperil their future existence and prosperity by stupid indulgence in a senseless freak. But come, we must now go in, or the rooms will be closed for the day.”
This time I was not reluctant to follow the Principal, and I was very agreeably surprised on entering the “Renewing Room.” My mind’s eye had conjured a vision of gory disorder, the central figure of which was the quivering and bleeding body of some unhappy animal, and the prominent accessories some brawny and bare-armed surgeons, whose perspiring brows, blood-stained hands, and callous cruelty of expression would be anything but reassuring to the trembling and expectant human beings waiting to be inoculated.
What I really saw was this: The room to which an attendant conducted us was richly carpeted, and furnished with Oriental luxuriousness. Every accessory to comfort was there, and several people were either standing talking in animated groups, or lounging on the spacious cushioned chairs and settees. Some were reading, some sipping coffee, some playing with some beautiful dogs, that basked in front of the fire. A few were busy at needlework, but all seemed thoroughly at home. There were several tables laden with prints and papers. A magnificent bookcase occupied one end of the room. The walls were panelled in bird’s-eye maple, and decorated with beautiful pictures, all photographed in their natural colours, which stood out as vivid and brilliant as in an oil painting.
The operating surgeons were six in number—four of them being women, two men. They were all handsome, of splendid physique, elegantly dressed, and of dignified yet gentle and calm demeanour. Not a bit like the ogres my excited fancy had pictured.