PETIT DINSHAW MANECKJI: (1823-1901) Indian Parsi philanthropist and entrepreneur, founder of the first textile mills in India. An interesting L.S., Dinshaw Maneckji Petit, four pages, 4to, Bombay, 2^nd July 1889, to Mrs. Knowles. Petit acknowledges receipt of his correspondent's letter on the subject of the anti-vivisection movement and 'for the book compiled by Miss Frances Power Cobbe & for the pamphlet containing views of the Lord Chief Justice of England on the question', continuing to remark 'I am not a theosophist; but I may mention that I entirely sympathise with the anti-vivisection movement which has so noble an object in view, & I assure you, that it reflects great credit on the part of those who take so warm an interest for the purpose of protecting poor dumb animals from brutal torture', and further adding 'I may merely mention, that in the Hospital for animals, established by me here…..& which I believe is the only one of its kind in the whole of India & in connection with which Government have opened a Veterinary College, no vivisection has up to this time, been introduced, but scientific experiments are made on dead animals only. There are several colleges in India already opened and in contemplation of being opened for imparting medical education and I agree with you that strong movement should be made against introducing vivisection there'. Petit also agrees to help his correspondent obtain signatures for a petition to parliament, and as a mark of his appreciation of the anti-vivisection movement, has 'much pleasure to join the Victoria Street & International Society for the protection of animals from vivisection as a Life Member and to subscribe to a copy of its organ “The Zoophilist”' for which he forwards a draft (no longer present) drawn by the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation on its London branch. Some very light, minor age wear and extremely minor traces of former mounting to the right edge of the final page, otherwise VG

 

Frances Power Cobbe (1822-1904) Anglo-Irish writer, philosopher, religious thinker, social reformer, anti-vivisection activist and leading women's suffrage campaigner.