Student 1 Student Ms. Olson English 105 April 10, 2011 Animal Testing: Since When Do Animals Take Tests? Animal testing is the experimental use of animals. From cosmetics, to industrial chemicals, animals have been used in various tests in order to gain knowledge about the affects certain products may have on people. Because of the affects some products have on animals, humane activists and animal rights advocates have long fought for the ethical treatment of lab animals. Despite the many objections however, some tests, like the one conducted by Ronald Ross, have proven to benefit human society. “In 1902, Ross was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his research on malaria transmission, using pigeons as his test subjects” (Kakkilaya). On the other hand, other experiments have proven to be harmful to humans. “Zelmid, an antidepressant, was tested on rats and dogs without incident, but it caused severe neurological problems when applied in humans” (CCC). Despite the views on the subject, one has to first look into the history behind animal testing in order to understand, why this is a widely practiced method of experimentation, and the affects it has had, not only on humans and animals as individual groups, but on the relationship between both. The origin of animal testing can be traced back to the third century B.C. Greek philosopher-physicians such as Aristotle and Erasistratus were among the first to experiment with animals. “Aristotle was the first to have made dissections which revealed internal differences among animals, and Erasistratus was most likely the first to perform experiments on living animals” (LPAG). During the second century B.C., Galen, a Roman physician, “began to dissect animals because Church protocol did not allow human autopsies. He began to dissect
Student 2 goats and pigs and compared his findings to what he knew about humans. He is now known as the ‘father of vivisection’ ” (LPAG). It wasn’t until the late 1700’s that animal testing was becoming more common, and the question of whether or not it was ethical, began to arise. In 1789, Philosopher Jeremy Bentham began the moral debate on the ethical treatment of animals by asking, “… the question is not, can they reason, nor can they talk, but, can they suffer.” As advances in the field of science grew, more questions began to arise, causing more experiments with animals. For example, in 1817, by using chick embryos, “Russian Zoologist Christian Pander discovered there are three step in the development of embryos, leading to the same discovery in human embryos” (History of Animal Testing). Although these experiments were proving to benefit humans, some people began to wonder if the animals used in these experiments were being mistreated. The thought of animals suffering began to get in the way of experimenting, and certain rules were beginning to be enforced. In 1822, Great Britain passed the Martin Act, making it illegal to mistreat farm animals, but it wasn’t until 1824 that the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was founded in order to prevent cruelty to all animals, including those used for experiments (History of Animal Testing). Finally in 1876, the British Parliament passed the Cruelty to Animals Act, which “made it illegal to conduct painful experiments on animals, unless the experimenters received special permission” (History of Animal Testing). As Great Britain began to change its laws pertaining the treatment of laboratory animals, groups began to form in The United States in an effort to get laws to protect the rights of animals at home. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or ASPCA, was founded in 1866 by Henry Bergh (History of Animal Testing). Similar to the society founded in Britain, ASPCA was dedicated to push congress into creating laws that would protect animal rights, as
Student 3 well as the ethical treatment of laboratory animals. ASPCA helped pave the way for other groups to merge, such as the “American Humane Association in 1877 and the American AntiVivisection Society in 1883” ( History of Animal Testing). With so many groups supporting animal rights and proper treatment of laboratory animals, experimental procedures involving live subjects were quickly changing. “In 1959, The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique, written by W.M.S. Russell and R.L. Burch, introduced the principles of the Three Rs” (John Hopkins University). According to Russell and Burch, the three Rs stood for: “Reduction--use fewer animals in experiments, Replacement--the use of non-animal alternatives over animals whenever possible, and Refinement--use techniques to alleviate or minimize the invasive procedures that could potentially cause pain, suffering or distress, and to the enhancement animal welfare for the animals still used.” Then in 1965, “the American Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care, or AAALAC, was founded by veterinary and scientific groups to promote proper and organized animal-care standards” (History of Animal Testing). Finally in 1966, Congress passed the Animal Welfare Act, or the AWA, making it mandatory for the USDA to inspect research on animals, along with the sale and zoological exhibitions of animals. Going back as far as the development of the first civilizations, animals have played a big role in humanity. From being domesticated and becoming loving companions, to being worshiped and seen as all-knowing gods, animals have helped carve humanity’s identity. It is no wonder that people have fought so diligently in order for laboratory animals, along with all other animals, to have proper care, and certain rights. In the past fifty years, laboratory animals have received better care, with pain being the main concern. People are becoming more aware about the procedures that are conducted, and the products that are tested through animals. Some
Student 4 companies such as Cover Girl, have even stopped testing with animals to appeal to a bigger crowd. Until a better alternative is found to replace animals as test subjects, animal testing will continue, and the efforts to improve it will continue as well.
Student 5 Works Cited CCC. “50 Deadly Consequences.” CCCMontcalm.org. n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2011. “History Of Animal Testing.” Allsands.com. n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. John Hopkins University. “The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique.” John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. 2011. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. Kakkilaya, B.S. “Sir Ronald Ross (1857- 1932).” Malaria Site. 5 Apr. 2008. Web. 10 Apr. 2011. < http://www.malariasite.com/malaria/ross.htm> LPAG. “History of Non-Human Animal Research.” LPAG.org. 2004. Web. 11 Apr. 2011.
