ANIMAL RESEARCH IN THE MEDICAL FIELD:
MANIPULATION OF ANIMALS AND HUMANS
“I am in favor of animal rights as well as human rights. That is the way of the whole human being.”
- Abraham Lincoln
The wild, cruel beast is not behind the bars of the cage. He is in front of it.
- Axel Munthe
Animal research and testing is a hideous crime that perpetuates the inhumane treatment, suffering, and death of countless innocent animals. Tens of millions of animals die each year from induced diseases, poisoning from toxic substances, irradiation, suffocation, being scalded, burned or baked alive, having bones crunched and broken, battering, being blasted by explosives, surgical experiments (often performed without anesthesia), and being driven insane from psychological and/or physical torture. As horrifying as it may sound, this is what goes on behind the scenes, and all of it is in the name of “scientific research.”
Veterinary-based research (vivisection) can include invasive or non-invasive studies. Invasive research consists of any type of cutting, puncturing, or injection into the living body of the animal. It can also include surgery, dissection, injection of human diseases to create “animal models” of those diseases, or the forcing of noxious foods or substances into the body openings. Non-invasive experiments can consist of psychological testing where mental stress or anxiety are inflicted, or experiments that deprive the animal of water, food, oxygen, or other necessities of life.
Universities, hospitals, and private laboratories use many species of animals, including primates, dogs, cats, rabbits, reptiles, pigs, goats, sheep, birds, fish, dolphins, and even horses. Mice and rats are the most widely used animals in biomedical research. Government agencies use various animals for toxicity testing, radiation testing, and space program studies. The military uses animals for testing the effects of various weapons and explosives! An estimated 100 million animals per year are used for research in the United States alone. Their use is increasing at about 6 percent per year worldwide.
The multi-billion dollar biomedical research industry states that every animal experiment is aimed at curing human or animal diseases. The industry has done quite a good job of making the media, the public, and the government believe that animal research must continue unimpeded, or else public health will deteriorate. They defend their practices by telling the public that they will never find cures for debilitating illnesses without vivisection. It is interesting to note, in light of these claims, that medical science has had limited success in treating those illnesses, and even that limited success has had little to do with animal experimentation. Medical history clearly shows that the strides made in treating human diseases have come from working directly with human patients.
Growing numbers of people in the animal protection/anti-vivisection movement hold the strong belief that the grotesque torture and slaughter of animals which scientists call “research,” has nothing to do with human or animal health and well-being. It is a known fact that there are many alternative technologies which could easily replace living animals in research and testing. Not only have these non-animal testing alternatives proven to be more reliable and effective than living animals, but they are also less expensive as well. The claims that medical progress has been made through animal experiments are turning out to be highly questionable.
Animal research involves the attempt to artificially induce and recreate a specific condition or human disease in a non-human animal. The aim is to apply the data gained from this research to conditions or diseases that exist in human beings. The basic assumption of those who test drugs on animals is that if the drug tested on an animal is dangerous for the animal, then it will also be dangerous for humans. If a drug is found safe for the animal, then it must be safe for humans. There are some very inaccurate and dangerous flaws to be found in this way of thinking. For example, there have been far too many incidents where a drug, having been “thoroughly tested” on animals and found to be “safe,” has ended up injuring and even causing death in human beings. For instance, thalidomide (a tranquilizer) caused over 10,000 birth defects, and DES (diethylstilboestrol), which was used to help prevent miscarriage, caused cancer and birth defects. Azauracil, a potential anti-cancer drug, was well-tolerated by dogs and monkeys with no signs of toxicity to the nervous system. But at one-twentieth the dose, almost all human patients developed central nervous system disorders including coma, lethargy, mental disorientation, muscle weakness, and hallucinations. Unfortunately, the list goes on.
It is well known that various species can react differently to any given chemical substance, drug, or treatment. For instance;aspirin and tylenol can kill cats. Penicillin kills guinea pigs. PCP is an animal tranquilizer, but causes the exact opposite reaction in humans. Digitalis dangerously raises the blood pressure in dogs. Morphine is fatal to dogs. A monkey can ingest an amount of strychnine which could be fatal to a human. The list goes on.
More and more information is surfacing, pointing clearly to the fact that animal testing, aside from being totally inhumane, is simply not a valid methodology. The results and data gained from animal research on one type of animal cannot even be applied to other types of animals, let alone to humans, because we are all biologically, histologically, and psychologically different!
Much of the animal research done today is used to create new drugs to combat illness. Because the medical community knows that these drugs may have dangerous side effects, they need to determine the dangerous effects the drugs could produce by testing them on animals. Drug and technology-oriented health care go hand in hand with the cruel practice of animal testing and vivisection.
We must keep in mind that the drugs produced by medical science (and tested on animals) are “consumer products,” and we have the right to question them just as we would any other product! We need to be extremely careful of what we put into our bodies in the name of healing and health. Four million people per year are hospitalized for side effects caused by “thoroughly tested” drugs; of those, up to 500,000 die from the so-called “cures,” not from the disease!
We do not need to accept the claims that animal research is necessary for medical advancement. It is time to get away from the “animal model” and study disease at its source, so that we can stop the animal testing nightmare. We must learn to take personal responsibility for our health, rather than ignoring it and then looking to doctors and drugs for easy cures and “techno-fix” solutions when we become ill.
Prevention will always be the true key to good health! Let us learn to prevent and cure disease and discomfort by way of correcting destructive lifestyles, lowering stress, improving our eating habits and food choices, changing our attitudes toward life, and working to eliminate environmental toxins that shorten our lives. (Note: It has been well established that many degenerative diseases can be reversed simply by removing animal protein and fat from one’s diet, and through fasting for short periods of time under the supervision of a holistic doctor.)
Things You Can Do To Make A Difference:
* Educate yourself and your family about the possible benefits to be obtained from alternative, non-toxic, non-invasive methods of healing the body and mind. Learn to utilize natural herbs, homeopathic preparations, flower essences, massage therapy, psychology (counseling), accupressure and acupuncture, chiropractic work, dietary changes (nutrition), and attitude changes to heal the body and mind. In most towns and cities you will find well-trained, dedicated healers who specialize in many modalities of holistic healing. If we truly want to heal ourselves, the support will be there.
* There are herbal alternatives for most all allopathic medications (prescriptions). Herbal formulas are available at your local health food store for almost any complaint you might have. (Note: This chapter is not intended to diagnose or prescribe in any way, nor is it meant to be a substitute for professional medical help. Consult a holistic medical doctor for health problems.)
For Further Information Contact:
*People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals (PETA) – P.O. Box 42516, Washington, D.C. 20015-0516 (301) 770-7444. PETA is the nation’s largest animal rights group. They believe that animals are not ours to eat, wear, or experiment on.
* American Anti-Vivisection Society – 801 Old York Road, Suite 204, Jenkintown, PA 19046 (215) 887-0816. AA-VS is a national, non-profit animal rights organization dedicated to the elimination of animal use in research, testing, and education.
* United Action For Animals (UAA), Inc. – 205 East 42nd St., New York, NY 10017 (212) 983-5315 / (800) 473-5315. The UAA is a non-profit corporation founded to end the shocking and tragic waste of billions of animal lives and taxpayer dollars on duplicative, inconclusive, and wasteful animal experiments.
*In Defense Of Animals (IDA) – National office: 816 West Francisco Blvd., San Rafael, CA 94901 (415) 453-9984. East Coast Representative (513) 793-2146. IDA is a national, non-profit organization committed to ending the institutionalized abuse of animals by defending their rights, welfare, and habitat.
*Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine – P.O. Box 6322, Washington, D.C. 20015 (202) 686-2210. Provides information on preventative health care and promotes the use of alternatives to animals in medical training.
* The Animal’s Voice Magazine – P.O. Box 341347 Los Angeles, CA 90034 (800) 82-VOICE. The Animal’s Voice magazine is a remarkable high-quality publication dedicated to all aspects of animal protection. It is highly recommended for its concentrated content of enlightening information, “graphically awakening” photographs, and subject-related sources and products.
* The Animal’s Agenda Magazine – 456 Monroe Turnpike, Monroe, CT 06468 (203) 452-0446 / (800) 825-0061 (for subscription information). An excellent resource for a wide range of critical animal related issues.
* The Cruel Deception, by Robert Sharpe – This book offers a very critical perspective on the use of animals in research, testing, and education. It presents the case that animal experiments have little impact on human health advances. Available from the American Anti-Vivisection Society (address given above).
* Animal Liberation: A New Ethics For Our Treatment Of Animals, by Peter Singer, Avon Paperback Books, New York, 1977. Available from both United Action For Animals and The American Anti-Vivisection Society (addresses given above).
