(Originally Published at Yahoo.voices formerly Associated Content~Oct. 29, 2007)
ABSTRACT:
Animal testing and experimentation has been going on since around the third and fourth centuries BC in Ancient Greece. But now that there are alternatives to testing on animals why are we still doing it?
CONTENT:
I think many of us have been aware and heard of animal testing and/or experimentation which is supposedly to be beneficial to mankind, but is it really necessary in light ofthe fact that there are alternatives to this rather cruel and barbaric practice?
While all along, I have been aware of the horrors that exists with the whole concept of animal testing, it wasn't until I recently got my own computer a few months ago, and started exposing myself to the realities of what goes on in animal experimentation, by reading up on articles presented by a variety of animal rights groups, such as The American Anti-Vivisection Society, S.A.E.N. (Stop Animal Exploitation Now) and of course, the well-known animal activist group, PETA (People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals). Not only was I exposed to articles about animal testing, but I came across countless photos, and even undercover videos that were taken by such activist groups...many were extremely graphic, and cannot by any means be viewed by the squeamish.
What I didn't know, however, was just how far back in history the practice of experimenting on animals went and it may no doubt surprise most people as well. For all I know, animal experimentation may have gone further back than the third or fourth centuries BC, but the first known written records about it are from none other than the Greek philosophers, Aristotle and Erasistratus, who both wrote about their own experiences in experimenting on animals. It wasn't, however, until the second-century BC, that the Roman physician, Galen was to be labeled as the father of vivisection.
For what purpose there may have been in such early animal experimentation or testing we may never know. It may have perhaps been to try and discover how the functions of the body worked, and rather use human subjects, early scientists and physicians used animals instead. It wasn't until the centuries moved up, particularly beginning during the seventeenth century, that more and more experiments on animals took place. Now physicians were carefully documenting any discovery pertaining to the functioning of the body via the use of animal experiments. For instance, it was in the early 1600s that William Harvey made extensive discoveries of how the blood circulated and moved in animals. In the 1700s it was Antoine Lavoisier who discovered how respiration worked by using guinea pigs, and the scientist Stephen Hales was able to determine how blood pressure worked by using horses.
Now we tend to think that any opposition of animal testing and experimentation is a relatively new thing in our own time. Not so. Even amongst the scientific community of the seventeenth century, such people as physiologist, Edmund O'Meara in 1655, voiced his opinions and questioned the validity of such experimentation. Noted philosopher, Voltaire in 1764, also expressed and wrote his viewpoints of the cruelty to animals by conducting such experiments, under the guise of the good of mankind.
It therefore appears, throughout our history, the whole issue of animal experimentation and testing has had its controversy and opposition. Now, however, the whole issue of animal experimentation and testing has really come under attack within the past few decades, and not just by animal rights activists either, but by an ever-growing group of people in the medical and scientific community at large. Each and every year, millions of animals are subjected to tests, supposedly for the benefit of mankind. Yet, now more than ever before, many people are questioning the validity of such testing, especially in light of the fact, that such testing on animals may no longer even be necessary.
Those who are opposed to any kind of animal testing for any purpose whatsoever, particularly among animal rights activists, will point out the downright cruelty that exists toward these millions of innocent animals that are tested on each and every year. Yet, while we may tend to think that the rather vocal and sometimes considered a very radical organization, such as PETA, which was founded in 1980 in America, as the first to openly state its opposition about the cruel practice of vivisection it is by no means the first. The oldest American organization against the whole vivisection issue, was the the American Anti-Vivisection Society, founded by Caroline Earle White in 1883. Her Society was then followed by the founding of the ASPCA by Henry Bergh in 1866. Since then, more and more organizations have been founded, such as The Humane Society of The United States, S.A.E.N. (Stop Animal Exploitation Now), The Animal Liberation Front, and so forth...the list is virtually endless.
In my own personal search about the issue of vivisection, needless to say, I became exposed to the countless number of websites, and as previously mentioned, many of these websites include very graphic photos, and sometimes even videos that show the horrific treatment of animals for testing all in the supposed name of science. Anyone who views such photos and videos, if they have any compassion for animals at all, must question, how can we, as human beings do such horrific tests and experiments on animals..for what real purpose?
What is the purpose, for instance, as in one of the photos I came across, is there for a beagle to be purposely set on fire to document the effects of burns? Don't we kind of know that already? What is the purpose of hooking up a cat to an IV drip with alcohol to supposedly test the affects of wine or hard liquor? The more graphic photos I came across the more I had to question the validity of any animal testing.
Now of course, some might say, that we need to test on animals especially for the pharmaceutical industry to find out the effects of any one of the miracle drugs that are being discovered. But how can the safety factor and side effects of any medication be validated by testing on animals, when the physiological and biological make-up is so radically different from we human beings? Could this explain why so many medications are now being recalled, especially those who have such detrimental side effects, even death itself?
As mentioned before, an ever growing community of scientists and physicians are also questioning how valid testing on animals is for any medical knowledge connected with humans especially considering that there are numerous alternative means of testing besides the use of animals. In 1981, the Johns Hopkins University established the Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT). Therefore, for twenty-six years, there have been known alternatives besides the use of laboratory animals for the testing of medicines, and/or for product safety for human use. So, I guess, the question remains in everyone's mind, why do we still use animals for testing? For what purpose are we still subjecting animals to experimentation, often under unbelievably cruel conditions and treatment? For what purpose are so many of the multi-billion dollar companies still testing on animals for cosmetic purposes and use for humans? And more important, what can we do, to stop this practice of animal testing?
One thing we can do,is to start being conscious consumers when it comes to any product for cosmetic use. Read the labels of any product you buy...If it doesn't say "Not Tested on Animals" then you can bet, that hair color, make-up, shampoo or fragrance may have been tested on an animal first. One great organization to get involved with is The Coalition For Consumer Information On Cosmetics (http://www.leapingbunny.org/about_us.htm) which even has a sampl letter that you can use to write to companies that are still noted for testing on animals. To find out which companies do and don't test on animals, one can refer to the CaringConsumer.com website, which has downloadable lists.
The information I've provided here is only the tip of the iceberg, so to say, about the whole issue of animal testing in general and the resources one can personally take to become actively involved in voicing one's opinions about animal experimentations.
For further information, I even invite you to view my own website, of which I'm still in the process of developing that I hope, will be an all in one website with everything related to animal issues in general.
Sources:
Animal Testing:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_animal_testing
Alternatives To Animal Testing:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_for_Alternatives_to_Animal_Testing
Animal Organizations:
http://www.aavs.org/
http://www.all-creatures.org/saen/
http://www.hsus.org/about_us/
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_home
Graphic Photo Sources Of Animal Testing:
http://www.atourhands.com/primates.html
http://vivisection-absurd.org.uk/warning.html
Listing of Companies That Do and Don't Test on Animals
http://www.caringconsumer.com/resources_companies.asp
My Own Website On Animal Issues:
http://www.freewebs.com/ifeveryonecared-animals/
