QUOTATIONS

"As a method of research, it [animal experiments] has constantly led those who have employed it into altogether erroneous conclusions, and the record books teem with instances in which not only have animals been fruitlessly sacrificed but human lives have been added to the list of victims by reason of its false light"(1).

"Before the bar of justice, vivisection stands condemned on three counts: cruelty to animals, uselessness to [hu]man[s], and obstruction on the path of real knowledge"(2).

"It is no longer a matter of balancing the cruelty of suffering animals against the gain to humanity spared from suffering: because that is not the choice. Animals die to enable hundreds of new drugs to be marketed annually; but the gain is to the industry rather than [hu]mankind"(3).

"The real motives [of animal experimenters]... are a mixture in varying proportions of scientific curiosity, a desire to explore new fileds, a desire for recognition and fame, career ambition, a wish to spend time deeply absorbed in something of special interest... I doubt if the desire to alleviate human suffering is often the motive"(4).

"What are the experimenter`s motives? I think we have been less than honest with ourselves and the public alike about our real motives. The scientist is driven by the twin motives of curiosity and reward, curiosity is the most persuasive. We are curious, therefore we experiment... if researchers are to get [their] message across to the public, they will have to be a lot more honest about themselves. We are very bad at being honest about ourselves in public; we have caused confusion by being less than truthful about the motives of researchers, we always play along with the media`s perchant for `breakthroughs`. We have confused the public, which sees research and drug useage as excessively logical, because we have presented them with the lie that we are logical about our research"(5).

refs

1. Tait,RL. Proc of meeting of British Philosophical Soc. 20 Apr 1882.

2. Beddow-Bayley,M. More Spotlights. NAVS. 1958.

3. Inglis,B. Drugs, Doctors and Disease. mayflower/Dell. 1965.

4. Smyth,DH. Alternatives to Animal Experiments. Scolar/RDS. 1978.

5. Shuster,S. Why We Need Animal Experiments. RDS [undated]