The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-05-20
Open Door Policy
In Laboratories

New York, - May 1r.4-An open doc,
policy insc thevslaboratories of medi.
cal researchewhsrerz erzexperiments. arr
conducted sons animals WAS announced
today bys MissscMaudesz PEillips,; OF
Springields; Massss Missg Phillips
said that. this wsss thers first public
declaration ofsthis principle4tha has
ever been 4madefinathesTU United States
and that the. Blue Cross Society is
the first humane society to cooperate
actively, with scientists as a body in
behalf of animal protection in medi-
cal research.
Miss Phillips announcement pre-
ceded signed statements" by the di-
rectorsr and deans of large number
of the. 86P laboratories where experi-
mentss are made, on animals declaring
theirswillingpess to admit members
or officials of humane societies so
that these may, acquaint themselves
with the actual conditions under
which animal experimentation is be.
ing conducted
In several instances the proviso
was made that visitors should have
previously observed an operation on a
human being So that they would be
able to- appreciate the humaneness of
laboratory methods.
A number of the deans and direc-
tors assert in. their statements that
it hasnlong been their custom to adj
nit tos their laboratories as visitors
responsible, persons who are interest,"
ed in learning about the methods used
in advancing medicine by expert
mentsG on lower animals.
her announcement Miss Phil
lips says that humane societies. can
send their officials at any time to
investigate the laboratories of medi-
cal research just as they would any
place where animals are used or EN-.
ployed. She added:
"Thus a new epoch begins in the
relations bewteen organized humane
ness and scientific research with ami
mails and. from now on, criticism of
its, activities in the past, so far as
this country is concerned, would be
unreasonable and superiuous."
Having referred to the insinuations
and suggestions that secret cruelties
were perpetrated on animals within
alleged locked doors and padded
walls, Miss Phillips said:
"Now that every door of every
laboratory is unquestionably open to
the public, via it's humane represen-
tatives, not alleged but actual facts
of the, present onlyIwill count.
"Such guaranteed publicity on the
part of the scientists clearly brings
their activities in animal experiment
tation within the same reach of statu-
tory law as are other activities in
which animals are concerned and,
from now on, the public may rightly
demand of it's humane societies that
they shall ~lshoulder the responsibility
of keeping an eye on scientific re-
search"
She explained that her statement
was issued mot in a spiritaof parti-
sanship but from the profound reah-
zation of the need of q better under
standing by the public Of the actiyi-
ties of animal experimentation as
they are now being exercised at the
present time in the United States.
She predicted that public dselara-
ton of the open door to officials OF!
humane societies would be received.
by viviseetionists and anti-yivisec-
tionists with not little astonish-
ment."
The Blue Cross Society, Miss Phil
lips said, emphatically stands for the
regulation of animal experimentation.
She made public the code of regu-
lation. adopted in 1909 and posted in
every laboratory of medical research
in the United States which provides
rules under which experiments on an
imals may be made.