Evening star., 1949-05-26
Animal Experimentation
Its Vital Importance for Medical Discovery Is Explained
By Recitins Some of the Results
By J. Resees Greer, Md.

By j. Rasee
ts<nsas1< ey r-s=aSssps e. u. @
Through the medium Of animal expert
mentation some Of the most important sc-
sancemenss In the science OF medicine have
| been attained. Every day hundreds Of
highly trained medical scientists and tech
nicians are studying the results Of animal
experiments and drawing conclusions that
may have q significant meaning In the
| cause. cure or control Of disease. The peo-
pie Of this Nation enjoy q higher standard
OF medical care than any other large ma
ton on earth. Life expectancy has risen
10 years since 1900. In spite OF these en-
viable advancements there Is much to be
done before all the people can get the bene-
fits OF the medical knowledge that Is at
OUR disposal today.
We need more and better trained doctors
TO practice the newer developments in the
control OF disease. yet In this country there
are well-organtzed groups who would make
IL q crime to use animals in scientific ex-
perimentS. How can We train more and
better doctors when a most importan,
method Of education has been impeded or
destroyed? There is a bill before Congress
today that would call for fines of 500 10
$500 and Imprisonment UP to 90 days for
any one indulging in animal experiments
ton.
In q recent editorial Of q Washington
newspaper it was stated that a member Of
the medical profession was Of the opinion
that in over three hundred years Of ami
NAL observation-disclosures will find few
major scourges whose alleviation or cure
has been aided by vivisections." During the
same week Life magazine featured an arti-
Gle which provided such q highly signth-
cant contrast that II was amusing This
fea f,,re VS. m "pIus pahv paeao
has been conducted by DIR. Alfred Blalock
and DR.. Helen Taussig Of Johns Hopkins
Medical School.
Real Advancement.
The operation these two scientists have
devised Is one Of the greatest real advance
ments in the science Of surgery in recent
years. This procedure relieves an otherwise
hopeless condition. The victims have symp-
toms Of cyanosis, shortness Of breath, weak
ness. and finally mental deterioration and
are doomed to an early death. The symp-
toms are due to an inadequate oxygenation
Of the blood. caused by q congenital mar
rowing Of the pulmonary artery where 1t
leaves the right side of the heart to carry
blood to the lungs for the express purpose
Of absorbing oxygen. The operation in
creases the oxygen supply by short-circuit-
ing one Of the large systemic arteries TO
the pulmonary artery beyond the point Of
narrowing. Dogs were the most suitable
animals TO use because smaller animals did
not provide vessels sufficiently large for sat
isfactory anastomcsis. DR.. Blalock advised
other surgeons that this procedure should
not be attempted on humans without suffi-
cient practice on dogs.
Since Anna" the experimental dog. was
first subjected to this operation. over 1000
blue baby operations have been performed
f,, $na Jait tsA Cfota .yitt hiatt
per cent record Of success. 1t Is an inter-
esting fact that Anna" is alive and well
today apparently none the worse for her
experience in this spectacular history making
development. This Is only one Of many in
stances where science has advanced directly
as the result Of animal experimentation.
Diabetes Relief Possible.
It is estimated that two per cent Of the
population today has diabetes mellitus. About
one half this number have been detected
and their diabetes is controlled by means Of
insulin and special diets.
In 1922 Banting and Best found that care
fully prepared extracts OF the pancreas OF
animals eliminated the urinary sugar In test
dogs and reduced the blood sugar to normal
levels Before insulin. these unfortunate
people suffered from excessive thirst. exces-
sive urination, increased appetite. loss OF
weight, itching Of the skin, somnolence. dim
ness Of vision, muscular pains. boils, gan
creme and finally death. Since 1922 millions
of people have been relieved Of these dis
tressing symptoms and live normal. useful
lives. In sincerity. how can any one say no
good has come from scientific research on
animals?
Perhaps the greatest single advancement
in the reduction of mortality Of our service
men in the last war was In the treatment Of
shock with plasma and whole blood. The
use of sulfonamides. penicillin and strep-
tomycin effectively combated infection re-
sulting from battle wounds Vaccines and
biologics were used to protect Our men from
manifold diseases. All these benefits re-
suited from prolonged animal experimental
researches.
Animals have been greatly benefited by ex-
perimental research. While searching for an
effective treatment for hookworm In dogs.
the Bureau Of Animal Industry found that
carbon tetrachloride was a safe remedy.
Later its discoverer tried IL on himself and
found 1t equally effective In man.
The story of the experimental work Of
Louis Pasteur In the treatment Of rabies is
q classic in medicine Dog vaccine inocula-
tions brought the disease under control.
Laboratory research thus benefits dogs and
man.
Research Protects Animals.
: Tic last WdI PCOptS Va thiAo
country became acutely aware OF shortages
Of meat and other food products Of animal
origin. We would be on constant starvation
diets II 1t were not for the never ending
research on animals TO control bovine
tuberculosis. undulant fever. distemper. hog
cholera and many other diseases that
decimate our animal population.
The opponents Of animal experimentation
direct most Of their attention against the
use OF dogs for research. It so happens
that dogs are peculiarly adaptable to certain
research problems Just rs monkeys are the
most suitable for research In infantile paral-
ysis. Because the physiological functions and
metabolism Of dogs closely resemble those
Of man they are most valuable In the study
and control Of disease. OF course many
other animals are used. such as mice. guinea,
pigs. rabbits. sheep. cattle and horses.
The public should be informed Of the con-
~Se. fca ms