The principles of humane experimental technique: Is it relevant today?

Abstract

The theme of this book is that the humane treatment of experimental animals is not only desirable on ethical grounds but is actually a prerequisite for successful animal experiment ". The work was sponsored by the Universities Federation of Animal Welfare and is another example of the Federation's laudable efforts to reduce the amount of suffering among animals by employing a rational and scientific rather than an emotional and subjective approach. The book is in two parts. Part One begins with a discussion of the Concept of inhumanity briefly summarising our knowledge of the mechanisms of pain and distress in animals and attempting to lay down some criteria for their estimation. Throughout the book references are given to publications in a great variety of fields and an example here is that to Dr Phyllis Croft's valuable work on the effects of conscious pain upon the heart rate. This is of particular importance in view of the increasing use of muscular relaxants. The following chapters include a fairly elaborate analysis based upon the L. A. B. Survey for 1952. The distribution of the various species of experimental animals between different types of laboratory, the degree of severity of the more widely employed techniques and many other aspects of the subject are described and tabulated. One of Dr Russell's characteristically valuable contributions appears in this section-the distinction between direct "and contingent inhumanity ". Part Two is entitled The progress of human technique" and forms, in effect, a survey of the methods used in biological investigation with suggestions as to their improvement from a humanitarian aspect by. one of three methods. In the definition of these three methods, Dr Russell has classified and simplified a confusing picture by coining the terms "replacement", "reduction" and refinement ". Replacement implies the use of micro-organisms, tissue cultures, chemical methods, mechanical or electrical models, etc., instead of sentient creatures. "Refinement" is a subtle concept, difficult to summarise. "Reduction however, it seems to me, is a method of approach of wide application and invariable advantage to the experimenter. Its basis is almost pure mathematics and in essence concerns the planning of experiments in such a fashion that statistical analysis will afford the desired result with but a tithe of the animals required in an unplanned experiment. Here surely is an advance which can be applied in many fields and which i