by Michelle Shafer

Created on: September 02, 2007

The Scientific Case Against Animal Experiments

You know, one of my most entertaining fantasies is that my ex, whom I affectionately refer to as "Caligula", comes back in his next life as a lab rat.
Trust me, the real Caligula was morally wrong. He actually enjoyed causing pain and suffering. If reincarnation really is a valid concept, then perhaps coming back as a lab rat for those of us who epitomize the bumper sticker "Mean people suck" is karmic and poetic justice. For the rest of us, well, we pity the poor lab rat, along with the Vegetarians, PETA people and, interestingly enough, professional medical personnel.

Yes, that's right. Most medical scientists, researchers, doctors, nurses, therapists, psychologists and the like all have a soft spot in their hearts for the lab rat. Doomed at birth since the 1940's, this harmless little creature has taken the brunt of every chemical and surgical experiment we can devise all in the name of scientific research for the advancement of human medicine. Oh, we strategically pump their little livers with the latest SSRI's, jolt their tiny cerebrums with electric needles in an effort to determine which body part will jump and tremor in correlation with the section of the brain that needle touches, all reminiscent of those Saturday afternoon Vincent Price movies of our baby boomer youth. Of course, no one could possible view the PETA video "Meat.Org" which references the adverse conditions of dogs in animal food testing without shock and sadness. Yes, there is a valid ethical and moral argument against animal testing, and, fortunately, there is a solution. Please read on.

The Scientific Case Against Animal Experiments

The scientific objections to animal experiments are based on the problem of species differences and the artificiality of the diseases induced in them, meaning that results from animal experiments may be of dubious value to humans.

A major weakness of medical research on animals is the differences between species, which can make results from one type of animal inapplicable to another. Some of these variations are known and can perhaps be taken into account; but others, such as reactions to new drugs or the function of an area of the brain, are not yet discovered in these cases, the results from animal experiments can be seriously misleading.

Pursuing a line of research on animals can produce conflicting or confusing results, of unknown relevance to human beings. This can have serious implications, at worst misleading

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