statementsare,inphilosophy,comparabletomaintainingthat
the earth is flat.
American scientists have, so far, been extraordinarily
intransigent about public oversight of what they do to
animals. They have been successful in squelching even
minimal regulations to protect animals from suffering in
experiments.IntheUnitedStates,theonlyfederallawonthe
matteristheAnimalWelfareAct.Thelawsetsthestandards
forthetransportation,housing,andhandlingofanimalssold
aspets,exhibited,orintendedforuseinresearch.Sofaras
actualexperimentationisconcerned,however, itallows the
researchers to do exactly as they please. This is quite
deliberate:thereasongivenbytheU.S.CongressConference
Committee when the act was passed was
to provide protection for the researcher in this matter by
exemptingfromregulationsallanimalsduringactualresearch
orexperimentation....Itisnottheintentionofthecommittee
to interfere in any way with research or experimentation.^110
Onesectionofthelawrequiresthatthoseprivatebusinesses
and otherorganizations thatregister under the act(neither
government agencies doing research nor many smaller
facilitieshavetoregister)mustfileareportstatingthatwhen
painfulexperimentswereperformedwithouttheuseofpain-
relievingdrugs,thiswasnecessarytoachievetheobjectives
oftheresearchproject.Noattemptismadetoassesswhether
these “objectives” are sufficiently important to justify
inflicting pain. Under these circumstances the requirement
doesnomorethanmakeadditionalpaperwork,andthisisa
majorcomplaintamongexperimenters.Theycan’t,ofcourse,
givedogsthecontinualelectric shocksthatwillproducea