stateofhelplessnessiftheyanesthetizethematthesametime;
norcantheyproducedepression inmonkeyswhilekeeping
themhappyorobliviouswithdrugs.Soinsuchcasestheycan
truthfullystatethattheobjectivesoftheexperimentcannotbe
achievedifpain-relievingdrugsareused,andthengoonwith
theexperimentastheywouldhavedonebeforetheactcame
into existence.
Soweshouldnotbesurprisedthat,forinstance,thereportof
the Primate Equilibrium Platform experiment with soman
should be prefaced with the following statement:
The animals involved in this study were procured,
maintained,andusedinaccordancewiththeAnimalWelfare
Act and the “Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory
Animals” prepared by the Institute of Laboratory Animal
Resources-National Research Council.
InfactthesamestatementappearsontheBrooksAirForce
BaseTrainingmanualforthePrimateEquilibriumPlatform,
on thereportof theArmed Forces Radiobiology Research
Institute’s“primateactivitywheel”experiment,andonmany
otherrecentAmericanpublicationsfromwhichIhavequoted.
Thestatement tells us nothingat allabout howmuch the
animalssuffered,norabouthowtrivialthepurposeforwhich
theysufferedmayhavebeen;butittellsusagreatdealabout
thevalueoftheAnimalWelfareActandofthe“Guideforthe
Care and Use of Laboratory Animals” prepared by the
NationalResearchCouncil’sInstitute ofLaboratory Animal
Resources.
Thecompleteabsenceofeffective regulationin theUnited
States is in sharp contrast to the situation in many other