NO CRUELTY TO ANIMALS IN MEDICAL TESTS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22697, 23 July 1948, Page 6

NO CRUELTY TO ANIMALS IN MEDICAL TESTS

;(P.A.) . DUNEDIN. July ,22. -Complaints made from time to time that "cruelty was involved in experiments on animals conducted at the OtagO Medical School were refuted today by Mr. K. C Aekins. Auckland, president ,of the New Zealand S.P.C.A. Federation, after a. visit to the school. "I. am . satisfied that no cruelty- to animals is being practised . there,” Mr. Aekins said. "My visit was unexpected and nothing was stage-managed.” He added that he was satisfied from his inspection that nq animal-was .operated on at the research.v department without a • proper -anaesthetic. Mr. Aekins said he was .convinced that no • scientist would dream ui performing any operation on an animal without an anesthetic any more than a surgeon would think, of operating for appendicitis without one. The result in each case would be equally unsatisfactory.; '•••-- Experiments, were . being ‘ conducted at the Medical School with' a view, to the relief ot certain kinds of heart and ■ circulatory troubles. These involved the use ‘ mostly of rats, occasionally of.rabbits, and at times dogs or, cats. The experiments were performed under proper anaesthetics and in the case of dogs and cats the animals were not allowed to recover, but were painlessly destroyed. ■The experiments had resulted in some 'significant additions to medical knowledge which, in some cases, had undoubtedly led to the saving of lives.