During these times of the COVID-19 pandemic, at some point we have all felt the frustration of quarantine and isolation which has left all of us with some mental, physical or emotional change. Now apply that same feeling and imagine how an animal would feel locked away in a cage destined to be experimented on and has no say in their future. So, let’s get into this discussion……
Early History (as far as we know)
Based on ancient Greek writings and depictions from as early as circa 500 BC have shown that dissection of live animals were practiced. This practice was then undertaken by physicians/scientists such as Erasistratus, Herophilus and even Aristotle later known as ‘vivisection’ or the dissection of living organisms which were then applied to criminals in both Rome and Alexandria. According to Aristotle, he believed that animals lacked basic intelligence therefore they did not apply to the laws of justice and injustice. However, Aristotle’s student named Theophrastus had other ideas: he believed they were like humans – they felt pain, happiness, sadness and causing pain to an animal was a sin in the eyes of God. (Photo Source: Painting of Vivisection in 1832, https://images.procon.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/vivisection-painting.jpg)
Even Galen (Roman philosopher and physician) back in 130-200 AD provided theories in medicine that included the live dissection of animals which back in Europe was considered a form of entertainment. In Galen’s case however, he had little to no sympathy towards animals and even encouraged his students to believe the same. Between the period of 1596-1650, a French philosopher by the name of René Descartes used vivisection to experiment on eels, rabbits and fish and he believed they could not feel pain and concluded that they could not think and therefore not experience feelings.
Experimentation During the 1800’s and Early 1900’s
During this time, we know that there was a strong public objection towards animal experimentation when owning domesticated animals became a growing trend, specifically in parts of England. At this time there was at least 300 experiments being practiced annually and this trend brought many to understand the value of animals which inevitably founded the Society for the Protection of Animals Liable to Vivisection in July of 1875. This Act would be the world’s first legislative movement to control the use and treatment of live animals in medicine and scientific research. (Photo Source: Anti-Vivisection Protests in 19th century England https://queensanimaldefence.org/2015/02/18/the-history-of-the-anti-vivisection-movement/).
With this movement, we began to see growing cases of anti-vivisection movements however there were many that still publicly disregarded the ethical practices put forward for researchers. Since the Act of 1875, Queen Victoria stated in the letter written in that year that, “The Queen is horrified and shocked about the details of some of the animal research practices and intends to put a stop to them,” which thus created the Great Britain’s Cruelty to Animals Act of 1876.
Even zoologist William Russel in 1959 mentioned in his book entitled, The Principle of Humane Experimental Technique laid out the three 'Rs' for using animals in research. The book outlined: Replacement (replacing the use of animals with alternative research methods), Reduction (minimizing the use of animals whenever possible), and Refinement (reducing suffering and improving animals’ living conditions) which has shaped many welfare laws in countries around the world.
At this time, the world became publicly at war, where many members of society were claiming what was ethical and what was not. This created a heated debate among researchers and the public which caused many to continue harsh experiments but unfortunately it also created some of the most gruesome animal experiments to occur over the past 100 years some of which are still occurring today:
Maryland Psychologist Severed Spinal Cords and Repeatedly Shocked Monkeys (1958-1981)
Pfizer Injects Horses with Snake Venom (1961-Present)
Government Animal Experimenter Inflicts Permanent Damage to Monkeys (1983-Present)
Dogs Bred to Develop Canine Muscular Dystrophy Subjected to Experiments (1988-Present)
Oregon Experimenter Killed and Cut Open Pregnant Monkeys (1997-2017)
Columbia Experimenters Purposefully Cut Baboons’ Eyes Out to Induce Strokes (2001-2011)
Animals Were Beheaded With Kitchen Scissors at University of North Carolina (2001-2003)
John Hopkins University Experimenter Cut Owls’ Skulls to Place Electrodes in the Brain (2005-Present).
Tufts and Yale Experimenters Trap Birds and Inflict Wounds without Painkillers (2008-Present).
Liberty Research Incorporated Drilled Holes into Young Beagles’ Skulls for Research without Treatment (2016-2017).
Before we continue……..I would like for the reader to take a moment and look at that list again and just imagine what those animals went through. May I remind the reader that most of these experiments stem from universities’ and laboratories’ just in the United States and most of them did not provide pain killers or anesthesia during or after the experiment. So, reader, imagine what happened at these institutions around the world and in experiments that were not publicly recorded by the authorities.
STORYTIME:
On August 1962, an elephant by the name of Tusko from a local zoo in Oklahoma was the subject of a painful experiment which would then result in his death. Tusko was fired with a syringe filled with 297 mg of LSD which is considered 3000 times the normal amount for one human being. The researchers wanted to see if LSD induced musth which is a state of aggression that male elephants experience. Without thinking of Tusko’s wellbeing, he immediately began to move around erratically, then kneeled and immediately passed away. Tusko was not given the opportunity for a healthy and full life nor could he speak for himself and therefore fell victim to experimentation. (Photo Source: Tusko in 1962 after the experiment https://listverse.com/2013/10/30/10-most-bizarre-animal-experiments-in-history/).
Animal Experiments…..in Space???
It is commonly known that monkeys were sent to space however do you know what happened to those monkeys after a successful or failed mission to space? Let's mention a few. Since the year 1948, the United States have been testing the use of animals in space travel since many monkeys had died during trips in the early 1940’s. The first monkey to survive however was named Yorick based on the Aerobee missile flight on September 20th, 1951 but it was then made clear that Yorick passed away several hours later after landing from heat stress. After Yorick, Laika, a stray dog, was sent to space and she too died of overheating and panic caused during the flight. Up until the year 1998, no less than two thousand animals including mice, rats, crickets, fish and snails where sent on the shuttle Columbia for testing. (Photo Source: Albert II whom did not survive the parachute landing back to Earth https://www.outerspaceuniverse.org/the-first-monkey-in-outer-space-albert-ii.html).
History shows us that time has not been fair to all animals around the world.
History shows us that animal experiments were dictated by many whom did not consider the pain and suffering these animals would endure.
History speaks volumes on the indecency and malpractices that occurred during those times.
And history shows us, as a society, that the fight for freedom and animal rights does not stop and cannot stop.
There are more stories, more experiments and more ill-treatment towards animals that are not recorded, but behind those caged walls, these animals cannot speak for themselves and they can only tell us how they feel through the whimpers and cries that echo the laboratory walls. As scientists in every form, we need to understand the hurt that these animals go through. They have names, they have a family and they have a home.
So, reader, the takeaway from today is that you may have pets or know someone with pets and they have names and owners. They are no different from the animals that were in those laboratories pushed to be victims of pain and suffering. If your pet or an animal that you care so deeply about were switched with those animals locked behind those metal bars…….how would you feel? What would you do to rescue them and stop the suffering?
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