Sir: The article ' Poor Vivisected Doggy' by John Linklater
(November 3) does not, in my view, make any really 'useful contribution to the reasonable discussion of the problem of the use of animals for experimental purposes. Surely any objective reader of this article must conclude that Dr Linklater is guilty of the very fault of which he accuses anti-vivisectionists — emotionalism.
Animal experiments in the United Kingdom are governed by the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 and it relates only to experiments on vertebrate animals and Dr Linklater's fatuous reference to experiments on ' crawlies ' seems designed merely to obscure the main issue. The Cruelty to Animals Act applies only to experiments " calculated to give pain" and even the most ardent supporter of the animal experimental method would not go so far as to deny that a. proportion of animal experiments involve the infliction of severe pain, sometimes over prolonged periods.
The case against animal experiments is based on moral grounds and this society believes that it is basically wrong to inflict suffering on ' lower ' creatures in order to attempt to bring about material gain for Mankind. It is perhaps relevant to point out that not all experiments performed are of a purely medical nature for a significant proportion are undertaken for cosmetic, industrial, agricultural and other purposes. We do not, alas, live in an ideal. world and this society recognises the unpleasant reality that live animals will continue to be used in the foreseeable future in the course of medical ahd scientific research. Therefore, in addition to striving to bring about reform of the existing legislation, the National AntiVivisection Society has during the last decade made strenuous efforts to encourage the development and adoption of research tIchniques not involving the use of live animals hoping in this way to help towards a gradual reduction in the number of live animal tests and their replacement by humane and ethically unobjectionable methods of research.
In •March of this year the society established the 'Lord Dowding Fund for Humane Research' for the purpose of financially assisting scientists to pursue research projects involving the use of live animal experimental procedures. Already grants totalling over E15,000 have been made from this fund and further grants will be announced shortly.
In addition we have held this year a highly successful seminar on the potential of Humane Non-Animal Research Techniques which was attended by leading scientists from many countries. Many reseachers who were present on this occasion or who have subsequently read the published texts of the papers given, have complimented us on our useful, practical, approach to the whole problem.
Furthermore, over one hundred and fifty members of the present House of Commons have pledged their support to our proposal that the Government should establish a Research Institute specifically for the study and development of alternative research techniques.
Does Dr Linklater dismiss.this work as stemming from a purely emotional approach to the problem? To do so is an insult to the many scientists and politicians associated with this activity. Colin Smith The National Anti-Vivisection Society Limited, 51 Harley Street, London WI
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