THE MYTHS OF VIVISECTION
Bernhard Rambeck, MDMyth 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / Intro / Next Page
Sixth Myth: "Risks from new drugs, chemicals and vaccines can only be judged by animal experiments."
Many important drugs were found and applied to man before the era of excessive animal research - with adequate precautions, naturally. On the other hand, animal experiments have been carried out for decades in order to judge the risks of new chemicals and drugs, and for decades there have been numerous examples of animal experiments whose results have not proved sufficiently reliable. The many drugs which, in spite of excessive animal research, have led to severe damage and even death in man, and which have been withdrawn on the insistence of the drug administration authorities, are proof of this. Of course, after such a catastrophy it is maintained that inadequate or incorrect animal experments were carried out. But it is essential that the user of the drug should be protected beforehand, since scientists can only afterwards tell which are the so-called 'correct' animal experiments. Scientists could test Thalidomide (or Contergan) on as many rats or mice as you like; the teratogenic effect is observed, apart from in man, only in the Himalayan rabbit or in special baboons. One more example: about one third of all patients with diseases of the kidneys, and who have to be dialysed or who have to wait for a kidney transplant, have had their kidney functions destroyed by pain-killing substances considered to be safe on the basis of animal research.
We must not forget that the final risk posed by chemicals and drugs is taken by the human being itself; but, inasmuch as animal experiments give rise to a false sense of security, mankind is led to an incautious use of new substances, and the risks increase thereby.
Myth 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / Intro