FOREWORD 
It is well known that the understanding and 
treatment of many human diseases has been 
enhanced by the study of laboratory animals 
in the past, and that the use of laboratory 
animals continues to be of major importance in 
medical research. 
The current and growing use of animals in 
I research has made it imperative that the bene- 
fits, conditions and limitations of such use be 
widely understood. To aid in increasing and 
disseminating information and understanding 
of this important aspect of research, the Na- 
tional Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI) spons- 
ored a National Conference on Research Ani- 
mals in Medicine. 
I I believe the Conference itself contributed a 
better understanding, among the 1000 partici- 
pants, of many techniques and results of the use 
of animals and of some general features of 
animal models, and I hope that this book will be 
useful in bringing this information to the atten- 
tion of an even wider audience. 
I shall not attempt to summarize any of the 
technical findings or identify any that appear to 
be of major significance. One area that I do want 
to mention, however may seem to be "non-tech- 
ncal" — that dealing with animal care and wel- 
fare. I think it is very important to keep in mind 
the necessity of adequate care and humane 
treatment, not only because of legal require- 
ments, but equally because of two other con- 
siderations: scientific validity and ethical con- 
cern. 
The Conference and this text are one example 
of the continuing effort of NHLI to improve 
medical care and to disseminate information to 
the scientific community and to the public. 
Theodore Cooper, M.D. 
Director, National Heart and Lung Institute 
National Institutes of Health 
