50 HUMANE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS USED IN RESEARCH 
injection 0.1 or 0.2 cubic centimeters 10 percent neutral formaldehyde to five 
rats each.” The rats underwent this mistreatment for 16 days before being 
killed (American Journal of Physiology, May 1960) . 
In another experiment, a series of amputations of incisors and a daily ulcera- 
tion of oral mucosa was tried on groups of young rats. The authors state 
that “a severe form of ulceration was produced by daily application of high 
frequency, coagulating electric current to the oral mucosa adjacent to the lower 
incisors,” and that “In the same experiment other rats were subjected to repeated 
amputation of the lower incisors, and the usual results were obtained.” In most 
of the experiments the incisors were amputated with toenail clippers just 
level with the gums for maximum exposure of the pulp of the tooth. The 
authors say their studies suggest “that the response of the pulp to amputation 
is dependent on sensory receptors.” The amputations were done under what the 
authors describe as “light ether anesthesia.” There is no indication of the use 
of any type of pain-relieving substance at any time following the amputations 
or for the severe ulceration. The paper states, “The rats with incisors amputated 
most frequently exhibited the greatest retardation in rate of total growth.” Some 
of the rats underwent a series of eight amputations at 2-day intervals ( American 
Journal of Physiology, July 1960) . 
AUTOMATION IN EXPERIMENTS WHICH CAUSE PAIN AND FEAR 
One of the most serious problems relating to the infliction of suffering on ani- 
mals in laboratories is a massive increase in the numbers of animals used, together 
with a growth of callousness and acceptance of experimental methods that 
cause great distress to animals but involve a minimum of personal exertion 
because they are mechanized. 
A clear illustration may be found by comparing with later developments the 
protests written in 1949 by experimental biologists and published in the August 6 
issue of the Lancet, The protests were leveled against experiments which they 
felt to be unusually cruel. But since 1949 experiments of the type described have 
changed from occasional to mass produced. Dr. F. Golla spoke of the dishonor 
cast on medical research by a study entitled “Effects of Chronic Fear on the 
Gastric Secretion of HCL in Dogs,” in which intermittent electric shocks were 
applied to seven dogs over a period of 6 months. 
In 1959, apparatus of this type has been perfected for mass use and was 
announced (January 1960) in the newsletter of a commercial breeder of labora- 
tory animals in the following terms : “A new electromechanical apparatus for 
stressing small animals has been developed. It consists of a grid-floored plastic 
cage system, divided into cubicles, which makes it suitable for large numbers of 
small animals instead of the usual one or two. The cubicles are restricted in 
height in order to discourage rats, if these are the occupants, from standing erect 
and deliberately placing their hind feet on bars of identical polarity. No water 
or food receptacles are provided in the system since these make it possible for 
the animals to avoid contact with the floor * * * some of them are apt to bite the 
rods which they can easily recognize as the source of their discomfort. This, 
in turn, may cause convulsions and spinal fractures. Either acute or chronic 
stress may be produced by adjusting the intensity and duration of the shock 
* * * .” (Carworth Quarterly Letter, No. 56, reprinted from the Journal of 
Applied Physiology, 14(5) : 869, 1959) . 
Also described is an improved restraint-technique for producing stress and 
cardiac necrosis. The report states : “Although the rats bite their paws in try- 
ing to free themselves, this drawback may be overcome by either cutting the 
animals’ incisors or by adding a special collar to the board. * * * Using this 
apparatus and technique typical enlargement of the adrenals, thymicolymphatic 
involution and gastric ulcers are produced in a few hours, reactions which become 
very marked in 24 hours * * *” (ibid). 
In another Lancet letter, six signatories invited scientific readers to “assert 
with us that treatments of the kind to which we have referred at the beginning 
of this letter are to be condemned as shocking to a normal human conscience.” 
These treatments include the tumbling of animals in a Noble-Collip drum. Since 
1949, the use of the drum in the United States has spread widely. 
The word “drumming” has become an accepted verb. For example, the March 
1960 issue of the American Journal of Physiology, stated : "Rats were drummed 
according to standard procedure in the Noble-Collip drum, males receiving 600 
revolutions and females 650.” Another established term is “drum trauma” as. 
for example: “The fact that this drug predisposes rats to the lethal effects of 
