124 HUMANE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS USED IN RESEARCH 
It is the efforts of this committee’s survey relative to the proposed 
legislation that I wish to direct my attention to here. 
The committee consisted of 10 members, 5 survey teams. The United 
States was divided into regions; namely, the northeast, southeast, 
north-central, south-central, and west. The 58 nonprofit, non-Federal 
medical research institutes visited are listed in the report. It should 
be emphasized that the care and management of laboratory animals 
is a fundamental aspect of research in biology and medicine. Lab- 
oratory animal medicine has evolved as a specialized professional field 
to assure the proper maintenance of experimental animals in research 
institutions. This is an outgrowth of the financial support for medical 
and biological research. The increased use of animals and the greater 
refinement and research technique require better quality animals. The 
fact that medical research programs appear destined for further sup- 
port and expansion prompted the survey on animal facilities in 
medical research. Many criteria were taken into account to properly 
evaluate an institutional animal program. Much of this depends on 
the size of the institution, the number of animals in its research, 
teaching and service programs. The survey particularly concerned 
itself about administration, animal procurement, personnel training, 
professional direction for animal care activities, career opportunity 
for animal technicians in their training, buildings, space, and environ- 
mental controls, equipment and materials, disease control, and finan- 
cial support. The research workers in all institutions surveyed have 
accepted the concept of the proper care of laboratory animals as essen- 
tial to the success of the investigations. It is depended upon the 
competence and training of the professional and nonprofessional 
personnel that are responsible for the research animal. 
I personally have participated in planning and developing a num- 
ber of animal facilities in medical research institutions, not as a paid 
consultant but in connection with certain committee work, likewise 
as a commissioned officer in the Public Health Service at the National 
Institutes of Health until 1954. 
When one analyzes the survey material in classifying the whole 
animal research program as good, fair or poor, there was a direct 
relationship between the good operation and the facilities and the 
moneys available to operate the animal facilities for research. 
There are many details documented in this preliminary statement 
which will be followed by a more detailed second report now in prep- 
aration, based upon the mailing of questionnaires to 500 institutions 
not visited. 
Mr. Chairman, I wish to ask the committee to include this report 
in its entirety in the record as a part of our hearings and as a part 
of this presentation. 
Mr. Roberts. Without objection this report will be included in the 
record. 
Dr. Thorp. Thank you. 
(The report referred to follows :) 
