188 HUMANE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS USED IN RESEARCH 
be advantageous. I should like to quote just one sentence from a 
letter to me from Lord Adrian, master of Trinity College in Cam- 
bridge, Nobel laureate in physiology, noted in neurophysiology. He 
said: 
I should say that the standard of treatment of animals used for experiments 
is much the same in the United States as here. For that reason I do not think 
that State licensing of the kind contemplated — 
by the bills in question about which I had written him — 
can make much difference to the welfare of animals in the United States. 
We believe, Mr. Chairman, that although we very much wish to have 
help in improving the facilities, the training of personnel, research in 
animal diseases, and methods of care of animals, and although we have 
actually promoted at the local and State level inspection and licens- 
ing of our institutions, we believe that it would be a very great mis- 
take to move in the direction of licensing individuals for specific 
experiments in biological and medical research. 
Thank you very much. 
Mr. Roberts. Thank you, Doctor. 
I take it that you believe that the provision as to licensing would 
be better handled by the States than by the Federal Government. 
Dr. Visscher. As I pointed out in the little document you have, I 
think it is more economical ; in the State of Minnesota it is handled by 
the State livestock sanitary board which handled the control of care 
and management of all domestic animals in this State, in agricul- 
tural and industrial use. This organization has taken its responsibil- 
ity seriously in inspecting and licensing laboratories in the State of 
Minnesota. I wouldn’t say that this is necessarily the way it should 
be done everywhere, but it certainly is an economical and effective 
method in our State. 
Mr. Roberts. Do you think that if the committee deleted certain 
portions of the bill having to do with licensing that you would not be 
opposed to some type of control on the part of the Federal Govern- 
ment in cases where the Federal Government is supplying the money 
for construction of laboratories, research facilities, or perhaps mak- 
ing institutional grants? 
Dr. Visscher. I think, Mr. Chairman, that I would have no ob- 
jection to the licensing of laboratories from the point of view of the 
adequacy of their facilities for carrying on work. I think I would 
have vety strong objections to setting up a bureaucracy to control 
the very complicated matter of what sort of experiments are or are 
not appropriate. I cannot refrain from pointing out that it is im- 
possible even for a scientist to judge what type of experiments may 
be necessary to be carried on until he looks into all of the scientific as- 
pects of the questions that have to be investigated. It is unfortunately 
true that if one is to study the mechanism and the control of a dis- 
ease process in man, one must be able to reproduce that disease process 
in animals. This is unfortunate. It frequently produces discomfort. 
But if we are to Solve problems of human diseases we must be willing 
to do this. Granted, in fact I would insist, that it must be done under 
the most humane conditions, with the greatest attention to the wel- 
fare of the animals. But it is my position, and I believe, sir, that it 
is the position of a majority of the American people, that if it is 
