232 HUMANE TREATMENT OP ANIMALS USED IN RESEARCH 
The inspectors are mainly concerned with issuing licences and 
certificates, and inspecting premises and applicants. They rarely 
question the need for experiments; nor have they veterinary 
knowledge to ease the suffering of animals allowed to recover 
from the effects of anaesthesia. These facts prove that the present 
administration of the Act is completely out of date. 
R.S.P.C.A. DEMANDS REFORMS 
1. No experiment or series of experiments should be carried out 
without previous application being completed and thoroughly 
checked both for the need for the experiment and the actual 
procedure of carrying it out. 
2. The function of the inspectorate should be: — 
(a) To license premises and to have personal knowledge of the 
experimenters. 
(b) To examine applications for experiments and pass them 
only when they are satisfied that the real intention of the 
Act is observed, i.e. that the experiment will help to solve a 
specific medical problem. 
(c) To watch personally a reasonable proportion of the 
experiments carried out to ensure that the minimum of 
pain is inflicted and that the animal is destroyed before 
coming round from the anaesthetic except in very clearly 
defined circumstances. At present the decision to destroy 
is left entirely to the personal whim of the experimenter, 
quite regardless of his feelings for animal suffering or his 
knowledge of veterinary problems. 
(d) To ensure that experiments are not repeated unnecessarily. 
3. The inspectorate should include persons with veterinary 
experience and knowledge and all inspectors should have 
periodical veterinary courses. This would ensure that the most 
modern veterinary anaesthesia and surgery techniques are 
used. 
4. The Advisory Council should be an executive body who 
should give decisions to the inspectorate on all applications 
for experiments which are of unknown value. The Council 
should include at least three veterinary surgeons and two 
representatives of animal welfare societies. 
