358 HUMANE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS USED IN RESEARCH 
Building and equipment : The three installations have been built in the last 
8 years. They provide a section for quarantine and a section for on-experi- 
ment study. Each provided for the careful handling of waste, either by a dirty 
and clean corridor or by closed containers that transported the soiled cages 
and returned clean cages by means of sanitized containers. Equivalent systems 
are used for sterilization and transportation of water bottles. Food differed ac- 
cording to the preference of the laboratory but in each case sanitary handling 
and freshness are assured. Bedding also differs but its sanitary quality is 
assured. 
Cages: There are as many varieties of cages as there are installations. One 
factor remained constant, however, the 8 square inches per mouse was main- 
tained which is the minimum standard arrived at by ILAR. Cages are cleaned 
once a week. This period between cleanings is figured by the ratio of the number 
of animals, the amount of bedding and the size of the cage. Also the number in 
each cage was determined by the safe number that can huddle in one corner 
(as they do for rest and comfort) without injury. 
Design of cages in quarantine: These are made of stainless steel or clear 
plastic. A good design is a stainless steel cage, with feed hopper close against 
the side of the cage on the inside. This makes it necessary for the keeper to 
lift the lid in order to feed the mice. It gives an opportunity for a full clear view 
of the interior for inspection purposes when the hopper is filled. This hopper 
is smaller than some others. The top of this cage is a series of round holes in 
a stainless steel surface giving a smooth surface on both sides for ease of 
cleaning. 
Another quarantine cage has two hoppers for food at opposite corners of the 
cage. It would be interesting to know if this better distribution of food adds 
to the health of the mice. 
Design of cages in the on-experiment section: Again there is a variety of 
materials used. The cages are smaller and each holds five or six mice accord- 
ing to size. In our estimation the best are the stainless steel cages with wire 
mesh tops allowing the animal the same measure of seclusion it has during its 
quarantine. This is an advantage since the animal must take on the additional 
stress of the experimental procedures. One tray of five cages is designed for 
easy cleaning and bedding disposal. Least satisfactory are a few cages used 
at one institution designed originally for nutrition studies. They were wire 
mesh on the front and bottom. 
Disease control and safety : In addition to standard cage cleaning methods 
all animal attendants are provided with clean uniforms. Facilities for shower- 
ing are installed but their use was not mandatory. Washing hands before 
touching animals is used as a precaution. 
Regular inspection and random tests are made on mice as a disease protection. 
In case of death from unknown origin necropsies are performed. If necessary 
the disease center is contacted. 
Weekend animal inspection is provided at the three places. Fire inspection 
is practiced at the three installations. 
PERSONNEL TRAINING AND SALARIES 
Training of caretakers in the two Washington installations is augmented by 
local teaching programs. Tuition is paid by one place to encourage attendance. 
In Birmingham there is no local training program so Southern Research Institute 
provides 1 for 6 months based on a manual. 
We were unable to get the figure for the average salary of caretakers on this* 
program and the average length of employment. We would think that good 
working conditions would make these figures better than the average on other 
programs. Perhaps a survey presently being conducted by ILAR will throw 
some light on this subject. 
PROCEDURES 
Mice are 5 to 6 weeks old when received from the breeder. One installation 
raised its own mice. 
Mice are put in quarantine immediately upon receipt after inspection, and 
detailed information is noted on a card which is affixed to each cage. 
Mice are quarantined for a period ranging between 7 days and 2 weeks in 
accordance with the strain. They are weighed periodically and put on experi- 
ment when the desired weight has been obtained. 
