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The History and Ethics of Vivisection

The History and Ethics of Vivisection. Rowan (1984)*.

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The History and Ethics of Vivisection

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  1. The History and Ethics of Vivisection

  2. Rowan (1984)* “It is just not adequate for scientists to argue that there is a quantum difference between the moral status of humans and other animals if they are unable to give reasons for such a belief and defend their reasons in the arena of modern philosophical debate.” * In “Of mice and men – a critical evaluation of Animal Research”

  3. Cave painting from Altamira- drawn up to 15,000 years ago

  4. Lascaux caves - drawn over 10,000years ago

  5. Mural from Egyptian tomb - painted c. 4000 years ago

  6. Galen of Pergamum (129-199) - first record of vivisection?

  7. Alcmaeon of Croton - C. 500 BC - brain, not heart the central organ of sense, optic nerve function Hippocrates - born in 460 BC. Observation and study of human body. Rational explanation for disease. Aristotle (c. 350 BC) - Man rational and therefore at head

  8. Romans - up to 5000 animals a day slaughtered in amphitheatres

  9. Virgil, Ovid, Cicero - great compassion for animals Plutarch, Seneca - man has a duty of kindness to humans and animals

  10. St. Francis - compassion for animals St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) - only humans are rational. Animals exist for human needs and have no moral status /soul

  11. 1348 - Bubonic plague Almost half of Europe’s population wiped out. Local, regional or pan- European outbreaks for next 200 years. Hunts - mass extinctions Animals for sport Bull baiting Cock fighting

  12. Renaissance - renewed interest in Science and Philosophy

  13. Witch trials - animals treated as rational beings - tried and sentenced, especially when suspected of being mediums for witches. Vatican - sparrows excommunicated

  14. Rene Descartes (1596-1650) Expanded on Christian humanist philosophy - the soul distinguishes the human from all other animals - 'beast machine' - unoiled cogs of robots

  15. William Harvey (1578-1657) Demonstrated blood circulation using vivisection (C. 1620) A significant increase in vivisection followed

  16. Samuel Johnson in The Idler (c.1770) "Among the inferior Professors of medical knowledge is a race of wretches, whose lives are varied only by varieties of cruelty; ............the truth is that by knives, fire and poison knowledge is not always sought and very seldom attained. .......and if knowledge of physiology has been somewhat increased, he surely buys knowledge dear who learns the use of the lacteals at the expense of his humanity."

  17. O'Meara (1655) "the miserable torture of vivisection surely places the body in an unnatural state". Robert Boyle, Robert Hooke Concern for welfare of their subjects but convinced that the costs were justified.

  18. Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) "The question is not - Can they reason? nor Can they talk ? but Can they suffer?"

  19. Bentham (cont.) • All humans worthy of equal and humane consideration • 'the day may come when the rest of animal creation may acquire those rights which never could have been withholden from them except by the hand of tyranny'

  20. 1790's - agitation for anti-cruelty laws. (butchers convicted after cutting off sheep's feet). 1822 - Martin's Act Offence to wantonly abuse, beat or ill-treat any animal the property of any other person or persons. 1835 - Joseph Pease - others property clause removed.

  21. Francois Magendie - 1820's - public lectures and demonstrations involving vivisection

  22. Marshall Hall (1830s) 5 guiding principles - basis of 1876 CAA

  23. Five guiding principles 1. Is the experiment necessary ? 2. Does it have the possibility of achieving the desired result? 3. Can the protocol be modified to reduce discomfort? 4. Has the experiment been done before? 5. Will the protocol produce valid results?

  24. 1824 - SPCA founded by Richard Martin 1835 - Royal patronage 1840 - RSPCA 1850's - anaesthesia. - RSPCA object to vivisection 1874 - Victoria objects to vivisection 1875 - Bill presented to Commons 1876 – Cruelty to Animals Act

  25. Frances Power-Cobbe (1822-1904) • Victoria Street Society for the Protection of Animals from Vivisection • Victoria Street Society for the Abolition of Vivisection after 1876 Act • 1898 - Founded the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection

  26. Tissue and organ transplants • Corneal transplants, 1800s. First human – 1906. • First work on organ transplants, 1912. • First kidney transplants, 1950s initially in dogs. • Heart surgery, 1940s initially in dogs. • Heart transplants, 1960s. Monkey to human 1964; human to human 1967. • Initial bone marrow transplants in mice, 1970s. • Replacement heart valves, 1970s.

  27. Corneal transplants – early 1900s • First successful transplants • Work on animals for many years • First human transplant in 1906

  28. 1920s Canine distemper vaccine Insulin for diabetics

  29. 1930s – 1940s • Broad spectrum antibiotics • Modern anaesthetics • Whooping cough and diphtheria vaccines

  30. 1940s Heart and lung machine for open heart surgery

  31. Kidney transplants • Work carried out initially in dogs • First human transplants in 1950s • Problems with rejection – many years of work with animals to understand and overcome.

  32. 1950s • Polio vaccine • Hip replacement surgery • Drugs for high blood pressure

  33. 1960s • Heart transplant operations – initially in dogs; monkey to human in 1964 and human to human in 1967. • 1965 - Genetic basis of tissue typing from work on animals. • Rubella vaccine

  34. 1970s Drugs for gastric ulcers Improved treatment for asthma

  35. Replacement heart valves • Replacement valve, usually from pigs, washed, denatured and tanned to render it biologically inert. • Developed after many years work in rabbits, Guinea pigs and rats.

  36. Coronary bypass surgery

  37. 1980s • Drugs to prevent transplant rejection • Drugs for viral diseases

  38. Medical milestones 1900sCorneal transplantsLocal anaesthetics1920sInsulin for diabeticsCanine distemper vaccine1930sModern anaestheticsDiphtheria vaccine1940sBroad spectrum antibiotics for infectionsWhooping cough vaccineHeart lung machine for open heart surgery

  39. Medical milestones 1950sKidney transplantsCardiac pacemakersReplacement heart valvesPolio vaccineDrugs for high blood pressureHip replacement surgery 1960sGerman measles vaccineCoronary bypass operationsHeart transplantsDrugs to treat mental illness

  40. Medical milestones 1970sDrugs to treat ulcers, asthma and leukaemiaImproved sutures and other surgical techniques 1980sDrugs to control transplant rejectionCAT scanning for improved diagnosisLife support systems for premature babiesDrugs to treat viral diseases

  41. Medical milestones 1990sFeline leukaemia vaccineMeningitis vaccineNew drugs for some cancersBetter drugs for depressionCombined drug therapy for HIV infection

  42. Ethics • The philosophical study of the moral value of human conduct and of the rules and principles that ought to govern it • Moral philosophy

  43. UTILITARIANISM • Consequentialist theory • The right action is the one which brings about the best aggregate consequences • Total benefits outweigh total suffering

  44. DEONTOLOGY (Rights view) • Value of animals not reducible to their utility relative to the interests of others • Certain beings have certain moral rights • The use of animals in research (or farming) is wrong because it violates the moral rights of the animals used.

  45. (1975) Animal Liberation - Peter Singer Proposed that moral consideration should transcend the species boundary to include all sentient animals. Called for reasoned intellectual debate

  46. Peter Singer 'If a being suffers, there can be no moral justification for refusing to take that suffering into consideration. No matter what the nature of the being, the principle of equality requires that its suffering be counted equally with the like suffering of any other being.'

  47. Inherent value - Tom Regan 'Animals, it is true, lack many of the abilities humans possess. They can't read, do higher maths, build a bookcase or make baba ghanoush. Neither can many humans, and yet we don't (and shouldn't) say that they therefore have less inherent value, less of a right to be treated with respect, than do others.'

  48. Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965) Ethics must widen the circle from the narrowest limits of the family, first to include the clan, then the tribe, then the nation and finally all mankind.' ........'By reason of the quite universal idea of participation in a common nature, it is compelled to declare the unity of mankind with all created beings.'

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