In reference to your Nov. 15, 1993, article "Animal Rights Movement Threatens Progress Of U.S. Medical Research" (D. Hubel, page 11): I take issue with the statement that "The use of animals in research is closely regulated by local, state, and federal committees...." This is not a fact. The Animal Welfare Act is seldom enforced and at best only when forced by the animal rights movement.
Anesthesia and analgesia are not the rule; in fact, in most forms of research they are the exception. If the experimenter chooses not to use painkillers, they are not required. Most experimenters choose not to use the anesthesia and analgesia to cut expenses.
Hubel states: "A student in a few hours at the library can come up with a long list of medical successes resulting from animal research ...." A student in a few hours at the library can come up with just as...
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