Letters to the Editor

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dear Sir: The recent paper by Cadierine Roberts entitled "The Use of Animals in Medical Research—Some Ethical Considerations," published in perspectives ?? biology and medicine, is ofconcern to me not only because ofher adverse criticism ofour study of pain perception in monkeys reported several years ago, but of more importance, die implication ofher concepts "diat it is a virtue to endure suffering" and diat "our scientific age needs not so much to extend its intellectual frontiers as to become aware of man's ultimate goal: to become more human." Our studywas carried out for die express purposeofdevising areproduciblemediodforthestudyofpainperceptionindiemonkey. What Cadierine Roberts omits, when quoting from our report, is diat die experimental design was such that the monkey quickly learned to control die stimulus and by die simple device of pushing a lever could keep die intensity eidier at zero or some very low level. It is by means ofsuch operant control techniques using aversive stimuli diat die field ofexperimental psychology has made significant advances in pharmacological and behavioral studies. The explicit motivation for our study was diat it is not a virtue for man to endure pain that is due to disease and diat the use ofanimals for experimental purposes is die only foreseeable way knowledge ofdie mechanisms underlying pain perception can be discovered. It was motivated by die repeated frustration of die audiors as practicing physicians trying to aid their fellow human beings desperately asking for help to alleviate dieir pain. It was motivated by die rejection of die philosophy which would tell such a fellow human diat his life involves "a spiritual development requiring die experience of suffering so diat we can exhibit die courage which is a part of our unique humanness" while he suffers from die chronic unremitting pain ofan invasive cancer, or from die intermittent excruciating pain of trigeminal neuralgia, or has die severe constant burning pain over halfdie body surface resulting from a stroke. It would indeed be a tragedy for men ifsociety, eidier by die force oflegislation or by die more subtle pressure offanatical groups, prevented die further extension ofour understanding and control ofdie mechanisms ofpain ofdie sick by restricting die use ofanimals for research in diis area. Indeed, die strong empadiy we feel toward an animal suffering pain only emphasizes die powerful biologic significance which pain and suffering have in our short and long term actions. It clearly indicates die importance ofdiis area for further investigation. The proper care, housing, and feeding ofanimals used for research purposes is ofcourse very important, but die extension ofdiese considerations 266 Letters to the Editor Perspectives in Biology and Medicine · Winter 196$ leading to an interdiction ofresearch efforts in an area so biologically significant as pain and suffering is unthinkable. The meaning of die phrases, repeated diroughout Cadierine Roberts' article, diat the ultimate goal of man is to "become more human" and to have "increased humanness ," in contradistinction to achieving more knowledge, is never clarified. These phrases have an abstract, mystical ring to them as if to imply diat diere is a known ultimate truth about die nature and future of"man" which has not been revealed as yet to scientists ; and diat part ofthis "unique humanness" is the requirement to suffer pain. I believe on die contrary diat die potential of die human mind will develop when society is looked upon as a group of individuals each with the opportunity to develop his own intelligence and wisdom in all areas ofhuman endeavor but respecting and encouraging each odier's right to do likewise. One of die major contributions of die sciences is to eliminate crippling hunger and poverty and to reduce die incidence as well as die pain and fear ofdisease. Elliot D. Wbtzman, M.D. Albert Einstein College of Medicine Yeshiva University New York, N.Y. 10061 Dear Sm: In a recent article in diis journal titled "The Use of Animals in Medical Research— Some Educai Considerations," die author presented a thesis that I believe should be called into question. The diesis was: That present progress in biological and medical research is often dependent upon means which are retarding die realization of human potentialities and thereby doing mankind more harm...