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Vivisection

Vivisection


Many people today, including scientists and doctors, are questioning the
suffering and killing of animals for the sake of human beings. Is it morally
correct to dissect a frog or a worm for the purpose of educating a high school
student? On the other hand, must "We study life to protect life" (1:131) The
issue of killing animals for the use of biomedical research, education, and
cosmetics can be referred as "vivisection". Twenty-five to thirty-five million
animals are spared in the U.S.A. each year for the purpose of research, testing,
and education. Although vivisection serves as an important tool for scientists
and doctors to work in research and may benefit humans, the harms indeed
outweigh the benefits.
Animal experimentation was not common until the early nineteenth century
and emerged as an important method of science. The first recorded action of
vivisection was the study of body humors by Erasistratus in Alexandria during
the third century (1:3). Later, in A.D. 129-200, the physician, Galen, used five
pigs to investigate the effects of several nerves (1:4). He is considered to be
the founder of experimental physiology. During the Renaissance Era, Andreas
Vesalius conducted experiments on monkeys, swine, and goats (1:3). By the late
eighteenth century, the methods of scientific discovery were changer to
experimentation of live animals by two French physiologists, Claude Bernard and
Francious Magnedie. They revolutionized methods of scientific discovery by
establishing live animal as common practice (1:4). Claude Bernard believed that
in order for medicine to progress, there must be experimental research, and
affirmed that "vivisection is indispensable for physical research". This is when
the anti-vivisection movement was established ("vivisection").
There are different views as to why or why not there should be animal
experimentation. For example, Descartes believed that animals are incapable of
feeling pain. He said "The greatest of all...