A History of the Development of Alternatives to Animals in Research and Testing

Distinguished medical historian Dr. John Parascandola offers an engaging, thought-provoking, and well-researched account of the growth of animal experimentation and the parallel rise of the animal protection movement in the United States and Great Britain during the 19^th and 20^th centuries. From the outset, he explains that “one of the major themes of the book is the crucial role played by the animal protection movement in promoting alternatives,” which he defines as methods that reduce the suffering of animals used in research. 

Not surprisingly, AWI founder Christine Stevens and her father, Dr. Robert Gesell—both pioneers in the compassionate treatment of animals used in experimental laboratories—are heavily featured in the book. Parascandola charts the rise of live animal experimentation during the 1800s, leading to increased public concern about their suffering. This ultimately gave birth to the antivivisection movement, which called for the total abolition of animal experimentation, and later to the formation of animal welfare groups such as AWI that pushed for reforms to the system to reduce animal suffering. During this period, organizations opposed to increased protections for animals in research also developed—most notably the National Society for Medical Research (which later merged with another group to become the powerful National Association for Biomedical Research). 

Parascandola discusses Russell and Burch’s development of the landmark 3Rs framework (i.e., replacement, reduction, and refinement) and its reception by the scientific and advocacy community, which was surprisingly lukewarm at first. He also describes the herculean efforts of Christine Stevens and other animal welfare advocates in the 1960s to challenge unregulated and painful animal research methods, including pushing for passage of the 1966 Laboratory Animal Welfare Act, which would evolve into the Animal Welfare Act. The author mentions that Stevens used her influence to effectively kill a follow-up bill that seemingly would have increased research oversight but does not explain why she did so. (In reality, Stevens felt that the proposed enforcement body—the agency in charge of funding much animal research—would have been like the proverbial fox guarding the henhouse.)

The book concludes in the 1980s, by which time, according to Parascandola, the concept of research alternatives had become firmly established; an epilogue describes more recent advancements. For those currently working in the animal protection movement, Parascandola’s chronology of the last 75 years of disputes between animal advocates and the research industry may ring familiar.

Author: John Parascandola

Publisher: Purdue University Press

No. Pages: 194

Program Terms: Animals in Laboratories

AWI Quarterly Terms: Review