Sir, - In his useful piece on animal rights (February 28th) Dr Reville asks the question: "When can we justifiably inflict pain on animals"? However, in relation to laboratory animals, he does not attempt an answer to his question. He merely tells us that animal-based research has benefited humanity and that, therefore, "most people" would support it. (How does he know this?)
The fact that an activity may benefit humanity does not of itself justify that activity. If, for example, humans were used without their consent in laboratory procedures harmful to themselves but which might ultimately bring benefit to humanity, it would be considered unethical.
Animals cannot give their consent to being used in laboratories, and it is safe to assume that if they could, they wouldn't. If it would be wrong to use humans incapable of giving meaningful consent, such as severely brain-damaged persons (who would not be mentally superior to many laboratory animals and, like them, would be unable to object) then it is also wrong to use animals, which, for purposes of this discussion, are in the same category.
The only animals that can justifiably be used in laboratory experiments are humans of normal intelligence who have given their informed consent. If the conditions are as "optimal" (which the IAVS has reason to question) and the "experimental manipulation" as painless as Dr Reville would have us believe, why aren't there plenty of human volunteers, who could have paid leave of absence from their jobs while being experimented upon?
A strong ethical case against vivisection was made in The Irish Times last year (December 16th). Dr Reville has not answered it, and the silence of the vivisectors has so far been deafening, perhaps eloquent. If they remain silent, or cannot present a coherent case, there is strong reason for the Minister for Health to suspend the issuing of further licences for animal experiments pending the outcome of a serious debate on the issue. - Yours, etc., Ruarc Gahan,
Irish Anti-Vivisection Society, Greystones, Co Wicklow.