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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Before there were standards: the role of test animals in the production of empirical generality in physiology.

After 1900, the selective breeding of a few standard animals for research in the life sciences changed the way science was done. Among the pervasive changes was a transformation in scientists' assumptions about relationship between diversity and generality. Examination of the contents of two prominent physiology journals between 1885 and 1900, reveals that scientists used a diverse array of organisms in empirical research. Experimental physiologists gave many reasons for the choice of test animals, some practical and others truly comparative. But, despite strong philosophical differences in the approaches they represented, the view that it was best to incorporate as many species as possible into research on physiological processes was widespread in both periodicals. Authors aimed for generality, but they treated it as a conclusion that would or would not follow from the examination of many species. After 1900, an increasing emphasis on standardization, the growth of the experimental method and the growing industrialization of the life sciences led to a decline in the number of species used in research. In this context, the selective breeding of animals for science facilitated a change in assumptions about the relationship between generality and diversity. As animals were increasingly viewed as things that were assumed to be fundamentally similar, scientific generality became an a priori assumption rather than an empirical conclusion.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

The altered rationale for the choice of a standard animal in experimental psychology: Henry H. Donaldson, Adolf Meyer, and "the" albino rat.

The mid 20th-century dominance of albino rats in nonhuman experimental psychology research often presumed that the animal embodied fundamental psychological processes that could generalize to a wide range of vertebrates. The author describes the conceptual basis for the original choice of white rats by the 2 individuals most responsible for establishing rats as a prominent animal model in the life sciences at the turn of the century: Henry H. Donaldson and Adolf Meyer. The author stresses the comparative rationale that justified their choice and argues that they sought generality through attention to diversity and species differences. Their approach contrasts sharply with the later view of the rat as a generic animal model that could represent similarities shared by all vertebrates. It is suggested that the change resulted from an emphasis on standardization produced by the growing industrialization of the life sciences in America.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Twenty-five years of progress in laboratory animal science.

During the past 25 years tremendous improvements have been made in the field of laboratory animal science. Refinements in genetic and microbial quality assurance and animal housing coupled with the development of professional expertise has contributed to enhanced animal well-being and a reduction in the variability of data collected from research animals. These advances occurred concomitant with an increased public awareness of research animal use. In 1967 Laboratory Animals Ltd. published the first issue of Laboratory Animals. In celebration of its Silver Jubilee, I will briefly highlight some of the changes which occurred in the field of laboratory animal science since 1967 and some of the medical advances which depended on animal-based research.

Animal Diseases↗
PubMed2000

[The use of laboratory animals or alternatives in fundamental research].

The use of animals in fundamental and applied research has become a point of controversy. Animals were first used for food or as pets and a historical overview is given. Research was applied or empirical. Fundamental research only developed in the 18th century, without much consideration for animal welfare. It is concluded that even now the use of animals for research remains necessary. However, one should also use alternative methods as often as possible, taking into consideration the three R's: reduction, refinement and replacement. We would like to add the use of comparative research in order to look for animal models in lower vertebrates.

Animal Testing Alternatives↗