Vivisection proposal argued : Day-Long Hearing Held by City Council

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Vivisection Proposal Argued
Day-Long Hearing Held by City Council
(Pictures on Pages 1 and 33.)
The city council wound up a day-long hearing on a proposed vivisection ordinance late Wednesday afternoon.
Councilman heard arguments from supporters of the proposal that animals are sorely needed for continuing research in the medical fight against disease.
And on the other side of the issue, they were told by anti-vivisectionists that passage of the legislation would submit stray animals to cruelty and mistreatment.
The hearing was adjourned after several speakers, who appeared earlier took the microphone a second time to answer questions by Councilmen Fred J. Cassibry and Victor H. Schiro.
The proposed ordinance, which is scheduled for final action1'/by the council Thursday, would provide that dogs not claimed by their owners and unwanted as pets by any other \ persons shall be made available for scientific studies in univer-1 sities, hospitals and other scientific institutions designated by the New Orleans board of health.
It would authorize the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to release live dogs for such studies under' restrictions to be imposed by the SPCA and only after they are unclaimed after a specified period of t;me.
CHAMBER PACKED-The council chamber was packed with spectators and persons, wanting to be heard either in opposition or in favor of the controversial proposal.
The hearing began shortly after 10 a. m., but all available seats were taken almost an hour earlier. Most of those appearing as supporters of the ordinance wore large tags bearing the word "For."
At the morning session the council allowed each side 45 minutes in which to present speakers. When the council resumed the hearing at 1:30 p. m., each side was given another half-hour and then 15 minutes for rebuttal.
During the hearing Council! President Glenn P. Clasen had to rap for order and threaten to eject some of the spectators when they attempted to heckle sneakers.
LED BY CAHILL
Dr.  Alton Ochsner said that
Proponents  of the  ordinance! most chest and abdominal op-
were led by Elwood F. Cahill, chairman of a citizens committee to obtain animals for medical research. He reviewed the provisions of the ordinance and introduced those who spoke in favor of the measure.
erations were made; possible u~ animal research and told tl: present that probably every one of them has benefited in some way from animal research. CALLED 'NECESSITY* Maj. Gen. Raymond Fleming,
He  asserted • that  under  the I  former adjutant general, termed ordinance  the  SPCA would be   the ordinance a, necessity.   ."If
given unprecedented power with respect to restrictions on the uses of the animals. He read a list of civic organizations and other groups supporting the measure as well as a letter from the Rev. Guy Le-Mieux, S.J., professor of philosophy at Loyola university, in which the priest said that the use of animals in medical research is aprpoved by Catholic moralists.
A leader for the opposition was J. Edward Salathe, who introduced many of the speakers opposing the ordinance and called upon ,the council to allow the SPCA to function as it has in past years.
DRe CREECH SPEAKS
The first person introduced by Cahill was Dr. Oscar Creech, a member of the Tulane university department of surgery, who stated that medical research is largely responsible for progress in the treatment of many diseases and that animals are essential to such research. Enough animals are not avail-
all communities in the United States prohibited the use of animals in research we would not
have the cures for diseases which have crippled or killed thousands,'* he asserted.
Another speaker in favor of the ordinance was Dr. H. S. Mayerson, professor of physiology at Tulane, who explained that a great deal of time, money and effort is expended trying to house the animals in the best possible way. "It is essential that we treat them as patients," he said. "We are not frivolous."
Others who voiced their approval of the measure at the morning session were Mrs. Paul W. Mcllhenny, Mrs. Mims Gage, Dr. Victor Halpern, professor of dentistry at Loyola university, Mrs. Louis Abram-son Jr., Howard Wilson, president of the Young Men's Business Club, and Dr. J.JD. Rives, a member of theilepartment of surgery at the Louisiana State university school of medicine. ' able in New Orleans,  he said.       ANTIBIOTICS RESEARCH
Dr. Creech and Dr. Edward Dr. Rives said that antibi-Hyman, also of the Tulane de- otics and other drugs have been partment of surgery, introduced  developed after research on ani-l
a 77-year-old man from Hahn vills who was the first person to be treated for cancer by a new technique which had been tested first on dogs, and four children who had undergone corrective surgery of types perfected through the use of animal research.
WANTS ASSURANCES The two doctors were followed • by Raymond Mix, chairman of the community services committee cf the Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, who told the council that his committee is in accord with the provisions of the ordinance, but only with the assurance that every care will be taken to prevent unnecessary suffering in the use of the animals.
Dr. James F. Redmond, superintendent of the Orleans parish school board, termed the ordinance "a good piece of legislation which provides checks and balances" and said that he was interested in its passage because of the relationship of this kind of research to school children.
mals and that "we believe it; is more important to save hu-j mans than animals." . First speaker to oppose the ordinance was John Morrill, president of the Louisiana SPCA, who pointed out that it was the second time that his organization has been called upon to state its position in the matter.
"The first time," he said, "Mr. Frank B. Hayne, who was president at that time state, 'The SPCA as a humane organization! dees not nor will it ever advocate or support any ordinance requiring it to deliver dogs or! animals for medical research.' H
Morrill said rthat up to the] present time the .organization has seen no reason for changing this viewpoint. "We feel that any change such as proposed by the present ordinance would violate the original and fundamental purpose of the society," he asserted.
POINTS TO SHELTER
Morrill said that the society has built a new $200,000 shelter so that unwanted pets may be placed for adoption or painlessly put to death. Morrill said 'hat it is possible that such a change as proposed in the ordinance "might eventually lead to a diminishing value of the Louisiana SPCA to the citizens of New Orleans."
W. A. Osborn, 3219 Jefferson ave., contended that "horrible procedures described as common practice in medical schools and laboratories cannot be labeled as propaganda. They are the published reports appearing in medical journals, and include for verification purposes the publication, date, page number and author.
He claimed that vivisection is not the issue in the controversy. He maintained that the only question is whether or not it is morally right and legally proper to permit or direct a humane society, particularly one supported to a large extent by public funds, to dispose of unwanted animals in a manner contrary to the best interest of the animal itself, the contribution to man's welfare and medical science being strictly a tangent issue presumably offered for its popular appeal.
'EMOTION' SCORED
Fred Meyers, executive director of the Humane Society of the United States, said that it was shocking that "men of science would call upon drama, window dressing and emotion which has no bearing on the ordinance." He referred to the in-;
jtroduction of the children and. the aged man by Dr. Creech and Dr. Hyman.
He made the charge that statements that animals used in research are treated humanely are "falsehoods," and alleged that some laboratory workers are now violating the state anti-cruelty statute.
Two years ago, he said, his society ; attempted to get facts as to how animals are treated during the experiments but were denied access to records by LSU. Investigators were placed in laboratories as workers and they sent in daily reports which he said repeatedly show that animals were used for abdominal and brain surgery and then put back in cages and given no care until they died.
"The ordinance is unworkable. No SPCA could fail to impose such restrictions as would be regarded as impossible by the laboratories involved," he asserted.