animal experiments can mislead
researchers or even contribute to illnesses
or deaths by failing to predict the toxic
effects of drugs. Fortunately, other,
more reliable methods that represent a
far better investment of research funds
can be employed.The process of scientific discovery often
begins with unexpected observations
that force researchers to reconsider existing
theories and to conceive hypotheses
that better explain their findings.
Many of the apparent anomalies seen
in animal experiments, however, merely
reflect the unique biology of the species
being studied, the unnatural means by
which the disease was induced or the
stressful environment of the laboratory.
Such irregularities are irrelevant to human
pathology, and testing hypotheses
derived from these observations wastes
considerable time and money