Experiments on living Animals

1. The cruelty to Animal Act 1876 imposes restrictions which apply to any experiment calculated to inflict pain upon a living vertebrate animal.

2. No experiment may be carried out under the Act except with a view either to the advancement by new discovery of physiological knowledge or of knowledge which will be useful for saving or prolonging life or alleviating suffering.
Or with a view to the acquisition of such knowledge by person attending lectures in medical school, hospitals, colleges or elsewhere. In this connection the word ‘physiological’ is interpreted as having its original connotation of the whole filed of animal biology. Experiments in illustration of lectures are allowed only on a certificate being given (as described below) that the proposed experiments are necessary for the due instruction of the persons attending the lectures.

3. Any person who performs an experiment must hold a license form the Minister for Health, who may attach to the license any conditions that she/he may think expedient for the purpose of better carrying into effect the objects of the Act, but which are not in consisted with the provisions.

4. A standard condition requires that the experiments must be performed at a registered place approved by the Minister. This condition is imposed in all cases, except that certain circumstances render; it impossible to perform the experiments at a registered place, e.g. in the investigation of out brakes of disease occurring in remote districts. Registered places are visited by inspectors from time to time for the purpose of securing compliance with the Act.

5. In experiments performed under License alone, the animal must during the whole of the experiment be under the influence of some anaesthetic of sufficient power to prevent it feeling pain from the experimental procedure. If pain is likely to continue after the affect of the anesthetic has ceased, or if any serious injury has been inflicted, the animals must be killed before it recovers from the influence of the anaesthetic.

6. Where these restrictions would necessarily frustrate the object of the experiment, the Act provides that they may be relaxed at the discretion of the Minister; by virtue of one or more certificates. To that effect given by two of the signatories (page 7 of the animal licence application form), these certificates may be disallowed suspended by the Minister and she/he may attach to them any condition she/he may think necessary.

7. Where the Minister considers that the licencee is not sufficiently well qualified, or experienced, to be safely entrusted with the singe-handed conduct of this proposed experiment (s), she/he imposes a condition requiring that all of the experiment (s) shall be carried out under supervision, direct of immediate, or general, as the circumstance may demand, of some specified person approved by them.

Licensees are required to keep a written record of their experiment (s). Sending the Minister each year a “return” of the number and nature of the experiments (s) performed during the year, from time to time other reports may be requested.