By R. DOROTHY SUNDBERG, PH.D., AND RUTH E. HODGSON, M.S. I NTEREST in obtaining specimens of bone marrow comparable to those aspirated from the human sternum, ilium, or spinous process caused us to devise a technic which we feel is both simple and reliable. Many similar technics have been described, but most of them have not attained wide usage because they have required minor surgical operatio...

there is documented evidence that infection in laboratory animals can often influence the outcome of experiments. all infections, apparent or inapparent, are likely to increase biological variability. as a research project concerning the diversity and distribution of parasites of rabbit and guinea pig in a conventional laboratory animal house, about 87 rabbits (from 700 ) and 105 guinea pigs (f...

Much progress of relevance to the union of mammalian gametes in laboratory conditions has been reported during the last half century. Early in this interval, it was realized that spermatozoa must undergo the process of capacitation and that conditions for gamete union must, at least crudely, resemble those found at the normal site of fertilization, i.e., within the oviduct. Today it is possible...

In an effort to minimize the risks for scientists exposure to the infectious environment and avoiding infectious incident, high-level bio-safety laboratories are designed and constructed to improve experimental safety by preventing laboratory infectious waste causing harm to people or the environment. The possibility of high-risk pathogens spread to the public environment with flow of people an...

I. Method of obtasning blood. The universal method of obtaining blood from the rat is by snipping off the tip of the tail, preferably with a razor blade. This method gives valid results only under certain circumstances, for by repeated bleeding from the tail, there results, from trauma, a high grade inflammatory reaction with hyperleukocytosis (Klieneberger and Carl281). Repeated withdrawals of...

Consistency is the hallmark of a coherent ethical philosophy. When considering the morality of particular behaviour, one should look to identify comparable situations and test one's approach to the former against one's approach to the latter. The obvious comparator for animal experiments is non-consensual experiments on people. In both cases, suffering and perhaps death is knowingly caused to t...

The currently available methods of assessing testicular toxicity and fertility are discussed. Compounds inducing testicular atrophy mainly affect the seminiferous epithelium, with progressive loss of spermatozoa, spermatids, spermatocytes, and spermatogonia. Quantitative histometric analysis of spermatogenesis, together with hormone assays, could be used to advantage in defining the underlying ...

There is a trend in the feeding habits of biologists-that is, in the way they feed their animals, not themselves-going back some 20 or 30 years. It starts with the homely methods of pet-keeping: for mice, bread soaked in milk with a handful of oats and an occasional lettuce or dandelion leaf; through the preparation of sticky mashes of various kinds, with or without supplements; the offering of...

As biological research is increasingly concerned with the description of the reactions and adjustments of individuals to the more subtle environmental changes and chronic rather than acute states, there is a growing demand for healthy animals of known lineage-and the necessity for their maintenance under experimental circumstances in normal condition; a demand that arises at a time when a large...