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Animal experiments and the British Homeopathic Journal
British Homeopathic Journal (2000) 89, 105 ß 2000 Macmillan Publishers Ltd All rights reserved 0007±0785/00 $15.00 www.nature.com/bhj
EDITORIAL
Animal experiments and the British Homeopathic Journal P Fisher1* 1
Editor, British Homeopathic Journal
The use of animals in experiments in homeopathy is controversial. Since I have been editor, the journal has, on a number of occasions, published experiments involving the use of animals. These have sometimes provoked protest, even to the extent, recently, of resignations from the Faculty of Homeopathy. Remarkably, during my 14 years as editor, there has not been a single Letter to the Editor on this topic, and objections have come to my attention by indirect routes. The policy of the British Homeopathic Journal for some years has been to publish experiments involving animals when: the importance of the scienti®c question and the lack of an alternative method justi®es it; and high standards of animal welfare have been observed. We have de®ned `high standards of animal welfare' as approximating to those permitted under British regulations, which are among the strictest in the world. The degree of importance of the scienti®c question, and how to judge it, is much more dif®cult. It frequently involves a subjective judgement since the importance may not be clear until further work has con®rmed the results and clari®ed their implications. This issue of the BHJ includes an article on1 the effects of Coffea on the sleeping EEGs of rats. An expert reviewer indicated that the animal welfare standards were high, and that such experiments would be permissible in the UK. Another expert
*Correspondence: British Homeopathic Journal, Faculty of Homeopathy, 15 Clerkenwell Close, London, EC1R 0AA, UK.
reviewer considered the scienti®c implications to be important. Nevertheless we initially rejected it, because of concerns about the use of animals. However, following discussions among the Editorial Committee and with the authors, and the authors' assurance that the rats made a full recovery, the decision was made to publish. At my request, the authors have included a section on animal welfare. We will require this in any future publications involving the use of animals. It is my impression that the majority of readers of the British Homeopathic Journal are content with a policy based on the importance of the research and animal welfare, as outlined above. However, some are strongly opposed to the use of animals in experiments on homeopathy. One thing is certain: we will not make progress on this contentious issue unless it is discussed. The Editorial Committee therefore welcomes the views of the readers of the British Homeopathic Journal, in the form of Letters to the Editor, or `For Debate . . . ' pieces.
References 1 Ruiz-Vega G, Perez-Ordaz L, Proa-Flores P, Aguilar-Diaz Y. Evaluation of the effect of Coffea cruda on rats. Br Hom J 2000; 89: 122 ± 126.
EDITORIAL
Animal experiments and the British Homeopathic Journal P Fisher1* 1
Editor, British Homeopathic Journal
The use of animals in experiments in homeopathy is controversial. Since I have been editor, the journal has, on a number of occasions, published experiments involving the use of animals. These have sometimes provoked protest, even to the extent, recently, of resignations from the Faculty of Homeopathy. Remarkably, during my 14 years as editor, there has not been a single Letter to the Editor on this topic, and objections have come to my attention by indirect routes. The policy of the British Homeopathic Journal for some years has been to publish experiments involving animals when: the importance of the scienti®c question and the lack of an alternative method justi®es it; and high standards of animal welfare have been observed. We have de®ned `high standards of animal welfare' as approximating to those permitted under British regulations, which are among the strictest in the world. The degree of importance of the scienti®c question, and how to judge it, is much more dif®cult. It frequently involves a subjective judgement since the importance may not be clear until further work has con®rmed the results and clari®ed their implications. This issue of the BHJ includes an article on1 the effects of Coffea on the sleeping EEGs of rats. An expert reviewer indicated that the animal welfare standards were high, and that such experiments would be permissible in the UK. Another expert
*Correspondence: British Homeopathic Journal, Faculty of Homeopathy, 15 Clerkenwell Close, London, EC1R 0AA, UK.
reviewer considered the scienti®c implications to be important. Nevertheless we initially rejected it, because of concerns about the use of animals. However, following discussions among the Editorial Committee and with the authors, and the authors' assurance that the rats made a full recovery, the decision was made to publish. At my request, the authors have included a section on animal welfare. We will require this in any future publications involving the use of animals. It is my impression that the majority of readers of the British Homeopathic Journal are content with a policy based on the importance of the research and animal welfare, as outlined above. However, some are strongly opposed to the use of animals in experiments on homeopathy. One thing is certain: we will not make progress on this contentious issue unless it is discussed. The Editorial Committee therefore welcomes the views of the readers of the British Homeopathic Journal, in the form of Letters to the Editor, or `For Debate . . . ' pieces.
References 1 Ruiz-Vega G, Perez-Ordaz L, Proa-Flores P, Aguilar-Diaz Y. Evaluation of the effect of Coffea cruda on rats. Br Hom J 2000; 89: 122 ± 126.