The article describes what vivisection is, when such operations were first performed, and why they are needed.
The science
The number of species that inhabit our planet is surprisingly diverse. Even ancient scientists were interested in how the organisms of animals and people are arranged. Due to limited knowledge and means, most of their research consisted in studying the structure of internal organs and their purposes. But even in our time, with all the abundance of scientific technology, we know far from everything about the structure of biological organisms. And one of the ways that helps to figure this out is vivisection. What kind of method is this, what kinds of methods are there, we will analyze in this article.
Definition
Vivisection is surgical operations that are performed on various animals in order to study the functions of their internal organs and the body as a whole. It is first mentioned in historical documents dating back to the 2nd century AD. It is also used when it is necessary to check the effect or consequence of the use of some new drugs. It is carried out, including for educational purposes, to demonstrate the structure of the prepared organisms to students of institutes and other specialized educational institutions. It is for this that vivisection exists. What are these methods, we now know. Similar experiments are carried out, by the way, in some schools, and most often the subject of research is an ordinary frog.
Concept distortion
Nowadays, this concept is often distorted by people far from science, calling any experiments on animals (including those carried out without surgical intervention in their body) as vivisection, which lead to a violation of health. For example, the toxicity test of cosmetics, new medicines, household chemicals, etc. - all this cannot be called the term “vivisection”. What is it and what is it for, we figured it out.
Public opinion
In a number of developed countries, social movements constantly appear that oppose the use of living things to test new drugs and treatment methods in general. As we already know, it is not entirely correct to call these experiments vivisection, nevertheless, this word over time has become practically synonymous with something cruel and inhuman.
This is a complex ethical issue, and it is definitely very difficult to relate to it. On the one hand, it is inhuman to use living beings, albeit unreasonable, for various experiments. But on the other hand, it is precisely such actions that allow us to advance science, invent new drugs, an antidote, and much more that saves people's lives. And yet, vivisection is an autopsy of the whole animal or a minor surgical intervention to study its body, usually under anesthesia, and not tests and experiments on animals. It is impossible to confuse these terms. What is vivisection, we now know.
Vivisection restriction
It is generally accepted that such animal protection movements have arisen recently, but this is not entirely true. The first such organization was founded back in 1883 in the United States. The reason for this was the animal protection law passed in England.
Initially, this movement advocated only the restriction of vivisection. However, after several years, his goal changed to a complete abolition and prohibition of such an action as vivisection. What is it, we now know.
And by the way, in France, Victor Hugo himself advocated the prohibition of such experiments.
If we talk about our country, then in 1977 a law was passed in the USSR, according to which it was forbidden to perform autopsy and any other surgical interventions with animal bodies without prior anesthesia.
Vivisection. How are insects
In 2012, a documentary scientific film was released on television that tells about the structure and life of insects. Using modern research methods and powerful microscopes, the film shows in detail the internal structure of insects, how their organs and other interesting facts act. It is designed for the widest audience and will be interesting even to those who had little interest in science.
Vivisection. Synonym
There are not so many synonyms for this word. The dictionaries give the following: live section, autopsy, operation on a living organism.
Experiments on people
Officially, the possibility of vivisection over people has never even been considered. However, such terrifying cases are still present in world history, all of them occur during the Second World War. Doctors in fascist Germany did this, using concentration camps as experimental prisoners. At the end of the war, most of these “doctors” appeared as defendants at the Nuremberg trials and received well-deserved punishment.
Also, doctors of the special unit "Detachment 731" of the Japanese imperial army conducted similar events. They were engaged in the development and methods of conducting bacteriological warfare. And the experimental “material” was also prisoners of war. Vivisection was performed both on healthy people and those who have already experienced bacteriological effects. In addition, Japanese scientists investigated the effects on people of extremely low and high temperatures. According to testimony, often no anesthesia was used.
Fortunately, in our time such experiments are prohibited by all countries. However, like a number of others, much more humane, but ambiguous from an ethical point of view.
So we examined the meaning of the word “vivisection”, what it is and why it is used.