City of Hope

Thank you for the story on suspension of funds to the City of Hope animal research center (Aug. 7). Few people want to think about vivisection, let alone deal with it.

One telling example of vivisection is its very popular hero/apostle, Claude Bernard, in 19th-Century France. He flunked his final medical exam, then delved into “research.” He was fascinated with the long-drawn-out torture of live animals. Many of his “experiments” are still done today, even though they have been proved worthless time after time. Former family pets are often used.

Bernard’s idea of “anesthesia” was curare, an arrow poison from South America that paralyzes the victim and makes it more sensitive to pain. He designed an oven which left the head of the victim outside while the body roasted inside until death. During WWII his disciples performed “experiments” on concentration camp prisoners. These are documented facts.

To this day these people fervently state that their intentions are noble and that they are humanitarians.

LAURA J. BARILLARO

Whittier