I had to sacrifice my first mouse
I had to sacrifice my first mouse, well, first 8 mice. Their mom was not suppose to get pregnant but I didn't separate the mom and dad in time (it's not really my fault, because I didn't learn how to tell male and female mouse apart until a few days later). The litter of mice didn't carry the necessary gene that we want. So very sadly, I had to put them to sleep today. I couldn't watch when I turned on the carbon dioxide :( It takes about 4-5 min for younger mice to die, since they have higher fetal hemogloben count, that makes them harder to kill. I think I will go to buddah temple this weekend, I feel really bad. But I guess they died with purpose, it's in the name of science...
posted by Carol @ 11:10 PM
3 Comments:
Jim,
If you read and understood Carol's post, you'll see that she's taking full responsibility for her actions, not, as you put it, 'hiding behind some ludicrous notion that gassing surplus mice is done "in the name of science"'. Obviously her even talking about it on this open-to-the-world blog is a showing of responsbility. Nevertheless, she went further in her post in taking responsibilty; for you to suggest that she doesn't have the 'good grace' to accept this responsibilty is insulting (and ludicrous).
Obviously no rational person likes to see anything killed, but when it comes to scientific research, as in most things, not eveything goes according to plan. While mice were killed, they are part of a bigger picture, and that in itself makes them meaningful. Who is to say that the other 30 or 40 that are alive won't eventually lead to a cure or treatment for some type of cancer, as has happened repeatedly in medicine (for example Gleevec for CML and Tamoxifen for breast cancer, just to name two). When me, my family member, or my friend develops a cancer that is treatable due to the research Carol is doing on the surviving mice, you better believe I will be thankful for all of the work she has done "in the name of science." -Andy
and i am sure people dont come into such tedious and diligent field of scientific research just so that "one can kill animals" and "hide behind" any ludicrous propaganda.
these mice were engineered to be experimented; therefore, any part of their existence had meaning. i am not trying to belittle the living life-- but if one designs a a car and any part of the engineering and materials/methods dont work-- the procedure will be invalid and rethought.
carol, i understand how/why you feel bad for the micies. it is easier said than done- you shouldn't let them affect you because you were not doing something without a purpose. :)
Thanks to Andy and Chrisitne for leaving comments, you guys know me so well and explain what I mean in my post a lot better than I can. I sincerely believe that the mice I kill are part of the cancer scientific research and that they did not die in vein. We cannot engineer research animals with 100% accuracy due to the complexity of genetics. Thus, some animals will not be needed, but I don't think that will diminish their roles in science.
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