English 112 April 2, 1999 Page 1 Cosmetic Testing on Animals When most people
go to the store to purchase cosmetics and household cleaners they usually don’t
put too much thought into it.
Most people do not realize that 14 million animals die and suffer each year
for these products that are almost meaningless to humans. (Shah, abstract)
Cosmetic animal testing is a very big problem that gets greatly overlooked. It
is a problem that has lasted for centuries.
As a matter of fact, according to the All for Animals Newsletter, animal
testing on cosmetics goes way back to the seventeenth century when animals were
believed to feel no pain. After it was proven that they could feel pain the
testing stopped for a while. However, it began again in 1933 when a woman died
from a mascara.
After that incident the Food and Drug Administration passed an act for animal
testing on cosmetics.(Issue 1) However, that act is no longer in effect, but
companies continue to test on animals.
There are several different types of tests used on animals each day. The two
most common ones are the Draize Test and the LD50. The Draize test is an eye
test named after a man by the name of John Draize. This test involves dropping a
substance into an animal’s eye and watching the results.
(All for Animals Newsletter, Issue 1) This test is usually preformed on
albino rabbits, and it is done by clipping their eyes back. The painful results
of this test include swelling of the eyelids, inflammation of the iris,
ulceration, bleeding, blindness, and death resulting from broken necks.(the
animal breaks their neck in an attempt to get free).
The LD50 or Lethal Dose 50 is preformed by force-feeding a substance to a
group of animals until fifty percent of them dies. Substances may also be pumped
into the animals stomach, injected under the skin, into a vein, or into the
lining of the abdomen. This test, as well as the Draize test, is preformed
without administering no kind of painkillers.(Shah, abstract) Many health
professionals agree that these tests are crude and imprecise. (Shah, abstract)
However, many scientist agree that these tests are vital in obtaining scientific
test results that are reliable and accurate.
