Comments on: Laboratory guillotines — rules and procedures for the use of commercial small animal euthanasia machines http://www.corporeality.net/museion/2009/07/09/laboratory-guillotines-rules-and-procedures-for-the-use-of-commercial-small-animal-euthanasia-machines/ Medical Museion Thu, 29 Dec 2011 20:58:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Amy http://www.corporeality.net/museion/2009/07/09/laboratory-guillotines-rules-and-procedures-for-the-use-of-commercial-small-animal-euthanasia-machines/comment-page-1/#comment-247356 Amy Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:56:43 +0000 http://www.corporeality.net/museion/2009/07/09/laboratory-guillotines-rules-and-procedures-for-the-use-of-commercial-small-animal-euthanasia-machines/#comment-247356 I'm in graduate school in the United States, and many of the laboratories here use the rat guillotines to "dispense" of the animals. For biomedical research, we often collect blood and tissue samples, so this is the easiest way to do it. It is also the least stressful way to collect blood when measuring stress hormones, so the levels aren't artifically inflated due to stressful collection procedures (such as tail vein blood draw). I’m in graduate school in the United States, and many of the laboratories here use the rat guillotines to “dispense” of the animals. For biomedical research, we often collect blood and tissue samples, so this is the easiest way to do it. It is also the least stressful way to collect blood when measuring stress hormones, so the levels aren’t artifically inflated due to stressful collection procedures (such as tail vein blood draw).

]]> By: KC http://www.corporeality.net/museion/2009/07/09/laboratory-guillotines-rules-and-procedures-for-the-use-of-commercial-small-animal-euthanasia-machines/comment-page-1/#comment-247353 KC Fri, 17 Jul 2009 04:59:59 +0000 http://www.corporeality.net/museion/2009/07/09/laboratory-guillotines-rules-and-procedures-for-the-use-of-commercial-small-animal-euthanasia-machines/#comment-247353 Guillotines like these are commonplace in all behavioral neuroscience / biological psychology / etc. labs. When a research project involves the study of brain tissue, well, you have to get the brain out of the head somehow. Step 1: decapitate, step 2: remove brain. In the United States, the acceptable procedures for killing laboratory animals (whether at commercial labs like pharmaceuticals or at universities) are laid out by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine. This body oversees animal facilities across the country, and failure to adhere to their guidelines can lead to shutdown of all animal work at that organization. These guidelines are readily available (see http://www.ahc.umn.edu/rar/euthanasia.html#Methods - this page comes from the University of Minnesota, but all universities at which animal research is performed follow the same guidelines), and the ACLAM even lets researchers know of the potential side effects of each type of euthanasia that might affect the outcome of the research being done (http://www.aclam.org/print/report_rodent_euth.pdf). On the surface, this can all seem very gruesome. But really the point of it is to ensure that animals used in research are treated as humanely as possible (the head trauma a previous poster mentioned is definitely NOT humane and not accepted). There are at least two reasons for this. Animal research is an ethical conundrum for everyone involved, and proper treatment of the animals is a sign of respect for the animals used and an acknowledgement by the researcher of their ethical responsibilities. Second, inhumane treatment of animals can only lead to spurious research results, which would defeat the purpose of the research altogether. Yes, this is the dark side of biomedical research, the proverbial elephant sitting in the corner of the room. Every year, millions of laboratory animals are killed in the name of science, and every second of every day, humans (even those who protest against animal research) benefit from the results. KC (I suppose I should mention that I\'ve worked in animal labs for over 10 years, that I have personally killed over a thousand rats and hundreds of mice, and that doing so still makes me uncomfortable. The minute I\'m OK with killing the animals is the minute I stop doing it.) Guillotines like these are commonplace in all behavioral neuroscience / biological psychology / etc. labs. When a research project involves the study of brain tissue, well, you have to get the brain out of the head somehow. Step 1: decapitate, step 2: remove brain.

In the United States, the acceptable procedures for killing laboratory animals (whether at commercial labs like pharmaceuticals or at universities) are laid out by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine. This body oversees animal facilities across the country, and failure to adhere to their guidelines can lead to shutdown of all animal work at that organization. These guidelines are readily available (see http://www.ahc.umn.edu/rar/euthanasia.html#Methods – this page comes from the University of Minnesota, but all universities at which animal research is performed follow the same guidelines), and the ACLAM even lets researchers know of the potential side effects of each type of euthanasia that might affect the outcome of the research being done (http://www.aclam.org/print/report_rodent_euth.pdf).

On the surface, this can all seem very gruesome. But really the point of it is to ensure that animals used in research are treated as humanely as possible (the head trauma a previous poster mentioned is definitely NOT humane and not accepted). There are at least two reasons for this. Animal research is an ethical conundrum for everyone involved, and proper treatment of the animals is a sign of respect for the animals used and an acknowledgement by the researcher of their ethical responsibilities. Second, inhumane treatment of animals can only lead to spurious research results, which would defeat the purpose of the research altogether.

Yes, this is the dark side of biomedical research, the proverbial elephant sitting in the corner of the room. Every year, millions of laboratory animals are killed in the name of science, and every second of every day, humans (even those who protest against animal research) benefit from the results.

KC

(I suppose I should mention that I\’ve worked in animal labs for over 10 years, that I have personally killed over a thousand rats and hundreds of mice, and that doing so still makes me uncomfortable. The minute I\’m OK with killing the animals is the minute I stop doing it.)

]]> By: Thomas http://www.corporeality.net/museion/2009/07/09/laboratory-guillotines-rules-and-procedures-for-the-use-of-commercial-small-animal-euthanasia-machines/comment-page-1/#comment-247311 Thomas Sat, 11 Jul 2009 16:53:49 +0000 http://www.corporeality.net/museion/2009/07/09/laboratory-guillotines-rules-and-procedures-for-the-use-of-commercial-small-animal-euthanasia-machines/#comment-247311 Good point, Morten! This is a much more likely inspiration than a paper cutting machine. I wonder, though, if the bread-cutting machine exists in countries where people use to eat white bread, like the French baguette? I've googled "table top bread slicer", "table bread cutting machines", etc. and can only find big instruments for bakeries, restaurants etc. Maybe the handy little table top bread-cutter, which I first encountered when I moved to Denmark in the 1970s, is a Danish (and/or German) invention? Good point, Morten! This is a much more likely inspiration than a paper cutting machine. I wonder, though, if the bread-cutting machine exists in countries where people use to eat white bread, like the French baguette? I’ve googled “table top bread slicer”, “table bread cutting machines”, etc. and can only find big instruments for bakeries, restaurants etc. Maybe the handy little table top bread-cutter, which I first encountered when I moved to Denmark in the 1970s, is a Danish (and/or German) invention?

]]> By: Morten http://www.corporeality.net/museion/2009/07/09/laboratory-guillotines-rules-and-procedures-for-the-use-of-commercial-small-animal-euthanasia-machines/comment-page-1/#comment-247310 Morten Sat, 11 Jul 2009 14:46:38 +0000 http://www.corporeality.net/museion/2009/07/09/laboratory-guillotines-rules-and-procedures-for-the-use-of-commercial-small-animal-euthanasia-machines/#comment-247310 Another possibility than a converted paper guillotine is a converted bread-cutting machine. They have a similar design to the paper guillotine but also have a kind of 'container' for the bread. See for an example http://www.dr.dk/DR1/Genbrugsguld/Guldet/2006/0207082740.htm Considering how many other food-processing-like machines you can find in a laboratory (knives, containers, freezers etc.), it may be a likely origin. Another possibility than a converted paper guillotine is a converted bread-cutting machine. They have a similar design to the paper guillotine but also have a kind of ‘container’ for the bread. See for an example

http://www.dr.dk/DR1/Genbrugsguld/Guldet/2006/0207082740.htm

Considering how many other food-processing-like machines you can find in a laboratory (knives, containers, freezers etc.), it may be a likely origin.

]]> By: Thomas http://www.corporeality.net/museion/2009/07/09/laboratory-guillotines-rules-and-procedures-for-the-use-of-commercial-small-animal-euthanasia-machines/comment-page-1/#comment-247293 Thomas Fri, 10 Jul 2009 07:35:22 +0000 http://www.corporeality.net/museion/2009/07/09/laboratory-guillotines-rules-and-procedures-for-the-use-of-commercial-small-animal-euthanasia-machines/#comment-247293 Bob Lipnick adds on the rete-list that he "briefly used one of these guillotines as a graduate student in biochemistry in 1963" but that he "found this [so] unpleasant that I decided to stay in chemistry". Steven Turner, curator at the National Museum for American History, tells (also on the rete list) that <blockquote>the Smithsonian’s Biological Sciences collection acquired a “rat guillotine” about 3 or 4 years ago. It came from the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) labs, which were being reworked after 9/11 to address biological terrorism. I don’t have a photo handy, but I do recall that the bottom half of the instrument had been painted red – for fairly obvious reasons. </blockquote> Bob Lipnick adds on the rete-list that he “briefly used one of these guillotines as a graduate student in biochemistry in 1963″ but that he “found this [so] unpleasant that I decided to stay in chemistry”.

Steven Turner, curator at the National Museum for American History, tells (also on the rete list) that

the Smithsonian’s Biological Sciences collection acquired a “rat guillotine” about 3 or 4 years ago. It came from the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) labs, which were being reworked after 9/11 to address biological terrorism. I don’t have a photo handy, but I do recall that the bottom half of the instrument had been painted red – for fairly obvious reasons. 

]]> By: Thomas http://www.corporeality.net/museion/2009/07/09/laboratory-guillotines-rules-and-procedures-for-the-use-of-commercial-small-animal-euthanasia-machines/comment-page-1/#comment-247281 Thomas Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:59:16 +0000 http://www.corporeality.net/museion/2009/07/09/laboratory-guillotines-rules-and-procedures-for-the-use-of-commercial-small-animal-euthanasia-machines/#comment-247281 That Kent Scientific's guillotine is pricey! And it doesn't even have a constrainer tube. I would rather call that a postdoc thumb chopper! That Kent Scientific’s guillotine is pricey! And it doesn’t even have a constrainer tube. I would rather call that a postdoc thumb chopper!

]]> By: Thomas http://www.corporeality.net/museion/2009/07/09/laboratory-guillotines-rules-and-procedures-for-the-use-of-commercial-small-animal-euthanasia-machines/comment-page-1/#comment-247280 Thomas Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:55:52 +0000 http://www.corporeality.net/museion/2009/07/09/laboratory-guillotines-rules-and-procedures-for-the-use-of-commercial-small-animal-euthanasia-machines/#comment-247280 A paper guillotine is difficult to use on a rat's neck -- but it could in principle be the origin of the instrument. Anyway, when I was a biochem student we used to swing the rat by the tail through the air so the neck landed on a table edge. No blood, just a momentarily broken neck. It took some training to land it exactly on the edge, though; some less manually skilled students smashed the rat's back on the table, which only paralysed it. I must confess that I sort of liked this swinging procedure, to the great admiration and horror of some of the other (female) students. Sublime! Gothic biochemistry, to paraphrase Bruce Sterling. A paper guillotine is difficult to use on a rat’s neck — but it could in principle be the origin of the instrument.
Anyway, when I was a biochem student we used to swing the rat by the tail through the air so the neck landed on a table edge. No blood, just a momentarily broken neck. It took some training to land it exactly on the edge, though; some less manually skilled students smashed the rat’s back on the table, which only paralysed it. I must confess that I sort of liked this swinging procedure, to the great admiration and horror of some of the other (female) students. Sublime! Gothic biochemistry, to paraphrase Bruce Sterling.

]]> By: Peter Morris http://www.corporeality.net/museion/2009/07/09/laboratory-guillotines-rules-and-procedures-for-the-use-of-commercial-small-animal-euthanasia-machines/comment-page-1/#comment-247279 Peter Morris Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:41:14 +0000 http://www.corporeality.net/museion/2009/07/09/laboratory-guillotines-rules-and-procedures-for-the-use-of-commercial-small-animal-euthanasia-machines/#comment-247279 They are also sold by Kent Scientific who are more explicit about their use, see http://www.kentscientific.com/Products/ProductView.asp?ProductId=6205 I like the delicate phrasing of "to dispense with a subject". They are also sold by Kent Scientific who are more explicit about their use, see

http://www.kentscientific.com/Products/ProductView.asp?ProductId=6205

I like the delicate phrasing of “to dispense with a subject”.

]]> By: Peter Morris http://www.corporeality.net/museion/2009/07/09/laboratory-guillotines-rules-and-procedures-for-the-use-of-commercial-small-animal-euthanasia-machines/comment-page-1/#comment-247278 Peter Morris Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:22:07 +0000 http://www.corporeality.net/museion/2009/07/09/laboratory-guillotines-rules-and-procedures-for-the-use-of-commercial-small-animal-euthanasia-machines/#comment-247278 I think the name comes from the very similar paper guillotine rather than the French instrument of execution. I wonder if the first one was made by crudely converting the lab's paper guillotine? I think the name comes from the very similar paper guillotine rather than the French instrument of execution. I wonder if the first one was made by crudely converting the lab’s paper guillotine?

]]> By: Morten http://www.corporeality.net/museion/2009/07/09/laboratory-guillotines-rules-and-procedures-for-the-use-of-commercial-small-animal-euthanasia-machines/comment-page-1/#comment-247271 Morten Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:19:14 +0000 http://www.corporeality.net/museion/2009/07/09/laboratory-guillotines-rules-and-procedures-for-the-use-of-commercial-small-animal-euthanasia-machines/#comment-247271 That is really interesting. Rat guillotines all over the world! I wonder if the one in Museions collection isn't 'home made' then? For someone like me who hasn't killed any rats it also seems like a particularly bloody way of disposing of rats/mice/hamsters etc. Does laboratories have special places for the governance of rat and hamster euthenasia, I wonder? Places that are fitted for clean and un-smelly beheading? That is really interesting. Rat guillotines all over the world! I wonder if the one in Museions collection isn’t ‘home made’ then?

For someone like me who hasn’t killed any rats it also seems like a particularly bloody way of disposing of rats/mice/hamsters etc. Does laboratories have special places for the governance of rat and hamster euthenasia, I wonder? Places that are fitted for clean and un-smelly beheading?

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