CAAT Newsletter: Vol. 13, No. 3, Summer 1996

Director's Diary

By Alan M. Goldberg, Ph.D.

Rex Burch, the British microbiologist who co-authored the book which launched a revolution in science and animal welfare, The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique, died on March 2, 1996 at Norwich hospital in the United Kingdom. For a long time, he had been bravely fighting an incurable disease. The hospital in Norwich, where he spent his final weeks, praised his tremendous courage.

Rex's death was greeted with sorrow and deep regret by members of the animal welfare and scientific animal protection communities. "He was a true gentleman of the old school," said Martin L. Stephens, vice-president for laboratory animals, Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), echoing the feeling expressed by many who met Rex.

HSUS instituted an award for scientific advancement of animal welfare named for Russell and Burch in 1991, in recognition of the seminal role played by the two in advancing the welfare of animals used in research, testing and education. The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique, published in 1959, introduced the concepts of replacement, reduction, and refinement of animal use (the Three Rs of alternatives), which are today recognized as key elements of rational animal use in Europe and the United States. Both the book and its authors remained relatively unknown and unacknowledged until the 1980's, when public demand for alternatives to animal testing led to a rediscovery and world-wide adoption of the concepts initially proposed by Russell and Burch.

I met Rex in Sheringham, England in November 1992 and was the first to visit him after he and Bill Russell began to understand the impact of The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique. Marty Stephens of the Humane Society of the United States had spoken with Rex to get approval to use his name for the Russell and Burch Award, and I soon had the opportunity to personally experience his incredible enthusiasm over the developments and growth of the field.

In my notes after the visit, I wrote that "Rex lives in Sheringham, England and runs a small consulting business in microbiology. His offices and laboratory are in the Town Hall. Prior to writing The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique, he worked for the Boots Company in pathology and microbiology. He indicated that in 1954 Alister Worden introduced him to Charles Hume (head of the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare) who all agree developed the concept of humane experimental technique."

Hume hired Bill Russell, who hired Rex and during the next five years Bill and Rex researched and completed the manuscript for the book. My notes of the visit continue: "After a very delightful lunch with Rex and Michael Dunn (of British Petroleum), we walked over to Town Hall for a reception. On the way, we visited the bookstore where the just reissued Principles of Humane Experimental Technique was on display. Associated with this display was a description of CAAT, as well as the announcement for the first World Congress. Rex was truly remarkable for his attention to detail, his charm, wit and interest in a broad array of topics. He was very proud of Sheringham and shared much of its history with me during my brief visit. On the personal level, my visit was truly memorable."

The fundamental premise of Russell and Burch's work is that "it is widely recognized that the most humane treatment of experimental animals, far from being an obstacle, is actually a prerequisite for successful animal experiments." As Andrew Rowan wrote after the reissue of the book by UFAW in 1992, "despite it being dated scientifically, the central arguments are as current today as they were 30 years ago." In 1995, a group of scientists involved in the Three Rs met with Bill and Rex to examine the future of the Three Rs. Our conclusions once again echoed their earlier work. Our calling is to demonstrate that animal welfare and good science are mutually dependent on each other.

The concluding paragraph of The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique states, "In this book we have sought only to limn the barest of outlines; it will remain for others to fill in the interior. We hope this book may stimulate some experimentalists to devote special attention to the subject and many others to work in full awareness of its existence and possibilities. Above all, we hope it will serve to present to those beginning work a unified image of some of the most important aspects of their studies. If it does any of these things, this book will have amply achieved its purpose."

Clearly all expectations have been exceeded. With the Three Rs as the foundation of all animal welfare legislation and the growing awareness of its importance, Rex Burch's contributions have only begun to be recognized.