Doctors fight chemical giants

The poisoning of the river Rhine by Sandoz and other Swiss and German chemical manufacturers has led to a rebellion by a number of doctors in West Germany. A conference of senior doctors at the General Hospital in Offenbach recently reduced the purchase of medicaments from Sandoz and Ciba Geigy. They also launched a boycott of the companies' products "in order to prevent future catastrophes and the insidious poisoning of the environment." A further 300 doctors decided not to prescribe their patients Sandoz or Ciba Geigy medicines.

Hard for drug companies to swallow

The German pharmaceutical industry makes fortunes from the sale of throat tablets... but Professor Franz Daschner of the University Hospital in Freiburg (Southern Germany), specialist in children's illnesses points out that the tablets contain antibiotics which can have dangerous side effects, such as rheumatic heart conditions or joint complaints. A spokesman for the Berlin Information Service for Doctors and Chemists has backed up Prof. Daschner's warning and called for a general ban on advertising of medicines.

German health department bans 62 pain-killers...

... declaring them as unsafe, and ordered their removal from the market in West Germany. All the preparations concerned contain the ingredient "metamizol" in combination with other substances.

Trial of German animal liberators... ok judge lets ALF off lightly

The trial of 10 German animal rightists accused of criminal association, attempted arson and various animal liberation raids in 6 German cities ended with mild sentences at the court in Flensburg on 14 May 1987.

Charges of "terrorism" and "criminal association" were dropped as an appeal was signed by more than 2000 people including doctors, dentists, surgeons, actors and writers.

In the open courtroom the accused were permitted to screen the film "Gennarelli Tapes" showing head injury experiments at Pennsylvania University... upon which the judge stated that he was impressed by the high motives of the animal liberators who "had been driven by animal experiments into taking illegal action to free the animals from their tormentors". The judge ended the trial by urging the accused to "continue fighting for tortured animals, but by legal means". He then announced sentences varying between small fines and probationary periods of between 7 to 12 months. (Dennis B. Stuart)

England

Abridged letter from RSPCA - to NZAVS member

"The ruling Council of the RSPCA has decided not to change its investment portfolio even though at least two thirds of the companies it has holdings in are directly or indirectly involved in activities which conflict with the Charity's objectives."

(ie... battery and fur farms, pharmaceutical testing labs (Draize, LD50), kosher meat, veal crates, pig prisons, warfare experiments at Porton Downs, tobacco and alcohol experiments... the list is endless... Ed.)

From the Committee for the Safety of Medicines

"Suprol is one of the most dangerous drugs of its type."

Suprol (Johnson and Johnson) was withdrawn last October. An arthritis drug it caused damage to the kidneys and gut, other "severe" side effects... and death. A pharmacist stated:

"Drug induced illness has become a public health menace of major alarming proportions, producing more deaths annually than are caused by breast cancer and ranking among the top ten causes of hospital admissions."

Dr Vernon Coleman, Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine stated:

"The fastest growing medical problem in Britain is not AIDS ... or herpes... or heart disease... it is doctor induced illness. Doctors are now injuring patients and producing long-term problems in epidemic proportions."

(Despite millions of tests on animals.) (Liberator)

USA

The State of Nevada: People Against Vivisection Experiments (Nevada) have urged Assemblyman Gene Porter to draft and introduce a bill that totally prohibits vivisection in that State.

(Civitas New York)

Switzerland

The first International Symposium of Doctors Against Vivisection was held in Zurich on April 25th.

Doctors from France, Germany, Italy and the USA presented papers demonstrating the counterproductiveness of using animals for finding cured for human medical problems. Their papers will eventually be published in at least four languages.

The symposium was organised and hosted by Milly Schar-Manzoli and Hans Ruesch, leaders of the two Swiss anti-vivisection leagues which are seeking voter support for a replay of the sensational initiative that would, if approved, ban vivisection in Switzerland. Immediately following the symposium 250 participants viewed the film Hidden Crimes.

(Hans Ruesch)