John H. Draize is another name I cannot read without wincing. John H. Draize invented the “Draize test” — an irritancy test in rabbits. It involves putting a chemical directly into rabbits’ eyes and then inspecting how damaged the eyes become after a few days and up to a week. If a lot of damage occurs, it’s determined that the chemical is irritating. If not much occurs, it’s determined that the chemical is not irritating. It also applies to tests done on rabbits where the rabbit’s skin is cut, and then chemicals are poured on the cut. If the cuts become disgusting, it’s determined that the chemical is probably irritating to human skin.

So, can you see the name John H. Draize without thinking “rabbit abuser and mutilator?” Because I can’t.

Luckily, there is an alternative. One of ICCVAM’s only recommended alternative methods is Corrositex (warning: unpleasant pictures in the link), which is a non-animal test (and is frequently used by companies that produce non-animal-using-test-kits, such as InVitro International, and the Institute for In Vitro Sciences.)

Tags : alternatives to animal testing, corrositex, draize, draize test