Article ID: CBB410699994

Curare: The Poisoned Arrow that Entered the Laboratory and Sparked a Moral Debate (2020)

unapi

Curare, a paralysing poison derived from South American plants, fascinated European explorers with its deadly powers. Generations of travellers were perplexed by how animals affected by curare showed no signs of suffering. British experimenters relabelled curare as an anaesthetic and used it to restrain animals during experiments. But during the 19th century, doubts started to appear: can a paralysed animal feel pain but be unable to express it? A scientific dispute emerged as not all British physiologists accepted Claude Bernard’s claim that curare affected only the motor nerves. The scientific controversy over curare reached the British parliament, and the Cruelty to Animals Act (1876) stated that curare would not be considered an anaesthetic. Nevertheless, antivivisection advocates continued to contest its use for decades. The article reveals new aspects of colonial import of bioactive plants in a case that reshaped the production of medical knowledge and presented epistemological and moral challenges.

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Authors & Contributors
Guerrini, Anita
Shmuely, Shira Dina
Chiapperino, Luca
Micheletti, Silvia
Friese, Carrie
Holmes, Tarquin
Concepts
Animal experimentation
Controversies and disputes
Vivisection
Animal rights
Biology and ethics; bioethics
Science and ethics
Time Periods
19th century
20th century, early
20th century
20th century, late
18th century
Places
Great Britain
United States
Brazil
South America
Europe
India
Institutions
Royal Commission on Vivisection (1875)
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