Two Emory University employees exposed for research failures and animal cruelty

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ATLANTA - The failure to produce tangible medical results was spotlighted this weekend as activists leafleted the neighborhoods of William C. Hutton and Thomas Richard Nichols, both researchers at Emory University.

Nichols, who lives at 443 Princeton Way, Atlanta, GA 30307, has performed experiments on 32 cats in past years involving the animals being placed in metal devices, spinal cords severed, while data is collected from brain electrodes as the cat's legs are twisted in varying degrees and killed. Hutton, residing at 1166 Oxford Road, NE, Atlanta, GA 30306-2608 was cited for his spinal cord experiments on dogs. Hutton places compression devices between the disc of dogs for 60 weeks and then kills them to examine chemical changes. After several years, neither experiment has produced anything to help people.

These experiments were highlighted in ads placed by In Defense of Animals (IDA), an activist organization based in Mill Valley California. The ads documented federal project numbers, specific dollar amounts, etc., and were run with great reluctance from the Wheel's editor because Emory administration had threatened to close the school newspaper due to unflattering, but factual, information being distributed to the students and faculty members. All the ads and editorials can be viewed at www.FYI.webprovider.com.

Dr. Ray Greek, President of Americans For Medical Advancement and a former animal researcher, commented that Hutton's and Nichols' experiments ''are a waste of time and are diverting needed funding for research with proven track records." Greek also stated, ''No new knowledge has been obtained from Nichols' and Hutton's experiments. This is just a way to pay researchers' salaries - not the way to make real medical breakthroughs.''

IDA spokespersons have stated researchers' neighborhoods will continue to be informed as long as cruel and useless animal experiments are performed. Researchers can expect to see their names, addresses, and vehicle descriptions listed on the Internet very soon with details of their experiments, funding amounts, and other public information to be made available.