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Raymond I. Stark, M.D.
Raymond Stark is a professor in the Department of Pediatrics in Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons. He likes to conduct experiments on pregnant baboons and their fetuses, infusing nicotine and morphine into the mothers to measure the transfer of these substances through the umbilical cord. Dr. Stark writes about his federally funded protocol #395: "Beginning in June, 2000 we began to examine the effects of nicotine and hypoxia on the developing fetal brain. Animals are being randomized to receive either saline or nicotine infusion from about the midpoint in gestation. The nicotine concentration is monitored to keep the level similar to that seen in a moderate to heavy smoker. During the latter part of gestation, the fetus is instrumented so we can examine the developmental changes in the autonomic nervous system and the effects that nicotine has on this." Stark has been experimenting on pregnant nonhuman primates, or, as he likes to call them, "unique chronically instrumented baboon model[s]," for at least 20 years. The pregnant baboons are surgically implanted to receive doses of nicotine. They are each burdened with a hideous backpack full of instrumentation connected to a tube tether that leads to the top of their cage, where the nicotine is held in drip bags. Their babies undergo surgery while still in the uterus.
The federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA) states that no animal may be used in more than one "survival surgery" (surgery from which the animal wakes up) unless the IACUC approves. Apparently, Columbia University's IACUC never met a survival surgery that it didn't like because on February 13, 2002, the IACUC wrote to Stark, "On February 13, 2002 members of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee approved your request to perform an additional (fifth) survival surgery on baboon #6521." Here is her long, sad surgical history:
- June 17, 1999-Mother and fetus undergo "combined maternal and fetal surgery" for an undetermined protocol.
- May 23, 2000-"[C]ombined maternal and fetal surgery" for Stark's morphine experiment. Her fetus survives for 13 days after the surgery.
- January 26, 2001-Her femoral artery is "cut down" to provide access to her blood system for infusion of test substances. Columbia considers this minor surgery even though Stark admits to having difficulty with the procedure.
- March 6, 2001-She undergoes major surgery so that Stark can get to her fetus to conduct "fetal vascular catherization and/or electrode placement" for his nicotine experiment. Her fetus survives until the next surgery.
- April 4, 2001-She has a caesarian section-her fourth survival surgery-so that tissue can be collected from her baby.
Another Stark victim, baboon #6533 was killed on January 17, 2002, after a long period of not feeling well. She had aborted her baby 15 days earlier, and on her medical record, someone wrote that she was "not [a] good experimental candidate." A physical exam given before she was killed showed her to be an "extremely thin animal" whose leg muscles had atrophied. She was also dehydrated. Records on her death day read, "She was sacrificed: after X-ray and blood sampling in the morning. She has not putting (sic) weight on her left leg. Autopsy: there was a lump on the lower lumber (sic) column. At that part of spinal cord yellowish color appeared defusing around the area." As early as December 20, 2001, blood tests revealed that baboon #6533 had a bacterial infection, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, that often afflicts animals with catheter implants, but she was not given a full regimen of antibiotics. Blood cultures taken the day she was killed revealed she was still infected with the bacteria. One particularly sad description of baboon #6533 reads, "More quiet than normal. Sitting upright hugging hind legs."
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