This document, written on April 3, 1970, is from a British tobacco
company, Gallaher Limited. The document is a memo that summarizes the results
of a smoking study conducted on dogs. It is very important: It shows that
cigarette companies had medical evidence that smoking causes lung
cancer in animals as early as 1970.
From: General Manager, Research
To: Managing Director
Sub. Ref. VOT/JR Date: 3rd April,1970
Subject: Auerbach/Hammond Beagle Experiment
Recently, you asked me to prepare some brief notes on our views on the
Auerbach/Hammond work with some beagles.
I have set down our views on this research , which are partly taken from a
memorandum to Mr. Pritchard dated 25th February. I also attach for your
information documents H465 , which has been prepared by Dr. Brian Davis,
on the implications of the Auerbach work for Harrogate research.
Our views are as follows:--
(1) We have had an opportunity of seeing both the Auerbach work and the work
at Battelle North West. Both research groups are using beagles which are made
to inhale fresh whole cigarette smoke. The main difference is that in
Auerbach's dogs a tracheostomy has been carried out and a tube inserted into
the trachea. This means that smoke can be involved directly through the
trachea into the lungs, thus bypassing the mouth and upper part of the trachea.
In contrast, the dogs at Battelle North West have no surgical treatment and are
trained to inhale the smoke from a smoking mask. Given the right animal
handler and a reasonable period of acclimatization (usually about a month) the
dogs appear to inhale the smoke without undue stress and the minimum of
restraint. The only obvious outward evidence of smoking is that they tend to
salivate. Those two contrasting methods are described because ideally most
biological research workers would prefer an animal model which does not resort
to surgery and therefore fairly severe trauma, with the possible risk of
introducing infection into a part of the body adjacent to that under test.
However, even when we bear this in mind, Auerbach's research is undoubtedly a
significant step forward and we have to remember that the control animals also
tolerated a tracheostomy without undue discomfort and trauma and there was no
evidence that these animals showed any signs of pre-cancerous or cancerous