Nalgene:
Plastic Bottles and Torturing Devices

Nalgene, makers of every hippie and backpacker's favorite plastic water bottle, is the brand name for a company called Nalge-Nunc. Along with durable plastic hiking products, Nalge-Nunc produces devices designed for the restraint of animals in animal testing. The particular device below, the rabbit restrainer, is designed for the use of Pyrogen testing.

What is pyrogen testing? well, its a little complicated. Fever is one of the main symptoms of infectious diseases caused by bacteria, parasites,
and viruses. Exogenous pyrogens are materials from the environment (for example, debris from microorganisms) that cause fever in mammals.
Pyrogen testing is a process that uses body temperature to determine if contaminating microorganisms are present in the body. All types of unknown substances are injested, injected, or absorbed by the test rabbit, and its temperature is then taken rectally. if the rabbit proves to have a fever, the drug is known to be unsafe for human use. you can imagine how many have been tortured and have died in this process.

Nalge-Nunc is a subsidiary of a company called Aprogent Technologies, who is a self-proclaimed "world leader" in laboratory equipment - including that used for vivisection. don't be fooled by their statement on the testing of drugs, cosmetics, and vaccines on these innocent creatures:

"Nalge Nunc International realizes that animal research is essential to medical research. There is no laboratory procedure or computer simulation that can reproduce the complex systems of a living organism. There is nothing short of controlled animal research that can prove the safety and efficacy of a drug or surgical procedure. Without animal research, there would be no polio vaccine, no heart by-pass surgery, no chemotherapy and no insulin. Without animal research, we will never be able to cure AIDS, multiple sclerosis or Alzheimer's."

(http://www.nalgene-outdoor.com/about/whitepaper.html, 2/25/02)

For the truth on animal research issues, check these websites out:

The Physicians For Responsible Medicine

The National Anti-Vivisection Society

Boycott Nalgene, tell all your friends, and contact the company to let them know what you think. 100 kids at the university of colorado recently united to send their nalgene bottles back to the company, demanding a full refund for ethical reasons. i want to do the same thing in santa cruz, Nalgene capital of the world. if you'd like to get involved in that, contact me!

Nalgene's labware product page

Nalgene's contact info:
nnics@nalgenunc.com
1-800-625-4327