Day 039 - 20 Oct 94 - Page 77


     
     1        administration of BHA to other species, one is entitled to
     2        propose, is one not, that there is something peculiar about
     3        rats and that the rest of the Animal Kingdom, at any rate,
     4        as represented in this document, does not suffer from the
     5        same susceptibility?
     6        A.  But I have drawn the court's attention to other
     7        subsequent documents in which it has emerged that in at
     8        least two other species, namely, that musk shrew and the
     9        fish, that BHA appeared to produce tumours.
    10
    11        Now, I am not saying that the musk shrew or the fish or the
    12        rat or the dog or the monkey is a better -- that any of
    13        these species provide better models than others.  What I am
    14        saying now is that BHA has been shown to produce tumours in
    15        relatively small groups of at least three different
    16        species.
    17
    18   Q.   At very high doses?
    19        A.  Not very high doses by the standards of these
    20        tests  -----
    21
    22   Q.   No, by comparison with what one must predict a human being
    23        is going to eat as a food additive?
    24        A.  Yes, but BHA is not merely fed to 400 human beings in
    25        this country but to 55 million.  And it is not appropriate
    26        simply to say:  "We will invoke a high dose when it is
    27        convenient and we will dismiss a high dose when it is
    28        convenient".  I endeavour, on the contrary, to be
    29        consistent and think that if we are going to use this
    30        protocol to attempt to identify adverse effects, then when
    31        these effects emerge they need to be taken at face value
    32        and not simply be disregarded because the dose was high.
    33        If given that, the absence effects of those doses is deemed
    34        sufficient evidence of safety.
    35
    36   Q.   I fear, Dr. Millstone, we shall have to leave it until
    37        tomorrow now.
    38
    39   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes, I think we had better break off now.  We
    40        will resume at 10.30 in the morning.
    41
    42             (The court adjourned until the following day)
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