[net.veg] Insulin derived from pork and beef

guy@rlgvax.UUCP (Guy Harris) (01/03/84)

What would someone who didn't use any animal products do if they became
an insulin-dependent diabetic?  Currently, the only insulins available are
made from pig or cattle pancreases.

	Guy Harris
	{seismo,ihnp4,allegra}!rlgvax!guy

jgb@linus.UUCP (Jonathan G. Bressel) (01/03/84)

Firstly, I'm not sure if it's true that all insulin comes from pork and beef
as you say.  In fact, I'm almost positive there are synthetic insulins being
produced as a product of genetic engineering.  But the question is a good
one.

I avoid using animal products, because I don't believe in harming animals if
I don't have to.  This includes leather, cosmetics, etc.  I don't believe,
however that an animal's life is as important as a human's life.  I just
believe in avoiding needless killing.

If my health were at stake, and there were ABSOLUTELY no other way to
survive, other than killing an animal, I would kill it (as humanely as
possible).  The important point is that there are almost no situations, with
the help of modern technology, where it is necessary to make use of animals
in these ways.

				-- Jonathan G. Bressel
				   linus!jgb				(UUCP)
				   linus!jgb@MITRE-BEDFORD.ARPA		(ARPA)

jack@hp-dcde.UUCP (01/06/84)

#R:rlgvax:-151700:hp-dcde:40400002:000:607
hp-dcde!jack    Jan  4 13:06:00 1984

What would a vegetarian diabetic do?

Well, it of course depends on the kind of vegetarian.  Vegetarians for  health
reasons  would,  I imagine, take the insulin.  An "ethical" vegetarian such as
myself (I believe killing animals is bad) would be compelled *not* to take the
insulin.   Of  course,  when faced with a life & death situation, morals often
fall by the wayside.  I would hope that I wouldn't weaken.

						-Jack Applin
						 Vegetarian since age 12
						 (hplabs!hp-dcd!jack)


P.S.:
   The above beliefs are strictly my own and not necessarily those of the
   Hewlett-Packard company.  :-)