Madam, - Under the heading "making sense of our sleep patterns", William Reville informs us that "Laboratory studies have shown that if you deprive rats of sleep, they eat more but nevertheless they waste away. Their body temperature goes awry and they die within three weeks". (July 17th). What is the relevance of this type of study/experiment?
Mankind and rodents (which has been more destructive?) have shared our planet for aeons and the need for sleep, by either, has not disappeared. We do not need unnecessary experiments to prove the obvious. I also think that information obtained, albeit scientific, by tormenting to death any living creature is information without right or dignity. - Yours, etc.,
DEIRDRE CROFTS, Rochestown Road, Cork.