For the Good of Mankind?: The Shameful History of Human Medical Experimentation

by Vicki Oransky Wittenstein

Experiment: A child is deliberately infected with the deadly smallpox disease without his parents' informed consent.
Result: The world's first vaccine.
Experiment: A slave woman is forced to undergo more than thirty operations without anesthesia.
Result: The beginnings of modern gynecology.
Experiment: From 1946 to 1953, seventy-four boys are fed oatmeal laced with radioactive iron and calcium.
Result: A better understanding of the effects of radioactivity on the human body.

Experimental incidents such as these paved the way for crucial medical discoveries and lifesaving cures and procedures. But they also violated the rights of their subjects, many of whom did not give their consent to the experiments. The subjects suffered excruciating pain and humiliation. Some even died as a result of the procedures. Even in the twenty-first century—despite laws, regulations, and ethical conventions—the tension between medical experimentation and patient rights continues.

How do doctors balance the need to test new medicines and procedures with their ethical and moral duty to protect the rights of human subjects? What price has been paid for medical knowledge? Can we learn from the broken oaths of the past?

Take a harrowing journey through some of history's greatest medical advances—and its most horrifying medical atrocities. You'll read about orphans injected with lethal tuberculosis and concentration camp inmates tortured by Nazi doctors. You’ll also learn about radiation experimentation and present-day clinical trials that prove fatal. Through these stories, explore the human suffering that has gone hand in hand with medical advancement.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Science, Medical, Medicine, Historical, Biology

96 pages, Library Binding

First published October 1, 2013

Reviews

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wittenstein was taking on quite a task when she wrote this book, and she's succeeded on almost every level. It's informative, and manages to describe the full impact of the medical experiments without getting too graphic for younger readers. Some of the more gruesome details were left out, especially in the chapter on Nazi experiments, but it wasn't by any means sanitized. She also did a great job of explaining all sides of the arguments around human medical experimentation, without at any point getting preachy. The design is kind of weak, though. It feels oddly generic, like one installment in a series, and I don't like having two columns of text on a page, unless it's particularly wide. The wrap up is a little on the abrupt side. I do like the discussion questions, which makes this a great book to use in a classroom.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellently creepy for teens and pretty unsettling (even in modern times)!
This book presents a brief history of human medical experimentation concluding with the current state of human drug trials and ethical questions. It was a fast 100 page read packed with horrifying instances of uninformed people being tested on from Alexis St. Martin with his open stomach in 1822 (Read more him in Gulp by Mary Roach), to the Holocaust, to Americans in the 1950s secretly injected with radiation to test the effects. The ethical quandaries of the modern day are perhaps more unsettling because you like to think of yourself as living in an enlightened, safe time as opposed to one hundred years ago, but that may not always be the case.
While this could be a descriptively gruesome topic, the experiments and results are not overly graphic. It would be a great place to begin if you were debating or writing about medical ethics, giving many events that could be researched in more depth. I agree with a previous review and would give this to high school students.

[Tirzah Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

"They assume the burden of experimental testing for society but may not be able to gain any benefits from the new research"

While I had heard of many of these examples before reading, there were many details I was unaware of. I think this is a very important book for people to read to understand where our modern medicine has its roots. It raises many ethical concerns such as informed consent and whether the ends can justify the means.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, the backs of the poor and those least able to defend themselves bear the brunt of unfair treatment. There are so many examples of abuse at the hands of doctors and drug companies in this book that I wanted to throw it across the room several times (which would have been bad since I was reading it on my laptop). Don't read this book if you don't want to hear about injustice in society. Don't read this book if you want to continue to believe that the drug companies are good and benevolent. And by all means don't read this book if you think people are still being taken advantage of all around the world not just in the United States. The stories are heartbreaking and enraging. The image we have of the kindly doctor looking out for the best needs of her patients is shattered when you read stories like this. Now I know that it is not all doctors who are in the pocket of the pharmaceutical companies, but it sure does seem that way. This was a truly informative book, and I will never be looking at my prescriptions that same way again.

[Bookfairy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a short book that only touches on some of the experiments and issues--it makes me want to read more deeply on what happened.
However, some details are gruesome, and it covered just enough to suggest some of the horrors people went through.
This is an excellent book to understand a little bit of why we need better regulations on how we conduct medical tests, and to better understand why some people are extremely skeptical about new vaccines, medicines, and procedures. I *do* think medicine is much improved, but it's important to recognize where we were not so long ago.
This version seems written in a high school textbook style, so you have some pictures and certain things highlighted, also like magazine articles, it's a dense topic, so this would be great as an intro, or broadening knowledge on things like the issue with Henrietta Lacks' DNA, the Tuskegee study, the radium workers in the 1920s, or even anthrax trials in the 00's.

[Annie Oosterwyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent middle grade and up nonfiction. Topics in this book include: the nature of testing on humans for the greater good(yellow fever, tb) and company profit(testing overseas), informed consent- (orphanages, prisons, soldiers), war- (nuclear testing, chemical warfare, Nazi experimentation), among others. Brief true stories humanize situations.
Excellent resource lists: books, websites, online interviews and films in addition to source notes and bibliography.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some pretty ghastly stuff in here, and language that becomes increasingly technical as the book describes oversight in the 20th and 21st centuries. Excellent for older readers with a taste for dramatic nonfiction, but I think too much for middle grade.

[Cain Rhonda]

How many of you personally know the difference in drugs, what they do to your body, why Heroin and Morphine is so painful? Heroine was made out of morphine. For the soldiers. You could buy Laudanum in the magazine, needles and all. Treatment isn't a cure. There isn't one/. 90 days clean in rehab, they go right back to heroine and die because their tolerance isn't as strong and too much/ Did they sit with their buddies one day and decide to do heroine? No, mom has plenty, Dr.'s dish out plenty but then your tolerance gets so high you have to find something stronger. NOT TO GET HIGH> To stay semi normal and not get sick. Fuck these D's, Fuck these people who think they know what it's like to be dependent on something, Read books about the people who have lived it or are always going to live it.

I had a crooked pharmacist family of 10 kids for a father in law. Every one was an opioid dependant person. He didn't take them. Control~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They are all dead now from Heroine overdoses. It's fucking reality people

[William Pakter · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the Good of Mankind is an informative book about historical examples of human experimentation. The book does not really have any plot but each chapter includes a few examples of human experiments. Almost all of these experiments were done by either tricking the patients into agreeing to the experimentation, or patients not even knowing they were going to be experimented on. I really enjoyed the organization in this book because in each chapter they introduce a topic such as moral issues and then follow up with an example which really pulls the reader in before they actually discuss the topic at hand. I think this book would be a perfect book for next years freshman class because it is at a high school reading level, discusses some important topics that aren't really covered anywhere else, is an entertaining and informative read, and finally it is easy to pick up and read a few pages at a time because there isn't a plot to follow.

[Brandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick and interesting read at only 85 pages. The author presents an overview of the atrocities of human medical experimentation throughout history (though other countries are sometimes mentioned, particularly Nazi Germany, the focus here is on the United States). This topic should appeal to many teens and would be a great choice for curricular use. In-depth discussion questions are included in the back, as well as an extensive list of references. Recommended for high school libraries.

[Ali P · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an eye-opening factual account of the horrifying experimentations done on humans who did not provide informed consent. Many interesting ethical dilemmas are discussed that don't have clear answers. This book will change the way you look at your local research hospitals, universities, and companies. There are always terrifying things going on behind the scenes that we won't know about until years after it's over, or until lives are lost.

If you read this book, you will be a more intelligent and informed person regarding your healthcare rights.

[Irene Wight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shocking! The Holocaust was so horrifying and most of us know what happened. There is no comparison to what was done to Jewish people then but the fact that medical research done on the most vulnerable people in our country by doctors for research purposes is also horrific. This book really opened my eyes to a lot of the practices that have been done here in the past. I recommend this book to anyone!

[Max Davenport · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has everything that I am looking for; horrible mistreatent of human beings, lies, death, experiments, and pus. It is fair to say the book was horrifying, but it was very helpful in teaching me about human experimentation throughout the ages. It is a good read, and very interesting.

[Darnell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, but it didn't feel too superficial. It covers a pretty good range of human experimentation, and while it doesn't go into very much depth, it does a solid job as an introduction.

[Jeff Pedersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hate humans sometimes

[Fenix Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look into some of the way human have been experimented on with and without permission.
It poses a good question.
Some medical advances have been as a result of human experimentation.
And yet did it justify the pain, horror, and death that many of these people experienced, especially those who did not even know they were being experimented on?
Then there is the modern question of money..private companies conducting experiments with the aim of possible billions of dollars in future profits selling some new drug or treatment..those experiments tainted by that need for profit, falsified, volunteers not told the truth about what risks they were taking. People who make a living being guinea pigs for one study after another. Will more people be dragged into that kind of work as other work is impossible to find with unemployment so very high and people becoming quite desperate.
Lots of evils have been done in teh name of progress and scientific understanding.
What really was necessary? The Nazis were hated for what they did and yet the same was going on here in the US, and continued going on for many decades after WW2 ended. The idea of eugenics and genetic purity was developed by a man from the US after all and adopted as practice all over the "developed" world. In fact that idea still lingers and is in practice.
Indeed it is a complicated question with no easy answers. Even animal experimentation how much is necessary and how much just blatent cruelty? Guidelines have been put into place. But they are not always followed and those who watchdog such things are few in number. Secret experiments are no doubt still going on, on small and large scales, shrouded in propaganda. We have in this country a policy that anything possibly harmful can be used until it is absolutely deemed harmful. Yet many harmful substances are still legal to use, dumped into our drinking water, stocked on grocery shelves.
We cannot be aware of everything, that is impossible. How can we protect ourselves from corporations gone mad for profit over everything else?

[Janie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the synopsis says "horrifying medical atrocities", it's not kidding. My husband has always been really into the conspiracy theories and he got me pretty interested in them along the way. Some of them aren't true, some of them are, and then there are these. This book is full of a ton of horrifying medical events that happened mostly from the 1900s until the present day.



It is incredibly interesting and informative. It stirred up a lot of anger and utter shock. There are so many incidences that are so maliciously evil that it's hard to not get emotional about what you are reading. The unapproved medical experimentation is insane. I definitely err on the side of having express consent for medical experimentation and not in children unless they are mentally capable of making such a serious decision. There are many good things that have come from medical experimentation, however, most all of it was without consent and resulted in fatal consequences. These experiments often left families torn apart with no warning.

The book goes through the beginning of the human experimentation and then goes to the Nazi Germany era of experimentation and into wartime experimentation with the atomic bomb. It closes with what has been happening as a result of these horrendous experiments in the legal side of things and a question-raising end that makes for a great discussion topic. I was able to throw so many facts and stories in a discussion with my husband because of this book and it makes me want to go out and learn all that I can about human experimentation, especially in current events in correlation with pharmaceutical companies in particular. It was extremely fascinating and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes historical events that may or may not be graphic and horrifying in nature.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

You may have heard of Henrietta Lacks because of Rebecca Skloot's book, but have you heard of Simeon Shaw,Ebb Cade, or Jolee Mohr? These are just a few of the many, many subjects of medical tests that were performed on humans without their consent, or in Mohr's case, with consent but without a full understanding of the medical risks.

This was a very difficult book for me to read, not because of vocabulary, sentence structure, or writing style, but because of the subject. It is not easy to read about medical experiments conducted by doctors and scientists who did not have the best interest of the patient in mind when conducting their research. The Vanderbilt Study conducted in 1945 was especially hard for me to read. This involved 829 pregnant women at a health clinic ran by Vanderbilt University Hospital in Tennessee. The women were told to drink a solution that was reported to them to be good for them and their babies. These drinks were laced with radioactive iron. I am sure you can imagine the results; I don't have to tell you that many later died of cancer.

Wittenstein has done an excellent job of reporting on the history of Human Medical Experimentation. She presents the history and the various examples in a very easy-to-read manner, as long as one can stomach the cruelty and blatant disregard for individuals. The index, source notes and bibliography will make this a particularly useful book for research. In addition, the Critical Analysis: What do you think? section can be used by teachers when preparing students to read non-fiction materials.

Great non-fiction addition to you library.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating read! For lovers of history and cover-ups, this is a book written in easy-to-understand terms but keeps the reader engaged. Some of the experiments described are graphic, so a word of caution.

The author talks about some cases of human experimentation that most are familiar with - like the Nazis during WWII, but she also brings up cases even I haven't heard of (and some performed here in the US!). For example, a program called Green Run is described. From 1944 into the 1960's, the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) approved the "secret intentional releases of radioactive materials into the air" (45). Officials would then go around to area schools and test the children for radiation. This is just one instance of experimentation conducted in secret and without contest.

While raising questions of how the ends justify the means, the anecdotes given really open the reader's eyes. There are resources included in the back of the book: a breakdown by chapter with critical thinking questions, source notes, selected bibliography, and a section on more resources.

I appreciated that the rise of pharmaceutical companies and medicine-for-profit is discussed. How can these companies have the public's best interests at heart when their main goal is to make money? Informed consent is now required but there are blurred lines when it comes to interpreting exactly how much information needs to be given in order for it to be considered "informed."

Find this review and more over on my blog!

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 (rounded up to 4)

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I picked this up because I wanted a quick and interesting read, and because I took a seminar class on eugenics and wanted to learn more. For the Good of Mankind poses some very meaningful questions about the nature of human medical experimentation, as well as the morality of using the discoveries of made after such experiments. I learned a lot about the history of medicine in this book, as well as discovering some more contemporary examples. As a future high school social studies teacher, I can see a book like this being very useful in lessons or discussions about the nature of nationalism and patriotism.

I only have two main complaints about this book. Firstly, as others have noted, is the recommended ages. I can't imagine a nine-year-old picking this up and understanding it, let alone enjoying it. I would definitely say that this is a book for older teens, simply because of the graphic nature and historical references. Secondly, I wasn't a fan of the organization. The chapter titles simply separated the many examples, and while these were interesting, I would have liked to have seen a deeper analysis of the data and questions posed by the author.

Overall, this was a good young adult non-fiction read, and I highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in medicine, politics, war or nationalism.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great for readers who want a quick and informative read with interesting topic that is the primary base of the book.
It is an informative and entertaining read for teens and adults that are interested on the dark and hidden past of the medical progress at the expense of the underprivileged and the defenseless. People such as Night Doctors were to blame for the underprivileged persons being taken and experimented “in the name of science”. This book takes you around the world at different time periods in the 19th and 20th centuries that show you the true atrocities that had to be committed in order to enhance their medical scientific knowledge. Cases such as war and diseases were the reasons to medical experimentation. Although many diseases were cured and weapons were created to win wars, the question of whether or not medical experimentation was for the good of mankind stands strong a persistent throughout the book.
Wittenstein gives the reader both sides of the story to create their own opinion in the matter. She even releases her bibliography for the reader to form their own opinion with their own research and personal understanding.

[Raelynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Primum non nocere" (first, do no harm) - Hippocratic Oath
For the good of mankind is a wonderful introduction into an all unfortunate grim reality. Human experimentation in the medical world can be a bit much for anyone let alone young teens, but Wittenstein has done a great job of bringing the facts forward without ALL (there definitely are some) of the "messy" details. My only qualm with the book was the layout at times, but I've seen much worse. I also would have liked to see a little more pre world war information (more ancient or victorian practice would have been great). The pictures were clear and brought faces to the stories which I think helps to bring home chilling understanding of what government and medical leaders are capable of. I will be talking with a group of 7th & 8th graders on the history of medicine and death so I have been searching for books I could recommend to anyone wanting to dig a little deeper after our discussion and this book will be towards the top of the list.

[Nick Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shocking journalistic account of medical malpractice by doctors and scientists primarily in the USA in the past and in recent history.

The work is marketed to grades 6-12 (ages 11-18). Long texts are suitable for teenagers and advanced younger readers.

The issue of new medicine development seemed to imply drug corporations are the only route to new medicines.
The journalistic approach avoids sensationalism although people who have an interest in particular cases of questionable ethical practices may find the dry account too moderate.

References for source documents and data are listed at the end, indexed by page number. There is a bibliography and a list of web site addresses (including video interviews with transcripts) for further information. There is a comprehensive index.

I read an advance review copy from the publisher.

[Dolores · Rating 4 out of 5]

So...nonfiction is not exactly my first choice of reading material, but I try to make an effort to read some titles in the genre. This topic sounded interesting, so I gave it a go. I really struggled with this one at times, but I persevered, because the book is well worth it. There is a long and shameful history of horrific experimentation on the poor and powerless, and this book does a great job of shining a powerful light on it. The issue for me was that the book has a tendency to list incidence after incidence of abuse. I don't mean to minimize it, but somehow this litany of horror began to leave me numb. After a while, I found it easier to read the book in very small chunks that allowed me to digest and process the information. I appreciated the author's even-handed approach and the back matter that presented the reader with ethical questions.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

How can you resist a title about human medical experimentation? This short little book was full of all kinds of information on medical experiments done on people with and without their knowledge. The majority of the experiments took place during the last century but there were a few from the 19th century mentioned. The book covers everything from Nazi concentration camps to radiation experiments during and after WWII to the Tuskegee Syphilis experiments. I think the most disturbing information however was the fact that there are still questionable experiments being done today. Regulations are much stiffer here in the United States so drug companies are outsourcing their medical experiments to 3rd world countries. I was fascinated by everything talked about here, but I did wish there had been a little bit more detail about some of the instances.

[Hannah]

I had a sudden urge to know everything about the history of medical experimentation and exploitation, so the fact that the library had this available to me in 80 pages was incredibly convenient.

Obviously it was limited because of its length, and the language is very stilted, which is sometimes useful to take emotion out of it, but it also makes it seem like far less of a big deal, and even though it asks ethical questions at the end (it's a YA clearly intended primarily for school use), it isn't written in a very compelling or intellectual way. Still, a useful starting point, and it satisfied my instant curiosity when I didn't have time to read a longer book.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book. The extra dose of creepy is always done "in the name of science." I liked the fact it blends both high level cases and other almost unheard documents of illegal experimentation. I further like the fact that it gives an update of how the medical field is exploiting around the world----and laws are still being avoided by the medical community. The explanation of medical community terms is also another nice factor in this book. Sadly, this book just reinforces the fears I have [passed down from my parents] of doctors.

[Emma Bauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

"For the Good of Mankind? The Shameful History of Human Medical Experimentation" by Vicki Oransky Wittenstein is a great book. It is full of interesting stories. Some of the stories made me realize how crazy some people can be.

This book is mainly about human experimentation. There are many stories about how medical scientists try to find cures for diseases and experimented with chemical warfare. There are also stories of children and orphans who were used for human experimentation.

I would recommend this book to people who are interested in medicine and the well being of people.

[Kylan Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the Good of Mankind? is a book about human experimentation and the things that came of it. For example, in 1910 three doctors experimented on 160 orphans under the age of eight and inserted tuberculin into their eyes and at night they would lay awake crying and moaning of the pain that they were suffering from. Also, not to forget the notorious Nazi Dr. Mengele who loved to experiment on twins. He would take them and experiment with the origins of certain diseases. He would put a germ in one and see how they reacted. It is full of atrocious experiments and even some of which major advances came from. But was it for the good of mankind?

[Glenn Banks · Rating 5 out of 5]

it is kind of sad that we have done experiments, most of the stories are united states originated. I know other places did experiments and it would have been nice to have heard about some of them. I'm sure the USSR much have done experiments on humans.

the I have heard of some of the experiments and it is always a good idea to review the atrocities to hopefully learn and prevent them in the future.