Morbid Fact Du Jour For July 8, 2009
Today’s Informed Yet Truly Morbid Fact!
Under commission from the U.S. surgeon general, Dr. Walter Reed went to Cuba in 1900 and used 22 Spanish immigrant workers to prove that yellow fever is contracted through mosquito bites. Doing so, he introduced the practice of using healthy test subjects, and also the concept of a written contract to confirm informed consent of these subjects. While doing this study, Dr. Reed clearly told the subjects that, though he will do everything he can to help them, they may die as a result of the experiment. He paid them $100 in gold for their participation, plus $100 extra if they contract yellow fever. Five people died during the study.
Culled from: Natural News
Generously submitted by: Twisted Princess
How noble the desperately poor.
grim test