The American Way of Research

In 1952 Chester M. Southam, a researcher for the Sloan-Kettering Institute, injected Ohio State Prison inmates with live cancer cells. They prisoners weren’t told. Neither were the 300 women at the Sloan-Kettering Institute where other doctors performed their research.

Ten years later Chester was at it again. This time 22 elderly hospital patients got to make a contribution to cancer research. The administration of the Jewish Chronic Disease Hospital tried to keep Chester’s research secret, but word got out and Dr. Southam was punished. He was put on probation for one year. Two years later he was elected Vice President of the American Cancer Society.

That was 50 years ago. You might be think that things have changed. They have.

”Research involving human subjects has become big business. Currently, more than 10,000 programs and an estimated 45,000 researchers conduct medical research on humans in the United States.” (The Prison as Laboratory by J.A. Talvi, InTheseTimes, Jan. 23, 2002)

And the Sloan-Kettering Institute, now called Memeorial Sloan Kettering, is rated as the #1 cancer hospital in the USA. Charity Watch gives it its highest rating, an A. Perhaps it’s worth mentioning that the heads of Charity Watch are salaried at $2 million/year. It’s the American Way. Business as usual.

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“As long as money is more important than health
life will be so cheap
people with money will regard it as worthless.”
Dartwill Aquila

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