7. The Agent Orange Experiments
When one thinks of human medical experimentation, the inhuman cruelty of Dr. Mengele or Japan’s Unit 731 likely comes to mind. What is sadly far less known is that medical experiments were performed on prisoners who could not legally give informed consent right here in the United States, and in the 20th century to boot. While the Holmesburg Prison is sadly far from the only case of illegal and unethical medical testing in the United States, it stands out for the length of its duration and the unrepentant cruelty of the principal investigator.
Dr. Albert Kligman, a dermatologist, led a military-funded experimentation program on skin conditions and toxic compounds on the inmates at the Holmesburg Prison in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was famously quoted callously describing the prison and its inhabitants, saying “All I saw before me were acres of skin. It was like a farmer seeing a fertile field for the first time.”
His experiments included injecting inmates’ skin with the blistering compound Agent Orange to see how the surface would respond to chemical attacks. He tested other toxic compounds including dioxin, poison ivy, and more. The prisoners were given small payments for their “willing” participation. Records showed Dr. Kligman disproportionately targeted black inmates for his experiments. Kligman never apologized for or acknowledged his wrongdoing.