Cringe Human Experiments from the 1900's

 



Life Before The Institutional Review Board

by Samantha Aiko


Protection for Test Subjects 

The Institutional Review Board is a standard part of the scientific landscape, but it has not always been there. It's a relatively recent innovation—and one that has evolved. The IRB process started as an experiment on human subjects protection and has since become an essential part of the way we do science. When scientists conduct research today, they must consider whether any of their subjects might be vulnerable to harm due to participating in an experiment. They also need to consider whether their work,  in such, raises any other ethical issues. This segment will discuss the cases before the IRB was implemented.  

 




Human Subject's Protection: The Early Years

Changes in behavior due to being observed

  • Human subject protection has a long history; The FDA was established in 1906. According to FDA.Gov, The 1906 Act was passed thanks to Harvey Wiley's efforts and in response to the public outrage at the shockingly unhygienic conditions in the Chicago stockyards. Described in Upton Sinclair's book "The Jungle."

    Harvey Wiley was the chief chemist in the department of agriculture at the time.


The 'Poison Squad' (1902)

  • In 1906, Harvey Wiley recruited 12 unmarried men to eat food contaminated with Borax, Salicylic Acid, Sulfuric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, and Formaldehyde. This group was eventually named The poison squad. 


    These 12 men agreed to eat this contaminated food for at least six months, and they all waived liability for damages. In return, they received free food for five years. 

  •     The purpose of this experiment was to test the toxicity of preservatives. The researchers would then test the food for any evidence of contamination by collecting samples from both healthy individuals and those who had suffered from flu-like symptoms such as fever, nausea, and vomiting.

The Jungle (1906)

  • "The Jungle" was a novel by Upton Sinclair, published in 1906. It's critique of the meat packing industry, which was considered one of America's most dangerous workplaces at the time, revealed a grotesque reality. In the book, it was described that immigrants would apply to work in hopes of achieving the American dream. The workers' work ethic was so strong that they would work through dangerous conditions. 

  • Sinclair emphasizes how foul the air would smell, how black smoke would pour out of the building, and how the workers would hear the screams of the animals constantly in the air. He would also mention how that terrible smell would often come from the meat in the factory; How it would attract rodents like rats. The rodents brought disease to the factory and made conditions worse. 
    This facility also had no washing station, so workers were forced to eat food and spend their breaks with contaminated hands. 


  • President Roosevelt urged Congress to pass the Meat Inspection Act of 1906. This act required the Department of Agriculture to inspect factories in the meat industry across the states. 


Sulfanilamide Disaster of 1937

  • In 1937, The Massubgill Company created a drug called Sulfanilamide. This drug was meant to be an antibiotic fluid, which was being used to treat bacterial infections. Unfortunately, this drug contained Diethylene Glycol, commonly known as Antifreeze. This drug was also being used for its own monetary sake without medical supervision. When taken in large doses, it can cause severe damage to the liver and kidneys.
  • In 1937, doctors prescribed Sulfanilamide for pneumonia and other illnesses like earaches and colds. The drug had become so popular that pharmacies gave it out throughout America after World War I; One study found that over 9 million people were taking it at some point during their lifetime! This product killed at least 107 people. The FDA could not take this product off the shelf at the time. 
  • In 1937 the FDA only had the authority to take effect off the shelf if mislabeling occurred. Illness in the community increased, and so did public outrage. The following year in 1938, The Food drug and cosmetic act were passed. This legislation granted the FDA the power to remove unsafe foods and drugs from the market. 

Thalidomide Tragedy of 1962

  • Thalidomide was a prescription drug used to treat morning sickness in pregnant women. It was also sold as a sleeping pill, which led to its widespread use. 

  • In 1961, Thalidomide was found to cause congenital disabilities, including missing limbs and shortened arms (phocomelia). It was withdrawn from the market by its manufacturer in 1961 after being linked with these effects.*
  • The tragedy of Thalidomide is that it cannot be traced back to just one doctor or lab; instead, many other people knew about it before anyone else did—but they didn't act on their knowledge.

Today and Beyond

  •     The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is vital to ethical research. They help us understand how we can do better in the future regarding Human and Animal Experimentation and learn from our mistakes. The IRB also play an essential role in ensuring that our research subjects have fully informed consent before participating in studies; This means they understand and feel comfortable with what they're getting into.


  •     Today the IRB continues, with our current technological advancements in regards to manufacturing mRNA vaccines in most recent developments, to offer insight to a grim and not so far past moving forward.  IRBs should continue being strengthened as part of an essential process for researchers who want to conduct human-subject research today or tomorrow. It's suitable for science because of its impact on society overall as well.


IRB helps to keep us safe, but it was not always such.


  • The IRB was created to protect human subjects from harm, unethical research, and data misuse. Until recently, however, it had no authority over what could be done with that same data after it left the lab—and sometimes even before it went.

First thing the IRB does is review all research proposals before submitting them for federal funding or approval by an institutional review board (IRB). This includes clinical trials and basic science experiments on animals or humans.


Overall, 


    While the Institutional Review Board has come a long way since its inception, it is still far from perfect. There's still a lot of work to be done on protecting human subjects and ensuring they are covered ethically. But as long as people are willing to push for change, that work will continue.


Refrences, 

When and why was FDA formed?. https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/fda-basics/when-and-why-was-fda-formed


The Progressive Era - Price US History Plymouth High School. http://priceushistoryplymouth.weebly.com/the-progressive-era.html



The Meat-Packing Industry In Upton Sinclair's The Jungle. https://www.ipl.org/essay/The-Meat-Packing-Industry-In-Upton-Sinclairs-FJZEKU26ZT



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