Human experimentation is nothing new to the human race. Thousands of years ago the Indians and Mayans used such practices to produce drugs that healed the sick. Many people believe that these experiments should be banned because they are unethical; however, in reality, such practices have helped more than harmed people. In order to fully appreciate the medical advancements made through human experimentation, people need to take into consideration the risks and lines that had to be crossed. Human experimentation is necessary because over the years it has helped advance medical science, enforced new laws, and expanded the lifespan of mankind. To begin with, human experimentation is necessary because it has been an aid in advancing medical science.
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In this study, six hundred African-American men were unknowingly part of an experiment on how to treat and cure syphilis. Three hundred and ninety-nine men were given or had syphilis, and the rest of them were considered the control group because they were not given the disease. They were given free doctor visits, meals, and burial insurance as compensation for their participation in the study. The doctors told the men that they were being treated for "bad blood", when in fact; they were not being treated at all (Human Experimentation). This experiment was to track and observe how syphilis reacted in the human body. "The men were monitored by health workers but only given placebos such as aspirin and mineral supplements, despite the fact penicillin became the recommended treatment for syphilis in 1947" (Nix). One major problem with this experiment was that these men were oblivious to the fact that they were being used as test subjects. They had no education and most to all of them came from poor families, which means that they did not visit the doctor very often. This became an …show more content…
We have surpassed the average lifespan that our ancestors had before us. Thousands of years ago, people would die at very young ages due to the various amounts of diseases that they were not able to fight off. “Unhygienic living conditions and little access to effective medical care meant life expectancy was likely limited to about 35 years of age” (Basaraba). Back when man was barely learning and adjusting to the world, death was lurking from every corner. Because of this, they needed to figure out why many people kept dying and how to prevent it. This is where human experimentation came in. They needed to observe the sick and try different methods of curing them. Diseases like the flu are what started the deaths of many. “Other infectious diseases like cholera, tuberculosis, and smallpox would go on to limit longevity, but none on a scale quite as damaging of the bubonic plague in the 14th century” (1). The bubonic plague became known later on as the Black Death. “The Black Death was a devastating global epidemic of bubonic plague that struck Europe and Asia in the mid-1300s” (“Black Death”). This disease was carried by animas and could be spread by a single bite. Sailors arriving back from sea had become infested with fleas, which carried the disease, and spread it all across the European and Asian continents. “The Black Plague moved through Asia and Europe, and wiped out as much as a third
In this study, six hundred African-American men were unknowingly part of an experiment on how to treat and cure syphilis. Three hundred and ninety-nine men were given or had syphilis, and the rest of them were considered the control group because they were not given the disease. They were given free doctor visits, meals, and burial insurance as compensation for their participation in the study. The doctors told the men that they were being treated for "bad blood", when in fact; they were not being treated at all (Human Experimentation). This experiment was to track and observe how syphilis reacted in the human body. "The men were monitored by health workers but only given placebos such as aspirin and mineral supplements, despite the fact penicillin became the recommended treatment for syphilis in 1947" (Nix). One major problem with this experiment was that these men were oblivious to the fact that they were being used as test subjects. They had no education and most to all of them came from poor families, which means that they did not visit the doctor very often. This became an …show more content…
We have surpassed the average lifespan that our ancestors had before us. Thousands of years ago, people would die at very young ages due to the various amounts of diseases that they were not able to fight off. “Unhygienic living conditions and little access to effective medical care meant life expectancy was likely limited to about 35 years of age” (Basaraba). Back when man was barely learning and adjusting to the world, death was lurking from every corner. Because of this, they needed to figure out why many people kept dying and how to prevent it. This is where human experimentation came in. They needed to observe the sick and try different methods of curing them. Diseases like the flu are what started the deaths of many. “Other infectious diseases like cholera, tuberculosis, and smallpox would go on to limit longevity, but none on a scale quite as damaging of the bubonic plague in the 14th century” (1). The bubonic plague became known later on as the Black Death. “The Black Death was a devastating global epidemic of bubonic plague that struck Europe and Asia in the mid-1300s” (“Black Death”). This disease was carried by animas and could be spread by a single bite. Sailors arriving back from sea had become infested with fleas, which carried the disease, and spread it all across the European and Asian continents. “The Black Plague moved through Asia and Europe, and wiped out as much as a third