Brief Henrietta

"Henrietta Lacks Story" by Sonia Shah

Research question: has the history of medical science been built on the foundation of unethical medical research/experiementation on African Americans? 

Summary: I went about finding another article that once again states that Henrietta never consented to having her cells being used for other purposes. But every article mentions that no consent was taken but immediately trys to cover it up with what her cells have done for science. If it was one article I would just think the author was trying to push his side while still touching upon the other side but every article seems to do it. Makes me want to know exactly what is being covered up. Shah states, "... Consent was not recieved but experimentation helped in the development of the polio vaccine, drugs for leukemia, influenza, haemophilia, and Parkinson's disease as well advancing knowledge of cancer and genetics." Why are they trying so hard to cover the fact that consent was not given? 

Shah, Sonia. "Henrietta Lack's Story." The Lancet 375 (2010): 384. Print. 

A Fresh Look at the Historical Record

"The Medical ethics of Dr J Marion Sims: a fresh look at the historical record" by L L Wall

Research Question:  has the history of medical science been built off the foundation of unethical medical research/experimentation on African Americans?

Summary: the article gives a different perspective on the experiments done by Dr. Sims when he discovered the vesicovaginal fistula. Walls states, "the claims against Sims are largely without merit and his original patients were willing participants in his surgical attempts.  Wall tore apart the article written by Ojanua claiming everything to be false. Ojanua claimed that eveything Sims did was unethical while Wall claims that Sims is a man to be praised. Wall states," Sim's reputation diminished considerably in the mid-twentieth century as it was assaulted by a series of strident critics who condemned him for his reputedly unethical behavior," (wall). Wall touches on three main points that were established in Ojanua's paper. The first being "it was unethical by any standard to perform experimental surgery on slaves because slaves by definition, could not have given voluntary informed consent for sugery. Second being that Sim's failure to use ether anesthesia during these operations was racist and the last being that the use of slaves for medical experiementation was unnecessary because substantial advances in medical care were made in a ethical manner." All this claims appeared in Ojanua's and Wall went about making every claim invalid. 

I love that I found this paper. It does not change my position but it did add to the other side of the story. Giving me the curiosity to search more for the truth. 

Wall, L.L. "The medical ethics of Dr J Marion Sims: a fresh look at the historical record." Journal of Medical Ethics 32 (2006): 346-350. Print. 

World Medical Association

"World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki: Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects"

Research Question: Has the history of medical science been built on the foundation of unethical medical research/experimentation on African Americans?

Summary: This source was a not set up as article but as a list of ethical procedures that need to be taken when using human subjects. So i will about listing the most important and those that help support my argument.

• The World Medical Association binds the physicians with the words, "The health of my patients will be my first consideration."
• "A physician shall act only in the patient's interest when providing medical care which might have the effect of weakening the physical and mental condition of the patient"
• the well-being of the human subject should take precedence over the interests of science and society
• it is the duty of the physician in medical research to protect the life, health, privacy, and dignity of the human subject
• Medical research involving human subjects should be conducted only by scientifically qualified persons and under the supervision of a clinically competent medical person
• The subjects must be volunteers and informed participants in the research project

One of my sources argued that if these ethics were put into place during the time of these events then they still would have occurred. That would be making the experiments unethical either way. Because there have been so many unethical experiments, it caused the implementation of these standards. Based on these standards we have today, I believe that even though they did not exist in the past, what the subjects went through was beyond unethical. 

I am not sure how to cite this source. 

Chapter 11: Position Statement

Research Question: Has the history of medical science been built on foundation of unethical research/experimentation on African Americans?

1.     

    1. After reading many articles and books it has led me to believe that the history of medicine has been built on the backs of slaves. I want to argue that African Americans are the main contributors to medical science, but it is hard because not many people know that. We have all these well-known men, who have developed procedures or discovered genetics, but they did all of this using unwilling African American individuals. I also want to argue that the time frame these instances happen does make it right. Most of these event happened during antebellum South, which people argue that because the African Americans had no rights and were not even in charge of themselves they had no way of consenting. But what they fail to realize is that at this point it was not just enslaved Blacks but also free.

2.   2.  Articles:

a.       “The Use of Blacks for Medical Experimentation and Demonstration in the Old South” was an article that really helped establish my argument. This article not only described what happened to the Blacks but how they ended up in this situation emphasizing the racial attitudes of antebellum white southerners. Blacks were considered more available and more accessible in this white-dominated society: they were rendered physically visible by their skin color but were legally invisible because of their slave status. This article is making it known that blacks were used in order to fuel white physicians career. Using this source I was able to search for other events of medical research with blacks by using names, dates and places.

b.      Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present. This book is the main foundation of my research paper. This book establishes many events in which Blacks were used as test subjects going from the colonial times to present. I take what I read in the book and find other sources based on the particular events so I can get a two side perspective. I found one article based on a well-known doctor by the name of Dr. Hamilton who was mentioned in the book and multiple sources, but a source in particular titled “Doctor Thomas Hamilton: Two Views of a Gentleman of the Old South,” tried to give reasoning and cover up what actually happened. The argument was not bullet proof, the sources they used I was able to go through them and find counter arguments.

c.       “The Medical ethics of the ‘Father of Gynecology’, Dr. J Marion Sims,” is one the best sources I have found that support my argument. Here is man that is considered to have opened up so many doors within medicine and which so many people are inspired or look up to. The same man who opened up the first women’s hospital, but who used unwilling, helpless enslaved women to further his medical career. With this article I was able to find other physicians with similar stories that all support my argument that the history of science is built off the backs of blacks.

3.   3. I had read the book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lack and was curious to find out if there were other cases of unethical medical treatment. As I did research I discovered way more than I thought I would find. Not only did I find a few cases within the last 50 years but cases going back as far as colonial times. My purpose is to unleash the true. Uncover how these physicians became so prominent what they used and how they used it. My role when writing this article was to inform. I want others to know the history of medicine, and this has been my role since the beginning. The only thing that has changed is the time frame for which I am pulling my events in order to cushion my argument.

4.   4. I honestly feel like anyone who interested in medical history will be able to understand my perspective, but not everyone will agree. Many of these events have been uncovering are well known. It took a lot of time to find these sources, so people are not looking they will not find them.

Position Statement: Scientific Medicine has been built on the back of Blacks.

Good, the Bad and the Ugly

"HeLa cells 50 years on: the good, the bad and the ugly" by John R. Masters

Research Question: has the history of medicine been built on the foundation of unethical research/experimentation on African Americans? 

Summary: was what happened to Henrietta ethical? Some would like to argue that it was because "it was not customary the to ask for written permission to obtain such samples for research purposes, and there is no record that Henrietta consented or not to the use of her cells." Because of this dilemma a requirement today for documented patient consent for research samples has been put into place. Many would liketo cover up the main topic by pointing in a different direction. Emphasizing more on what she has done for science by always mentioning she helped create the polio vaccine and invitro fertilization but what has science done for her? The same is happening with the other cases involving those unwilling slave patients. It is not all about the science, what  needs to be realized is that there were actual people behind these experiments. Those people are not something that can buried. These operations and medications have not appeared put of thin air. 

As I continue to read I am starting to realize that medical science has been built on the backs of blacks. Without them we would not have these surgerys today that save so many peoples lives or the medications for which have been formulated to keep someone alive. Do we really thank the white physicians or the Blacks who suffered day in and day out in order to be shoved on sidelines not getting a chance to play?

Masters, John R. "HeLa cells 50 years on: the good, the bad and the ugly." Nature Review: Cancer 2 (2002): 315-319. Print 

Paying Patients

"Paying Patients for Their Tissue: The Legacy of Henrietta Lacks" by Robert D. Truog, Aaron S. Kesselheim and Steven Joffe

Research Question: has the history of medicine been built on the foundation of unethical research/experimentation of African Americans? 

Summary: within this article they state that the doctors did not ask Henrietta for consent before using her tissue for research, but at the same time they claim they never received any financial gains from the cell line. The vials were said to have been sold for 167 dollars a vial at one point. Someone was making money off of this women while her children that were left behind could not even afford health coverage. Based on this event many other cases have been investigated because physicians are getting rich off of using parts of other people. At the time even if the physicians that were working with Lack were receiving money they would not have shared. The article states "compensating such patients may have unintended consequences that could work to decrease the availability of tissue for research, and may paradoxically become a source of injustice." The biggest question that still seems to be undetermined is if consent should be a requirement whether you are making money or not. 

This article is making me question the line of ethics. Because sometimes it can be very thin when it comes to more current events. There is no doubt that in the past the line was evident and those who stepped over it did it intentionally. I need to make my mind up and stick to one side. Im leaning more towards unethical. 

Truog, Robert D., Kesselheim, Aaron S., and Joffe, Steven. "Paying Patients for Their Tissue: The Legacy of Henrietta Lacks." Science 337 (2012): 36-37. Print. 

HeLa Cell Story

"Prize for the HeLa Cell Story" by Nigel Williams

Research Question: has the history of medical science been built on the foundation of unethical medical research/ experimentation on African Americans? 

Summary: Henrietta Lacks was dying from cervical cancer in 1951, but little did she know she would one day become one of the most important women in medicine. After her death scientists removed cells from her body and grew them in the laboratory. The cells have become known to help develop the polio vaccine, invitro fertilization techniques and the development of drugs for herpes and influenza. In in 2001 each vial of her cells were selling for $167. Lack's story has been portrayed as an example of the mistreatment of African Americans in the pursuit of medical science. The article touches upon the Tuskegee syphilis study once again. This article is trying to establish the stories that helped to change the attitudes and ethics of the medical profession. 

When reading through these articles I can find out how Blacks have contributed to medicine and its advancements, but the only stories that have been said to change ethics and procedures are the Henrietta Lack event and the Tuskegee study. I know for a fact there are more, but I just have to spend the time really searching for them. I want to find out what caused white physicians to stop using blacks. All of these articles are making me realize that maybe the history of medicine is based off the contributors being black. 

 Williams, Nigel. "Prize for the HeLa Cell Story." Current Biology 20.23. Print.