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.
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