“He told them he was
testing their immune systems; he said nothing about injecting them with someone
else’s malignant cells” (Skloot 128)
During
the 1950’s scientists worked in mysterious ways, almost as if they had
forgotten what it meant to be human or as if they had forgotten the value of
life. Just the fact that Chester Southam injected patients with cancerous HeLa
cells was wrong enough, but for him to do it without their consent was
ludicrous! At least Henrietta’s doctors somewhat asked for consent, Southam did
no such thing. The patients he worked on came to the hospital to receive
treatment for their diseases not to become more ill and the worst part about it
was that he was not even their doctor. He was just some scientist who came in
and lied just to get his own way. This put so many people in danger. So many
things could have gone wrong and so many things did go wrong. In “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by
Rebecca Skloot, Skloot mentions that the cancer nodules grew back repeatedly in
4 patients (128). How are we to know that this did not happen with other
patients? Doctors and scientists during this era seemed to have left their
human element behind. They were cold, almost to the point of having no emotions
and no sense of right and wrong. Everything seemed to be in the name of science,
and as long as it benefited science it was “ethical” to them. The scientists
did not take into account how patients may have felt. They felt like they had
the power and could do anything, and they did do anything that seemed right in
accordance to science. The most discouraging part about this is that other
scientists did not think that what Southam did here was wrong. They argued that
it was unnecessary to disclose all information or get consent and that Southam’s
behavior was considered ethical in the field (134). How is injecting people
with cancer ever ethical, especially without their consent? It is amazing to
think that scientists ever thought this way, but unfortunately that was the way
things were. Doctors had a sense of entitlement; they felt that since they were
healing their patients they could use their bodies for their own purposes.
Everything was “ethical” if it was for the advancement of science. Science
clearly came first and human lives came second.
Word Count: 383
Skloot, Rebecca. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. New York:
Broadway Paperbacks, 2010. 128. Print.
“Southam removed some of the nodules to verify that they were cancerous, but he left several to see if the patients’ immune systems would reject them or the cancer would spread.” (Skloot 128).
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Harmelle on this one. It was disgusting how inhumane Dr. Southam was to his patients. Doctors at this time worked on a personal code of ethics, meaning if they thought it was for the benefit of the patient or of science they would not ask for consent but do what they thought was right. Dr. Southam had no ethics in this case; he put people’s lives at risk and for no great benefit. He injected Henrietta’s cancer ridden cells into cancer patient’s arms, how could he possibly think their immune systems would be up to fighting off two cancers at once. (Skloot 128). “Research on inmates would come under scrutiny and start being heavily regulated about fifteen years later.” (Skloot 129). Southam wanted to try his experiment on healthy patients and decided to test criminals, whom were not allowed to give consent. Luckily these healthy men fought off the cancer growing inside them. “Despite scientists’ fears, the ethical crackdown didn’t slow scientific progress. In fact, research flourished.” (Skloot 136). It took years before anything was done to protect patients from doctors like Southam, and by then he’d injected more than 600 people for his research. (Skloot 129). I feel like ethical issues like informed consent should have discussed hundreds of years before any of this happened, but people trust their doctors too much.
(227/260)
"...Southam loaded a syringe with saline solution mixed with HeLa. He slid the needle into the forearm of a woman who'd recently been hospitalized for Leukemia, then pushed the plunger, injecting about five million of Henrietta's cells into her arm." (Skloot 128)
ReplyDeleteI literally found myself with my jaw dropping as I read these this. I honestly could not believe some scientist would actually have the audacity to go through with this. The whole time I was thinking "WHAT COULD POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH THIS MAN'S HEAD?" Just like Harmelle described, this lunatic decided to go over all moral or ethical code just to go through with some pretty unethical "research." It's sad enough to think gruesome research and testing is conducted like this in animals, so imagine doing it to a human being! Not only did he infect people who were already sick with cancer, but also to people who were perfectly healthy! And to think that he did all of this without saying one word to them, much less ask for any consent. The book describes how Southam's reasoning was supposedly to do this all for "Comparison's sake," but was the risk worth it? (skloot 128) I certainly doubt it! It's so crazy to even begin to imagine if I were on of those innocent victims that were injected with the HeLa cells. Their arms grew swollen and red within a short period of time after the dosage was given. Days later the arms would grow large, hard nodules! I believe they were probably not only uncomfortable but very painful! It sickens me to know this was all done "in the name of science." Don't get me wrong, I'm all for scientific advances, but always keeping the right's of individuals in mind of course. I am more than grateful that now a days, we have more strict policies and rules when it comes to research and treatment, but even then we must always watch out!
Word Count: 328
Skloot, Rebecca. "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" New York. Broadway Paperbacks, Crown Publishing, 2010. Print.