How do you Explain the Seemingly Unexplainable?

By Susan M. Reverby

The word “Tuskegee” in relationship to health care reminds Americans of the “infamous syphilis study” and that horrific medical experiments took place here, and not just in Nazi Germany. Between 1932 and 1972, the United States Public Health Service followed, but did not treat, hundreds of African American men in Alabama who already had late stage syphilis. The men never knew they were being watched as aspirins, iron tonics, and diagnostic spinal taps were explained as “treatment” and scores of them sickened and died.

In my most recent book, I had to explain: why did the doctors do it? Sometimes it is easy to answer this: all the men were black and poor, and almost all the doctors were white. Was this racism pure and simple? Or is this just scientific and governmental bureaucracy run amuck where having the power to do this just lets it go on and on?

Yes, of course, to these answers and then no. No because these public health physicians thought they were answering crucial questions: does race affect disease and do those with late latent syphilis need treatment? Many honestly believed their faulty data that assumed racial differences and ignored contrary evidence. They thought they proved “syphilis wasn’t such a bad disease” and then found that those who had survived into the antibiotic era (when penicillin could have made a difference) often got to other doctors for these drugs despite the study. The doctors allowed medical uncertainty about how to treat syphilis to be explained by racial assumptions and to see individuals as a population.

“Tuskegee” will probably continue to haunt our civic imaginations as a metaphor for malfeasance and hubris in research. The study should remind us both of the dangers of racism and the common practice of wrongly reading race into scientific data.

Susan M. Reverby is the McLean Professor in the History of Ideas and Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies at Wellesley College. She is the author of the UNC Press released Examining Tuskegee: The Infamous Syphilis Study and Its Legacy and editor of Tuskegee’s Truths: Rethinking the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. To read the UNC Press Blog, click here.

Grave site of Tuskegee participant, Lucious C. Pollard (from the author’s personal collection and book.)

Wit
The Color of Pirating
An Epidemic Caused by Alcohol: Beaune, 1746

http://thetruebookaddict.blogspot.com/ Michelle @ The True Book Addict

I would say this is shocking, but not really, considering our history of racism towards blacks. I am taking an African American History course right now that starts from after the Civil War through the present and I am learning much more than I thought I already knew about blacks and Civil Rights. Very interesting post!
http://theviewfromsarisworld.blogspot.com sari

Sadly, this is yet another example of how racism shaped our culture. I am aware of another experiment done on a local level that only involved children of mixed race. A hospital in Northern California tried to keep new born mix race children in the hospital for “tests”. Some test included blood transfers and” jaundice cures” A few young couples were smart enough to say no and in my best friend’s case, took their children out of the hospital despite being told they could not! My friend alerted the Berkley media and as far as she knows the testing stopped. This was back in the late 70;s. In an era that should have known better!
We may never know about all of the racist testing, but we should make sure they never happen again.
http://shilohcommfound.com Liz

Both my grandfather’s were involved in this horrible study. My family lived it because my grandfather was blinded, we believe by the study. My grandmother died at an early age and her last two children were born with mental challenges. Reading Susan’s books have helped me to continue my healing process. The African-American youth in my community know very little about the Tuskegee Syphillis Study. A Foundation I formed is one of the ways I want to insure will inform not only our youth but America about this part of history that is not taught in the text books of Alabama. Many say it cannot happen again, but it can happen again. This Foundation also is preserving a historic Rosenwald School where we hope to further engage the youth and America about the Tuskegee Study. The Shiloh MBC is another piece of the puzzle that was the first stop for Nurse Eunice Rivers (Ms Ever) in her recruitment of uneducated share cropper. The Shiloh Cemetery holds the remains of many of these men that was in the study. All three sites are being considered for the National Register of Historic Places. Dr. Reverby’s book is wonderful and once you pick it up, its hard to put down. I thought I knew everything there was to know about the TSS, but Dr. Reverby’s books always bring something to light that I did not know. Dr. Reverby has also chosen to include my grandfather in her pictures. This picture in her book will remind his family that he mattered (man on the scales with face hidden. GREAT BOOK
Vicky Alvear Shecter

I’ve enjoyed reading the comments as much as the article. I’m glad this book was featured!
David Ashcraft

From 1960 until 1972 whole body radiation was used experimentally on victims from the public clinic at Cincinnati’s General Hospital. Not all were African-American. Funding for the research came from the Department of Defense as the researcher, Dr. Eugene Saenger, was trying to develop a test for triage of soldiers exposed to radiation on the battlefield. Less than 15 years following the Nuremberg trials government funds were once again sponsoring medical research for the benefit of the military. Furor over the tests, revealed in 1972 by UC junior faculty member Martha Stephens, died down until 1995 when President Clinton’s health secretary published a complete list of several thousand radiation experiments performed on unsuspecting US citizens. Local media, including the Cincinnati Enquirer, which extolled the genius of Dr. Saenger while downplaying the immorality of the tests during the first round of revelations in 1972, finally reported in full the number of victims, the suffering they endured, and the contravention of human moral principles involved. Today a nearly hidden, inconsequential memorial attests to the lives of the victims of this Mengele-like episode,