Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present

Science News,  Jan 20, 2007  

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MEDICAL APARTHEID: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present HARRIET A. WASHINGTON

Beginning in colonial times, blacks were seen as property that could be experimented upon and disposed of at will by slave owners and unscrupulous medical practioners. Much of the early research performed on blacks, especially by southern doctors, was done to outline the perceived fundamental biological differences between blacks and whites, which were viewed as two separate species. Washington outlines white fascination in the early 19th century with black anatomy and skin color. She details the infamous Tuskegee syphilis study as well as the use of nonconsenting black prisoners, children, and medical patients in experiments examining the effects of radiation, contraceptive techniques, and bioterrorism agents. Finally, Washington examines current racial inequities in access to medical care, testing, and advanced treatments. She offers recommendations for combating the widespread mistrust between the medical community and African Americans. Doubleday, 2006, 501 p., b&w plates, hardcover, $27.95.

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