Archive description
This three-page typewritten document is an article entitled, "plutonium experiment" from the publication, science trends, volume xxxv, number 22, pages 127-129, dated february 23, 1976. No author for the article is provided. The article was stamped as being received by the erda library, washington, d.c. On february 26, 1976. The article discusses information related to the plutonium injection experiment in 1945 to 1947. The article indicates that this was "a bizarre medical experiment secretly begun by the government in the closing months of world war ii (which) is now being disclosed by researchers who find it "reprehensible" from the standpoint of ethics, but valuable from the lessons learned...most, or perhaps all of the subjects, were apparently unaware that they were receiving a substance which has since, been described as one of the most toxic known to man. And though all were considered terminally ill at the time, three are still alive today, some 30 years later." erda (u.s. Energy research and development agency) officials declined to "...provide the names of the individuals involved, either as subjects or experiments. Written records were said to be 'scarce' and 'fuzzy.' and officials said it is not even clear who ordered the experiments performed." the medical experiments were compared to experiments carried out by the nazis in world war ii, which were condemned by an international tribunal at the nuremburg doctors' trial. Other disclosures were also mentioned in the article, such as recent disclosures of hazardous medical tests performed on children, prisoners, the mentally infirmed, and others by drug companies and government agencies, which led to congressional hearings and establishment of a national commission for protection of human subjects (through the nih). The article credits dr. P.w. Durbin (lawrence berkeley laboratory) and r.e. Rowland (argonne national laboratory) with the "elaborate scientific 'detective' work" in identifying 17 of the 18 subjects involved in the plutonium injection studies. Both drs. Durbin and rowland, who had no connection with the original experiments, were surprised to find that some of the subjects were still alive. From examination of the death certificates of the remaining subjects, "....it appears that plutonium cannot be considered to be a contributing cause for any of these cases...(since)...these individuals were all gravely ill at the time of the plutonium injections..." the article states that "...when the incident was brought to the attention of officials at erda last year, the matter was investigated, and it was decided to inform those surviving of the true nature of their 'test' performed three decades ago."
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Machine-read from the scan, so expect some errors. Lines that couldn’t be read are left out.
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grade plutonium into the veins of 18 men, women and childrh who .w&e thought, -Ti+$::.T.$ at the time, to have short life expectancy. Most, or perhaps all of the subjects, were apparently unawZ& that.they w e r e $;~,.+..,i~::p; receiving-a substance which has-since been described as one The experiments were carried out in Rochester, San Frqcisco ah3 the auspices of the Manhattan Project, for development of ,the initial injections were performed before the first detonation under conditions so secret that the plutonium was referred ' to. known to man. are still alive today, some thirty years later. And though all were considered terminally ill I . A bizarre medical experiment secretly begun by the gOVerIlUWl~in'' War 11, were condemned by an international tribunal at the Nuremberg trial. The proceedings led to proposed ethical procedures under which would be advised of potential risks, and asked to provide "informed"'- .-.. , ently, disclosures of hazardous medical tests performed upon c 'x.; led to Congressional hearings and establishment of a National Commission , ,c:p s, the mentally infirm, and others by drug canpanies and government .. 1. . ERDA officials declined this week to provide the n either as subjects or experimenters. Although the tests have been known to many senior rese field, and have been re€erred to at some scientific apparently been no detailed published accounts until In the intervening years, according to knowledgeable were never told of the experiments, and their implic special surveillance, treatment or care. And officials said it is not even clear wh Medical experiments with human subjects, carried out by the Nazis ,d&ing World,.,j.;::Lq.,, f i I - : - !' .,e' for the Protection of Human Subjects, operated at the National Institutes of ' the Commission, said this wee&s:khey were unaware of the plutonium experiments. a Health, Bethesda, MD. Persons connected with the legislative initatives, and :i+%
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the use of the fetus for next month on *e w e of prisoners as medical others concerned with the human experiment to d e the Ms sion a permanent group, connaction with the tests, described them U s week 88 "reprehensible" in the...:.!., one of them camnented. According to studies carnpleted last year, it was found that 18 Persons of 'ShoA _ . life expectancy" were injecteduith quantities of plutonium equivalant to one hundred to eight hundred years of occupational radiation errpo-e. ThrTgh Laboratory, seventeen of these individuals were identified. .Eight ' w e .fo?;ls'a:&il. ,one wanan are still alive today. nine years. At the time of the experiments. little was known of the'relati&-' *!:; ship of specific doses of plutonium and bone or liver cancer, in man, and aoti 1: much more is known today, Durbin and Rowland, who had no connection with.'*@ . ., ?, :, original experiments, attempted to find any records which might provide s U 9 . ;-;, : ; surpriser that sane of the subjects were still alive. For the remaining subjects, death certificates were examined, with sane I., - .-. ..*.',.!,.;,..4 that plutonium cannot be considered to be a contributing cau$e for any of the?e,,:'- ' *e time of the plutonium injectionst sane died in the hospital shortly after'.::;:.,? ~ the injections, others survived only to succumb eventually to their diaslioa&'Lf;'i;=;. .They reported to the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) .ithat'? "no bone-or-liver-related malignancies appear in the listed causes gf d e a e or'ib.., ,the contributing causes on the death certificates, except ..it was the diagnosed disease at the time of the injection. . knowledge today.. .the cases still living show no plutoniumafter first exposures. It was i n the course of this study that they found, to their... .' And the comparatively small number .of .cpses',iqvolvedmakes ' it impossible to conclude that the plutonium radiation doses were 'nottumor- . ' energy field shift t o w a r d the breeder reactor and the "plutonium economy.' The study of the eighteen World W a r If subjects may shed sane light on this subject. . The researchers conclude that "these cases serve to demonstrate the plutonium , does not appear to be more carcinogenic than expected, and, as far a"s bone is '. concerned, may actually be less carcinogenic than expected." why were the Qriginal experiments carried out? Researchers today note that in.' the closing months of World War 11, and under the extreme secrecy requirement. ; of the Manhattan project, it was believed necessary to determine the potential . risks to the many persons involved-in'weaponsresearch, production and exposure. The urine excretion rates of the subjects were measured and plotted as a fwiction sure hazards which is still 8of-indy bud- providing a method of a in use today.
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When the incident was brought to 'the attantibn .of'bfficiale:at i w.S ERDA last year, the matter w h investigatedr a it.- dedided &.info- those.:.-:! sumitlors are noir under medical surveillance, but no special treatmkk' is being ._; administered."There would be no point of doing anything else now," M ERDA A 300 square mile site in the Savannah River (SC) Plant, a 200,000 acre vea --:pq! is now ,available to qualified scientists and students interest+ in copductiny !a::.? Government-sponsored reseakchers were able to find only one cammercidliy-,av+lie, The study8 conducted by the Research Triangle Institute (E)idenhfikd2a d @ v h p ; j -132; available without charge from Office of Technical Publi The aerican a s Association is intioducing an "aiivanced versionb bf its;~ergys-: t analysis computer program, E CUBE 111 ( ~ n e r g yconservation utilizing Setter:.'.:i,J,;.C A postdoctoral fellowship program has been established at Oak Wge '(TU)N aeon al. national energy problems and needs. The Wigper Fellowship Program, named for E.'P. Wigner, Nobel.laureate and first'-jl Director of Research and Development for Clinton Labo'iratories, ORm's PredeCeSSOt, will be open to.physica1, social and life scientists and engineers no more than three years past the doctoral degree. Benefits include fully,competitive'salaries and travel and relocation expenses. c (Those interested in applying m y contact the Office of Professional and Uni- , versity Relations, dak Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box X I Oak Ridge,.llV