WHAT WERE THE HOLMESBURG EXPERIMENTS:
Starting in about 1951 to 1974 the Holmesburg Prison in Pennsylvania was home to medical research on inmates. They inmates were most commonly referred to as "guinea pigs." They participated in dermatological related experiments, including cosmetics, and toiletries. "However, others entailed hair transplants, implantation of foreign bodies, burns and radiation of the skin, exposure to dioxin, application and ingestion of toxic, near lethal doses of retinoin A, inoculation of Staphylococcus aureus, and the yanking out of fingernails."
Starting in about 1951 to 1974 the Holmesburg Prison in Pennsylvania was home to medical research on inmates. They inmates were most commonly referred to as "guinea pigs." They participated in dermatological related experiments, including cosmetics, and toiletries. "However, others entailed hair transplants, implantation of foreign bodies, burns and radiation of the skin, exposure to dioxin, application and ingestion of toxic, near lethal doses of retinoin A, inoculation of Staphylococcus aureus, and the yanking out of fingernails."
As you scroll through Thomas Roma's ( director of photography at Columbia University) photographs below of the Holmesburg Prison, click here to listen to his interview with Madeleine Brand, NPR interviewer, to her Roma discuss his perspective regarding the life behind bars at Holmesburg.
Below are quotes from two of the former inmates regarding there reactions to the medical research and to the left you will find a photograph of Edward Anthony, (make sure to notice his left hand.)
Edward Anthony: “When they put the chemicals on me, my hands swelled up like eight-ounce boxing gloves, and they’ve never gone back to normal,” Leodus Jones: “I never had these rashes before, but I’ve had them ever since.” |
Click here to learn about the "life" at Holmesburg prison, and how former inmates, including Edward Anthony and Leodus Jones, are now suing the City of Philadelphia, the University of Pennsylvania, and Albert Kligman, for the mistreatment they experienced while in prison.
Click on the document to the right to hear the about the experiments through the eyes of a patient and learn about how the scientists made the patients feel inhuman. "They used my body; they did things to me that were inhuman,'' Alston said yesterday. "I feel less than a woman because of the things they did to me. This brought me pain. A lot of pain.'' |
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Allen Hornblum, a noted criminal justice expert, described the details of the Holmesburg experiment in his book "Acres of Skin." Hornblum’s book is a clear example of patient abuse: “all prisoners at Holmesburg in these experiments were abused by a uncaring and abusing dermatologist and a thoughtless and money-grubbing major research university.” Click here to read a review of the book by the Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture.
Click here to watch a video and learn more about Edward Anthony's story. The video also includes Allen Hornblum and interviewer Patty Satalina.