Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 1990 Dec;301(6766):1456-60.
doi: 10.1136/bmj.301.6766.1456.

"Human guinea pigs"--a history

"Human guinea pigs"--a history

M H Pappworth. BMJ. 1990 Dec.

Abstract

KIE: In 1967, Pappworth expanded a 1962 journal article on unethical experiments with human subjects into a book, Human Guinea Pigs: Experimentation on Man (Routledge). Here Pappworth describes the impetus behind his controversial article and book, and the reaction to both from the British media, the British medical establishment, the Ministry of Health, and Parliament. He discusses the effectiveness of ethical codes, editorial policies, and research ethics committees in safeguarding human subjects from overzealous or unethical researchers. He warns of the need for all those involved in human experimentation -- researchers, their units, ethics committees, editors of medical journals -- to tighten the self regulatory mechanisms in place lest public reaction to unethical research bring on legal sanctions.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

  • Human guinea pigs.
    [No authors listed] [No authors listed] BMJ. 1991 Feb 16;302(6773):411. BMJ. 1991. PMID: 2004153 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. N Engl J Med. 1966 Jun 16;274(24):1354-60 - PubMed
    1. Br Med J. 1968 Apr 6;2(5596):7-10 - PubMed
    1. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1958 Oct 7;73(3):635-53 - PubMed
    1. BMJ. 1990 Jan 13;300(6717):61-2 - PubMed
    1. Lancet. 1951 Oct 20;2(6686):698-701 - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources