Tuesday, May 24, 1960: Radiation experiments on humans

Physicians at Cincinnati General Hospital, part of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, carry out experiments on at least 100 terminally ill cancer patients by subjecting them to varying doses of full-body irradiation. Among the purposes of the experiments was to see how much radiation a soldier could withstand before becoming incapictated. The work, first funded by the Defense Atomic Support Agency of the Department of Defense, would continue until 1971; many patients would die shortly after exposure. (The experiments began in the spring of 1960; I used May 24 as the date because it appears to be the date when the first subject who died was first subjected to radiation.)

* More about experiments (from website of Department of Energy's Office of Health, Safety and Security): @ and @

* Text of April 1994 congressional hearings: @

* Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments: @

* "Report on Search for Human Radiation Experiment Records" (From DoD website): @

* 2007 obituary of lead researcher Dr. Eugene Saenger (pictured above): @

* About the book "The Treatment: The Story of Those Who Died in the Cincinnati Radiation Tests": @ and @

* Excerpts from the book: @ and @

---