Hi all of /r/AskHistorians! I'm a history major currently working on a research paper of my choice. I decided to research and compile a record of medical experiments done on humans by the likes of Unit 731 and Joseph Mengele, and how, though unethical and wrong, those experiments and tests helped advance our medical knowledge and understanding. I know that the United States recruited many of those responsible and did so in order to gain access to their notes and knowledge, eventually carrying on their experiments doing things such as the Tuskegee syphilis experiments and the STD experiments done in Guatemala. Basically if anyone has any sources they could recommend even if it just has a snippet of information that I need I would be truly grateful! It is difficult finding the 'positive' side to these human experiments, keeping in mind I do not find these things acceptable, I do wish to find out how it has helped our understanding of medicine, wounds, surgery, and diseases. As a side note I have just started this and am checking here (and the library of course!) on sources as if there are not enough I will have to change topics unfortunately!
Hi,
I think you'll be interested in reading this earlier thread:
The short answer is no. These experiments were performed in scientifically non-rigorous (at ALL) ways and reported under false pretenses.
If there can be said to be a sad benefit at all, it's the institution of strict standards of ethics and science in experimenting on human beings. And this development could have come from any source, not the impossible mountain of suffering that the experiments you want to study created.