GUATEMALA EXPERIMENTS 1946-1948 
II 
Chancroid Experiments 
Overview 
The researchers conducted experiments 
involving chancroid (the STD caused 
by the bacterium Haemophilus ducreyi) 
on 133 subjects in the Psychiatric 
Hospital and Army in October 1948. 
These experiments occurred several months 
after Dr. Mahoney informed Dr. Cutler 
that he would not renew the Guatemala 
grant. 541 Cutaneous inoculation of the 
Chancroid is a bacterial disease 
caused by Haemophilus ducreyi. 
It is spread through sexual contact. 
Signs of infection begin with the 
development of a small bump 
that transforms into an ulcer. It is 
diagnosed by examining the ulcers 
and checking for swollen lymph 
nodes. There is no blood test available 
to check for infection. Chancroid is 
treated with antibiotics and large 
lymph nodes can be drained with a 
needle or local surgery. 
arms and back was the exposure method 
used. 542 The primary goal of the chancroid experiments was to test the orvus- 
mapharsen prophylaxis, as Dr. Cutler felt it had held up well against syphilis 
and gonorrhea. 543 The researchers treated the soldiers they infected (131) with 
sulfathiazole (one gram per day for five days). Of the 133 subjects exposed to 
chancroid, 131 received some form of treatment. 544 
Psychiatric Hospital 
The researchers conducted three 
chancroid experiments in the 
Psychiatric Hospital from October 
10-12, 1948. 545 The researchers 
used 41 subjects in total, treating 
39 of them. 546 They tested the 
The injection site of a female psychiatric subject who was 
exposed to syphilis three times and received some treatment 
From the National Archives and Records Administration 
orvus-mapharsen prophylaxis as 
compared to the U.S. Army pro 
kit. 547 Methods of inoculation were 
tested mostly on women’s forearms 
and shoulders by scarification with 
a needle. Of note, one group of three women was inoculated three times in 
the arms before an infection occured. 548 Dr. Cutler noted that two of the 
women inoculated with chancroid in this experiment later died, one just 13 
days after inoculation. 549 
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