“ETHICALLY IMPOSSIBLE” STD Research in Guatemala from 1946-1948 
By December, Dr. Constantino Alvarez B., Division Chief at the Guate- 
malan Ministry of Health, requested that Dr. Cutler “inform us in great 
detail of the penicillin treatment for syphilis; given that many chief physi- 
cians of the departmental health units have been directing their enquiries 
for more information to this Division.” 240 Dr. Cutler replied with a “general 
treatment plan for each syphilis stage” in which penicillin had been shown 
to be “truly valuable.” 241 Dr. Carlos E. Tejeda, Chief of the Guatemalan 
Army Medical Department, later wrote a letter to Dr. Cutler in June 1947 
“beseeching you to draw 
up an Emergency Venereal 
Disease Prophylaxis Plan 
for [the Military Medical 
Department], which 
would be implemented 
in the National Army as 
soon as possible.” 242 Dr. 
Cutler complied with a 
“Prophylactic Plan for the 
Guatemalan Army,” which 
included an educational 
program; a prophylactic 
program of condoms, silver proteinate solution, and ointment; and methods 
for implementation of the prophylactic program. 243 In July, an article of Dr. 
Cutler lecturing the First Convention of Military Doctors on the “prophy- 
lactic venerological emergency plan for the Army of the Revolution” appeared 
in one of the local papers. 244 
In the Penitentiary, Dr. Cutler reported that “ready acceptance of our group” 
followed from the establishment of diagnostic and treatment programs (“a 
program of care for venereal disease which they have lacked in the past”). 245 
The treatment program, he said in January 1947, was “worthwhile” and “fully 
justified” to promote the prophylaxis experiments. 246 
While Dr. Cutler planned to start a “program of prophylaxis for all contacts 
that took place at the penitentiary,” he suggested to Dr. Mahoney that 
they would only “use placebo.” The intent of the placebo program was to 
“accustom [] the inmates to the use of prophylaxis so there will be no difficulty 
Dr. Cutler lecturing the First Convention of Military Doctors in July 1947 
From the Diario de Centro America 
34 
