ETHICALLY IMPOSSIBLE” STD Research in Guatemala from 1946-1948 
I n April 1947, New York Times science 
editor Waldemar Kaempffert published 
a note describing an intentional exposure 
syphilis prophylaxis (prevention) experi- 
ment in rabbits that offered great promise to 
reduce spread of the disease, if only similar 
research could be conducted in humans. 34 
The investigators that conducted that experi- 
ment, which included colleagues of Dr. John 
C. Cutler from the relatively small world of 
venereal disease researchers, had shown that 
penicillin injected within a few days after 
exposure could prevent syphilis infections. 35 
But, Kaempffert observed, it would be “ethically impossible” to undertake such 
research and “shoot living syphilis germs into human bodies.” 36 Therefore, it 
might be years before similar conclusions could be drawn for human beings. 37 
Kaempffert’s article was of particular interest to Dr. Cutler and his colleagues, 
who had been planning precisely the same type of experiment for months, and 
were about to begin doing just what Kaempffert described as being ethically 
impossible with prisoners and psychiatric patients in Guatemala. 38 
STDs were long a concern of the U.S. 
government. In 1938, U.S. Surgeon 
General Thomas Parran testified before 
Congress in support of proposed legis- 
lation to expand funding for public 
health prevention efforts and scientific 
research in this field. 39 “Men and muni- 
tions” were needed in the battle against 
syphilis and other STDs, such as gonor- 
rhea. 40 Dr. Parran sought support for the 
PHS to complete “studies, investigations 
and demonstrations which are neces- 
sary to develop more effective measures 
of prevention, treatment and control of 
venereal diseases... [so that] science will 
Thomas Parran 
From the National Library of Medicine 
SYPHILIS PREVENTIVE — 
Drs. Harry Eagle, Harold J. Magnu- 
son and Ralph Fleischman of the 
United States Public Health Service, 
the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene 
and the University of North Carolina 
have discovered that small doses of 
penicillin, injected within a few days 
after exposure, prevent syphilis from 
developing. The case holds good for 
rabbits, but no tests on human beings 
have yet Seen made. To settle the 
human issu^ quickly it would be nec- 
essary to shoot living syphilis germs 
into human, bodies, just as Dr. Eagle 
shot them, into rabbits. Since, this is 
ethically impossible, it may take years 
to gather the information needed. 
W. K. 
Waldemar Kaempffert. Notes on Science: 
Syphilis Preventive. New York Times. 
April 27, 1947. 
10 
