ETHICALLY IMPOSSIBLE” STD Research in Guatemala from 1946-1948 
Table 2: Individuals Involved in the STD Experiments in Guatemala 
NAME 
AFFILIATION 
TITLE 
KNOWN ROLE IN 
GUATEMALA EXPERIMENTS 
Aguilar, Casta Luis 
Guatemala Ministry of 
Public Health 
Director of Research 
Laboratory 
Guatemalan government 
participant in the syphilis 
experiments 
Co-author of orvus-mapharsen 
study in sex workers with Dr. 
Funes 
Aragon, Dr. Hector 
National Orphanage of 
Guatemala 
Director 
Approved the serological 
experiments 
Published on serological data 
with the researchers and spoke 
on the topic at the Second 
Congress of Venereal Diseases 
in Central America in 1948 
Arnold, Dr. Richard C. 
U.S. Public Health 
Service (USPHS), 
Venereal Disease 
Research Laboratory 
(VDRL), Staten Island, 
New York 
Senior Surgeon, USPHS 
Director of Syphilis 
Research, VDRL 
(1939-1951) 
Secondary supervisor of the 
experiments 
Received Dr. Cutler’s reports on 
the experiments 
Visited the Guatemala site at 
least two times, 1947 and 1948 
Chinchilla, Dr. 
Roberto Robles 
Central Penitentiary, 
Guatemala City 
Director of Medical 
Services 
Guatemalan government 
participant 
Wrote Dr. Cutler thank you 
letter that was included in Dr. 
Cutler’s Final Syphilis Report 
Cutler, Dr. John C. 
USPHS /PASB, 
Guatemala 
Senior Surgeon, USPHS 
Director, STD Research 
in Guatemala 
Principal on-site investigator, 
Guatemala 
Leader of the intentional 
exposure experiments 
Eagle, Dr. Harry 
USPHS /National 
Institute of Health (NIH), 
Syphilis Study Section 
Member, Syphilis Study 
Section 
Commissioned Officer, 
USPHS (1936-1961) 
Director, Laboratory of 
Experimental Therapeutics 
Member of the Syphilis Study 
Section that approved the 
Guatemala research grant 
Requested to do own 
prophylaxis research on 
subjects in Guatemala 
and Venereal Disease 
Research Laboratory, 
Johns Hopkins School 
of Hygiene and Public 
Health and the Public 
Health Service Hospital in 
Baltimore (1936-1948) 
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