Acres of Skin: Human Experiments at Holmesburg Prison

by Allen M. Hornblum

Book Overview

At a time of increased interest and renewed shock over the Tuskegee syphilis experiments, Acres of Skin sheds light on yet another dark episode of American medical history. In this disturbing expose, Allen M. Hornblum tells the story of Philadelphia's Holmesburg Prison.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0415923360
• ISBN13: 9780415923361
• Release Date: May 1999
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 335 Pages
• Weight: 1.06 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

A Shocking Expose Relevant in Today's World

And you thought that horrible "medical" experiments on humans only took place in Germany and Japan during World War II? This exhaustively researched and documented book about using prisoners in Pennsylvania as guinea pigs to test the safety and efficacy of various types of medical, pharmacutical, cosmetic, and military products during the post-war years was an enormous surprise to this reader. How so many highly respected and educated Americans could take part in these such immoral behavior is extremely instructive in light of the involvement of American military reservists in the recent Abu Ghraib prison scandal in Iraq. Apparently normal human beings taking part in abberant behavior as a result of certain unusual circumstances, occurred in Nazi Germany and Japan during the war, in Pennsylvania during the post-war years, and now at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Although the physicians and scientists in this book were studying the effects of pharmacuticals on human beings, often with horrific results, this book is a fascinating study of the persons conducting the experiments and how they came to justify their actions.

New York Times is wrong: very solid book.

I looked up the negative New York Times book review to see what Higbie's problem was. She thinks Hornblum is biased because he supports "prison reform." The book sticks quite close to the issue of medical experiments in prison, which must be at the very least something in prison in need of "reform". Higbie is also offended by the comparison to Nazi medical practices. But that's not exaggeration by Hornblum. As the book relates, the Nazi doctors at Nuremberg successfully avoided the death penalty by arguing that their own pointless torture experiments were similar to that conducted by U.S. doctors in U.S. prisons.It's an excellent book. The book focuses on the specific prison, but has a lengthy chapter on experiments on prisoners throughout the U.S.My only real criticism is the optimistic ending of chapter 3 that the FDA banned prisoner experimentation in the 1980s. As far as I can tell, the regulation was suspended at passage and then repealed in 1997. Fifty years after Nuremberg, experiments on prisoners unable to give informed consent continues.

An Eye Opener

This book is great because it shows you the depths of exploitation that some people are willing to descend to in the name of science and the almighty buck. America is always so ready and willing to condemn Germany for Nazism, which we should, but we'd better examine our own diabolical potential as well.

Yet another national disgrace.

Perpetrator of these atrocities, University of Pennsylvania's "Dr." Albert Kligman, is the second physician in FDA history to be barred from experimenting on human subjects. Both Retin-A and Renova are derivatives of skin hardening chemicals he concocted at Holmesburg Prison. This merciless freak experimented on hospitalized retarded children and helpless elderly patients as well. Never apologized to his tortured victims or their families. I am permanently boycotting Retin-A, Renova, Johnson & Johnson and Dow Chemical. U. Penn will never get a dime from me either. All of them continue to profit greatly from wanton destruction of human lives.

IT'S A VERY TRUE STORY MY FATHER WAS ONE OF THOSE EXPERMINTS

ACRES OF SKIN IS A VERY TRUE STORY I'M SO GLAD MR. HORNBLUM FINALLY GOT THE TRUTH OUT ABOUT OUR MEDICAL AND INSTUTIONS ONE OF THOSE HORRID EXPERMINTS WAS GOING ON AT THE OHIO STATE PEN.MY FATHER WAS ONE OF THE FIRST THERE.HE IS NOW DECEASED AND I BLAME OUR STATE AND MEDICAL FACILITIES.