The foundation of medicine is to protect human life and improve health. However, throughout history, there have been cases where some doctors and institutions violated these principles and carried out horrific, inhumane experiments. Let’s look at five of the most unethical medical practices recorded in modern history.
1. U.S. Government Radiation Experiments on Children
In the 1990s, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Eileen Welsome revealed in her investigation The Plutonium Files that in the 1940s–50s, the United States carried out compulsory radiation experiments. Members of the Manhattan Project injected plutonium-238, one of the deadliest radioactive substances, into unsuspecting patients — including children. Many developed cancerous tumors, which turned their lives into a nightmare.
Between 1945–1953, MIT, with government support, conducted experiments at the Walter E. Fernald State School in Massachusetts, an institution for children with intellectual disabilities. Under the guise of a “science club,” children were exposed to radiation to study how their bodies absorbed nutrients. In exchange, they were bribed with Mickey Mouse watches, baseball games, and parties. Shockingly, the Quaker Oats Company even sponsored the project.
2. Electroshock “Sleep Therapy” in Australia
In the 1960s–70s, Australian doctor Harry Bailey applied a method called “deep sleep therapy.” He placed patients into drug-induced comas lasting weeks and then administered electroshock treatment without anesthesia.
The result was disastrous: hundreds of patients suffered severe brain damage, and about 80 people — including a 14-year-old boy — lost their lives. Bailey falsified death records to cover up the outcomes. This horrific practice was only exposed in the 1980s, but in 1985 Bailey committed suicide before he could face trial.
3. Secret Separation of Twins and Triplets
In the 1970s, Robert Shafran entered college and unexpectedly met his look-alike, Edward Galland. Soon after, they discovered a third brother, David Kellman. They were in fact identical triplets who had been deliberately separated at birth and placed in families of different social classes.
This was part of a secret experiment by Austrian-born psychiatrist Peter Neubauer, who sought to study the effects of “nature versus nurture.” The children were monitored for years, with researchers visiting their homes and collecting data, while their adoptive parents were never told the full truth. The experiment produced no meaningful scientific results but left the brothers with irreversible psychological scars.
4. The “Duplessis Orphans” Scandal in Quebec
In the 1950s, the Catholic Church and the Quebec government deliberately classified thousands of healthy orphans as “mentally ill.” The reason was financial: psychiatric institutions received far more federal subsidies than orphanages.
As a result, thousands of children were sent to Catholic-run psychiatric hospitals, where many endured abuse, electroshock treatments, and were used as test subjects. This event went down in history as the “Duplessis Orphans,” and many of them suffered psychological trauma for the rest of their lives.
5. The American Psychological Association and the Torture Scandal
After 9/11, the U.S. government attempted to legalize “enhanced interrogation techniques” (in reality, torture). The American Psychological Association (APA) played a central role, cooperating with defense agencies and allowing psychologists to participate as “observers and consultants” during interrogations.
When these facts were exposed in 2015, the APA dismissed only a few senior officials. The association faced no legal consequences, serving as a stark example of how medical ethics can be compromised in the name of political interests.
Bonus: Fun Magnetic Facts for Kids
To lighten the topic, here are some simple and fun facts about magnets for children:
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Magnets create an invisible force called a magnetic field.
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Iron, nickel, and cobalt are attracted to magnets, but metals like gold, silver, and copper are not.
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Like poles repel each other, while opposite poles attract.
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Earth generates its own magnetic field due to its iron–nickel core.
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This magnetic field protects us from harmful solar winds.
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Compasses work by aligning with Earth’s magnetic field to show direction.
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Electromagnets are created by passing electricity through coils and are widely used, including in hydroelectric power plants.