Skin Theory: Visual Culture and the Postwar Prison Laboratory

Studies the intersections of incarceration, medical science, and race in postwar America, focusing on the use of incarcerated test subjects in research institutions and pharmaceutical companies. "Skin Theory" offers a new framework for understanding the intersections of race, incarceration, and medical science by analyzing the skin as a visual technology, built environment, and official discourse.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 26 July 2022
Publisher: New York University Press

In the aftermath of World War II, the United States witnessed a significant shift in its societal landscape. One of the most notable developments was the widespread use of incarcerated individuals as test subjects in medical research. This practice, known as "prisoner experimentation," involved subjecting these individuals to a wide range of experiments, from testing the effectiveness of various drugs and treatments to studying the effects of different environmental factors on human health.

The use of incarcerated test subjects was not limited to a single institution or company. Rather, it was a standard practice among many research institutions and pharmaceutical companies in the postwar United States. These experiments were often conducted without the consent or knowledge of the test subjects, who were often vulnerable and marginalized members of society.

One of the most notable examples of prison experimentation was the medical science program at Holmesburg Prison in Philadelphia. Helmed by Albert M. Kligman, a University of Pennsylvania professor, this program enrolled hundreds of the prison's predominantly Black population in studies determining the efficacy and safety of a wide variety of substances, from common household products to chemical warfare agents.

The experiments at Holmesburg were not unique. In fact, they were part of a broader trend in the postwar United States of using incarcerated test subjects in medical research. This practice was driven by a number of factors, including the need for cheap and readily available test subjects, the lack of ethical regulations governing medical research, and the belief that incarcerated individuals were a "disposable" population who could be subjected to harm without consequence.

Despite the ethical concerns surrounding prison experimentation, it was widely accepted by the medical community at the time. Many researchers believed that the benefits of medical research could outweigh the risks to the test subjects, and that the knowledge gained from these experiments could save countless lives.

However, the legacy of prison experimentation has been complex and controversial. On the one hand, the experiments at Holmesburg and other prisons have led to important medical breakthroughs, including the development of new drugs and treatments for a wide range of diseases. On the other hand, the use of incarcerated individuals as test subjects has been widely criticized as a violation of their human rights and a form of exploitation.

In recent years, there has been a growing movement to address the legacy of prison experimentation. Researchers and activists have called for the release of records related to these experiments, so that test subjects and their families can learn the truth about what was done to them. They have also called for greater ethical regulation of medical research, to ensure that test subjects are protected from harm and that their consent is always obtained.

One of the most significant works on the legacy of prison experimentation is "Skin Theory: The Science of Race in Modern Medicine." Written by Cristina Mejia Visperas, a professor of history at the University of California, San Diego, this book examines the prison as a space for scientific knowledge production, showing how the "perfect control conditions" of the prison dovetailed into the visual regimes of laboratory work.

Visperas argues that the use of incarcerated test subjects in medical research was not just a matter of scientific racism, but rather a reflection of the scientific rationality of racism itself. She theorizes the skin as visual technology, as built environment, and as official discourse, developing a compelling framework for understanding the intersections of race, incarceration, and medical science in postwar America.

Through her analysis of the privileged object and instrument of Kligmans experiments: the skin, Visperas offers a fresh perspective on the history of science, medicine, and technology. She shows how the skin was used as a tool to perpetuate racial stereotypes and discrimination, and how it was also used as a site of resistance and empowerment by marginalized communities.

In conclusion, the use of incarcerated individuals as test subjects in medical research was a controversial and controversial practice in the postwar United States. While it led to important medical breakthroughs, it also violated the human rights of the test subjects and perpetuated racial stereotypes and discrimination. "Skin Theory: The Science of Race in Modern Medicine" by Cristina Mejia Visperas offers a powerful framework for understanding the intersections of race, incarceration, and medical science in postwar America, and for challenging the scientific rationality of racism itself.

Weight: 390g
Dimension: 151 x 229 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781479810789