Customer Reviews

Acres of Skin: Human Experiments at Holmesburg Prison

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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 As far as I can tell, the regulation was suspended at passage and then repealed in 1997.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.

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.

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.

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.

We are all aware of the nuclear experiments done during the cold war, right? Well insight shows from this book that many prisoners and people of lower social classes were experimental guinea pigs in the name of Modern Science. It is horrifying to read, and yet interesting at the same time. We also brought over experimental Nazi Doctors from the Holocaust to help the US Government on some experiments and were even given alias names to keep their identities and whereabouts secret. This is even happening today believe it or not, and it is horrifying to think what they have done during the Cold War, I come to think, what ... are they doing now? It's a scary thought!

This book clearly shows man's ability to use science for evil knows no bounds. What I truly don't understand is why none of the "testing" people are in prison.

There is nothing new here. It is simply being exposed. The vicious and callous medical experimentation of the prisoners in Holmesburg prision. Of course, the population is most Blacks and Browns. I first heard of this book by Hariett Washington who wrote Medical Aparthied. I really enjoyed her book, so I valued her recommendation for Acres.

Life ain't fair y'all! It can be quite brutal for some of us. I know I am talkin' to the choir, or am I?

I know the author of the book. He has a strong personality, the same time a kind and loving person! He went through many difficulties for publishing this book but none stopped him from revealing the truth!