The Legacy of the Trials
The horrors that came with World War II impacted countless innocent civilians. Thousands died during the Nazi experiments and millions during the entire Holocaust. An international code of ethics for human testing, called the Nuremberg Code, was established as a result of the trials. The experiments have also sparked a massive debate about whether we should use the data gathered. Nazi human experimentation has had a lasting impact on the world. We shall never forget the lives that were lost during the Holocaust.
Permissible Medical Experiments
Before the verdict could be announced for the Doctor's Trials, the judges needed to decide the guilt or innocence of each defendant. Some of the Nazis' arguments worried the American doctor, Leo Alexander, who worked with the prosecution during the trial. Dr. Alexander submitted a memorandum to the United States Counsel for War Crimes defining six points of legitimate research. The verdict on August 19th, 1947, changed the six points into ten in a section called "Permissible Medical Experiments", which was later known as the "Nuremberg Code".
The Moral Dilemma
There is a continuous debate whether the use of the information gathered from the Nazis' experiments should be allowed. Many argue that the experiments were faulty and done unethically, so the world does not have the right to use their results. Another side of the argument points out the reasons for using the data. The knowledge cannot be reproduced and it could save lives. This dispute still continues.
"We cannot take back the terrible treatment that so many endured, but we certainly can make use of their suffering. By using this data, many see something positive in light of so much evil. Many others, though, disagree."
- Elizabeth Dyal, a student at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, explaining the debate on use of Nazi data, Summer 2001
- Elizabeth Dyal, a student at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, explaining the debate on use of Nazi data, Summer 2001