December 7, 2021 ▸ History, Places, Science

Episode 622: Holmesburg Prison Experiments: Acres of Skin

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On this episode of The Sofa King Podcast, we talk about a wicked case of human test subjects known as the Holmesburg Prison Experiments. This small prison in Philadelphia became home to a very unethical doctor named Albert Kligman. He was brought there to investigate a break-out of athletes foot among the inmates, but what he saw was “acres of skin.” The hundreds of humans were the ultimate petri dish for Kligman, and he began to experiment. The shocking thing is that he had the support of the University of Pennsylvania, the prison system, the courts, and companies like Dow and Johnson and Johnson. What did he test? He started by testing shampoos and soaps on prisoner skin. He ended up dosing them with dioxin, wrecking them with radiation, and nuking them in microwave ovens. What brought this to a stop? What is Kligman’s reputation like now? Did any prisoners get justice? Listen, laugh, learn.

Visit Our Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holmesburg_Prison

https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/black-prison-inmates-experiments

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Kligman

https://www.med.upenn.edu/evpdeancommunications/2021-08-20-283.html