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Informed consent in human experimentation before the Nuremberg code

J Vollmann1, R Winau

  • 1Institute of the History of Medicine, Free University of Berlin.

BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.)
|December 7, 1996
PubMed
Summary
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Ethical guidelines for human experimentation, particularly informed consent, were recognized in the 19th century, predating the Nuremberg Code. This research revisits the origins of medical ethics and autonomy in research.

Area of Science:

  • Bioethics
  • History of Medicine
  • Medical Law

Background:

  • The Nuremberg trials highlighted ethical failures in 1930s-1940s German medical experimentation, with defendants citing a lack of explicit regulations.
  • The Nuremberg Code (1947) is often considered the first ethical standard for human experimentation, emphasizing informed consent.
  • Post-WWII experiments in various nations raise ongoing questions of liability and responsibility for research abuses.

Observation:

  • New research suggests ethical considerations, including informed consent, were present in human experimentation guidelines as early as the 19th century.
  • This historical perspective challenges the notion that the Nuremberg Code was the sole origin of ethical research regulations.

Findings:

  • The emergence of concepts like autonomy, informed consent, and distinctions between therapeutic and non-therapeutic research can be traced to earlier periods.
Keywords:
Biomedical and Behavioral ResearchDeclaration of HelsinkiLegal ApproachNineteenth CenturyNuremberg CodeTwentieth Century

Related Experiment Videos

  • Nineteenth-century guidelines reveal a nascent understanding of ethical principles in medical research involving human subjects.

    • Implications:

    • This historical re-evaluation is crucial for understanding the evolution of bioethical principles and their application.
    • It provides context for current debates on accountability for historical and contemporary research misconduct.
    • Understanding the early development of informed consent is vital for contemporary medical research ethics and patient autonomy.