FOR GOD AND COUNTRY
Where Government experimentation is concerned, military troops were (and in some ways remain) on the front lines of medical discoveries - whether they fully understood the ramifications of exposure, or not.
PLEASE NOTE: Images and descriptions displayed in this museum may be disturbing for some viewers.
Discretion advised.
BACTERIAL INJECTIONS IN ARMY VETERANS
American Scientists in 1954 used vaccine testing equipment to see the effects of Tularemia and Q fever on young soldiers from a single religious group called: the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
[image: Randell Larsen, 1955. Lab Gloves from a box are fitted onto a scientist's hand during testing]
BIOLOGICAL WEAPON EXPERIMENTATION ON U.S VETERANS
The United States Department of Defense conducted at least 50 trials of chemical weapon experimentation from 1962 to 1973 to understand the effects of radiological agents during warfare.
[image: Author unknown, 1973. One of many chemicals used on the military ships in order to conduct biological weapon experimentation tests.]
MUSTARD GAS TESTING ON U.S SOLDIERS
In the wake of WW2, the U.S sought to beat the Germans at their own game by developing a mustard gas for themselves. But what is a weapon without a weapon test. US soldiers would be the first to fall victim to the newly developed mustard gas in order to test its effectiveness.
[image: Jeffery K. Smart, 1997, M3 Gas Mask]
EDGEWOOD HALLUCINOGEN TESTS
With cold war tensions on the rise, US scientists wanted to uncover the next breakthrough in chemical warfare. It was at Edgewood arsenal base in Maryland that they would test the strongest and most potent hallucinogens on soldiers and civilian alike. Some of the drugs would leave subjects under their influence for upwards of 3 days.
[image: ITV, 1993. Hallucinogenic Dispenser]
ANTHRAX VACCINE ADSORBED
At the height of bioterrorism, the U.S. sought a vaccine to protect its soldiers from potential threats. These soldiers, however, did not know they were receiving a vaccine, or if it would even really protect them.
[image: Duke University Word Press, n.d. Image of b. anthracis (anthrax) spores.]
PROJECT CHATTER
After the Korean War, the U.S. Navy tested several drugs (including mescaline and LSD) for its use in interrogations. Although it caused severe harm to military patients, it was the genesis for various future experiments in drugs such as MK Ultra.
[image: Naval Historical Foundation, n.d. USS Halsey Powell]
.png)
MERCURY AS A CURE FOR SYPHILIS
Mercury is a highly toxic substance that is linked to causing significant health issues and in many cases, death. It was also used as a one-size fits all medication that was used to treat venereal diseases during war time and before the development of penicillin.
[Image: Museum of Health Care at Kingston. Photo of Ammoniated Mercury ointment]
