Cautionary Tales with Tim HarfordCautionary Tales with Tim Harford

The Human Guinea Pigs of Camp Lazear

View descriptionShare

Young doctor Jesse Lazear has deadly Yellow Fever. He thrashes around and convulses in his sick bed, and his vomit is black. He is just 34 when he dies.

Curiously, mosquito expert Lazear was researching the disease when he became ill. Some historians think his infection wasn't an accident, and that he was secretly experimenting on himself...

Today, human challenge trials - where volunteers are intentionally given a disease under the watchful eye of medical support - are rare. The authorities are wary of the risks involved. But such trials can also mean that vaccines are developed faster and thousands of lives are saved. Is it time to start thinking differently about experimenting on humans?

For a full list of sources, see the show notes at timharford.com.

  • Facebook
  • X (Twitter)
  • WhatsApp
  • Email
  • Download

In 1 playlist(s)

  1. Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

    130 clip(s)

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

We tell our children unsettling fairy tales to teach them valuable life lessons, but these Cautionar 
Social links
Follow podcast
Recent clips
Browse 127 clip(s)