RESEARCH ON STARVATION IN THE WARSAW GHETTO - ETHICAL PROBLEMS (Badania nad glodem w getcie warszawskim - problemy etyczne)

• Authors: Janczewska Marta
• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

Research team of physicians and lab technicians under Izrael Milejkowski's direction undertook the effort to carry out a series of clinical and biochemical experiments on patients dying of starvation in the Warsaw ghetto so as to receive the fullest possible picture of hunger disease. The research was carried out according to all the rigors of strict scientific discipline, and the authors during their work on academic articles, published it after the war entitled: 'Starvation disease: hunger research carried out in the Warsaw ghetto in 1942', according to their own words, they 'supplemented the gap in accordance with the progress of knowledge'. The article is devoted to the reflections over ethical dilemmas of the research team, who were forced in their work to perform numerous medical treatments of experimental nature on extremely exhausted patients. The ill, according to Dr Fajgenblat's words,'demonstrated negativism toward the research and treatment, which extremely hindered the work, and sometimes even frustrated it'. The article attempts to look at the monumental research work of the Warsaw ghetto doctors as a special kind of response of the medical profession to the feeling of helplessness to the dying patients. The article analyzes the situation of Warsaw ghetto doctors, who undertook the research without support of any outer authority, which could settle their possible ethical dilemmas (Polish deontological codes, European discussions on the conditions of the admissibility of medical research on patients, etc.).

Keywords

EN

ETHICAL PROBLEMS; HOLOCAUST; RESEARCH ON STRAVATION IN WARSAW GHETTO; WARSAW GHETTO - STARVATION

Discipline

• HISTORY: HISTORY

• Publisher: Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Zaglada Zydów. Studia i Materialy (Holocaust. Studies and Materials)
• Year: 2009
• Volume: 5
• Pages: 327-338
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Janczewska Marta

• Marta Janczewska, Zydowski Instytut Historyczny im. Emanuela Ringelbluma, ul. Tlomackie 3/5, 00-090 Warszawa, Poland

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

10PLAAAA083814