Harold Hodge
Encyclopedia
Harold Carpenter Hodge was a well-known toxicologist who published close to 300 papers and 5 books. He was the first president of the Society of Toxicology
in 1960. He received a BS from Illinois Wesleyan University and a PhD in 1930 from the State University of Iowa, publishing his first paper in 1927. He received a number of honors and awards during his career, and he was president of the International Association for Dental Research
in 1947, president of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
(1966-1967), president of the Association of Medical School Pharmacologists (1968-1970).
In 1931 he went to the School of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Rochester
in New York where he pursued an interest in the use of fluoride for preventing caries, although there was a public stigma against fluoride's use in public health because of its association with rat poison. He was chosen to head the United States Atomic Energy Commission
's (AEC) Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology for the Manhattan Project
, where he studied the effects of the inhalation of uranium
and beryllium
through the "Rochester Chamber".
Hodge's reputation was damaged by the publication of Eileen Welsome
's book The Plutonium Files
, for which she won a Pulitzer Prize
. It documented chilling human experiments
in which the subjects did not know they were being tested to find the safety limits of uranium and plutonium. He attended a meeting where the experiments were planned in 1945, and an AEC memo thanks Hodge for his planning and suggestions in the experiment. The US government settled with the victims' families, paying $400,000 per family. Seven victims were injected with material smuggled into a hospital secretly through a tunnel. One unmarried, white 24-year old woman was injected with 584 micrograms of uranium; another 61-year old man was injected with 70 micrograms per kilogram of uranium. Hodge also arranged for Dr. Sweet to inject 11 terminally-ill patients with uranium for their brain tumors; however, these subjects may have known they were being tested.
Hodge is also singled out by BBC
journalist Christopher Bryson in his book The Fluoride Deception as having played a key role in promoting the implementation of water fluoridation
in the U.S., from which the water fluoridation controversy stems.
Hodge's papers list him as "Harold Carpenter," "Harold Hodge," and "Harold Carpenter Hodge."
Society of Toxicology
The Society of Toxicology is a learned society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of toxicology. Its definition of toxicology is...
in 1960. He received a BS from Illinois Wesleyan University and a PhD in 1930 from the State University of Iowa, publishing his first paper in 1927. He received a number of honors and awards during his career, and he was president of the International Association for Dental Research
International Association for Dental Research
The International Association for Dental Research is a professional association that focuses on research in the field of dentistry. The aim of this association by constitution is to promote research in all fields of oral and related sciences, to encourage improvements in methods for the prevention...
in 1947, president of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics is an American academic society founded in late 1908 by John J. Abel of Johns Hopkins University , with the aim of promoting the growth of pharmacological research...
(1966-1967), president of the Association of Medical School Pharmacologists (1968-1970).
In 1931 he went to the School of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Rochester
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...
in New York where he pursued an interest in the use of fluoride for preventing caries, although there was a public stigma against fluoride's use in public health because of its association with rat poison. He was chosen to head the United States Atomic Energy Commission
United States Atomic Energy Commission
The United States Atomic Energy Commission was an agency of the United States government established after World War II by Congress to foster and control the peace time development of atomic science and technology. President Harry S...
's (AEC) Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology for the Manhattan Project
Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a research and development program, led by the United States with participation from the United Kingdom and Canada, that produced the first atomic bomb during World War II. From 1942 to 1946, the project was under the direction of Major General Leslie Groves of the US Army...
, where he studied the effects of the inhalation of uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
and beryllium
Beryllium
Beryllium is the chemical element with the symbol Be and atomic number 4. It is a divalent element which occurs naturally only in combination with other elements in minerals. Notable gemstones which contain beryllium include beryl and chrysoberyl...
through the "Rochester Chamber".
Hodge's reputation was damaged by the publication of Eileen Welsome
Eileen Welsome
Eileen Welsome is an American journalist. She received a Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting in 1994 while a reporter for The Albuquerque Tribune. She was awarded the prize for her articles about the government's human radiation experiments conducted on unwilling and unknowing Americans during...
's book The Plutonium Files
The Plutonium Files
The Plutonium Files: America's Secret Medical Experiments in the Cold War is a 1999 book by Eileen Welsome.It is a history of U.S. government-engineered radiation experiments on unwitting Americans, based on the Pulitzer Prize–winning series Welsome wrote for the Albuquerque Tribune.The purpose of...
, for which she won a Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
. It documented chilling human experiments
Human experimentation
Human subject research includes experiments and observational studies. Human subjects are commonly participants in research on basic biology, clinical medicine, nursing, psychology, and all other social sciences. Humans have been participants in research since the earliest studies...
in which the subjects did not know they were being tested to find the safety limits of uranium and plutonium. He attended a meeting where the experiments were planned in 1945, and an AEC memo thanks Hodge for his planning and suggestions in the experiment. The US government settled with the victims' families, paying $400,000 per family. Seven victims were injected with material smuggled into a hospital secretly through a tunnel. One unmarried, white 24-year old woman was injected with 584 micrograms of uranium; another 61-year old man was injected with 70 micrograms per kilogram of uranium. Hodge also arranged for Dr. Sweet to inject 11 terminally-ill patients with uranium for their brain tumors; however, these subjects may have known they were being tested.
Hodge is also singled out by BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
journalist Christopher Bryson in his book The Fluoride Deception as having played a key role in promoting the implementation of water fluoridation
Water fluoridation
Water fluoridation is the controlled addition of fluoride to a public water supply to reduce tooth decay. Fluoridated water has fluoride at a level that is effective for preventing cavities; this can occur naturally or by adding fluoride...
in the U.S., from which the water fluoridation controversy stems.
Hodge's papers list him as "Harold Carpenter," "Harold Hodge," and "Harold Carpenter Hodge."