This research project explores the history of medical experiments conducted on people in Southeast Asia during the colonial period (1890–1962), specifically in what are now Indonesia (then the Dutch East Indies), Malaysia (British Malaya), and the Philippines (under American rule). It asks: How can the ethical practices in human subject research in colonial Southeast Asia be defined and explained?
Doctors in colonial Southeast Asia often used local people as test subjects to study diseases like leprosy and cholera. These individuals, including children, gave blood samples or received drugs with unknown side effects. Postmortems were done on the deceased, sometimes against the wishes of the family. But new and risky drugs such as Salvarsan to treat syphilis were also demanded from doctors by patients, because despite their side-effects they were more effective against the disease. This project studies the complicated relationship between dangerous experimentation and best treatment for the patient, with special attention for the ethical choices of doctors and the role of the patients.
Our team studies historical medical journals, archival sources and even novels, to better understand ethical practices in Southeast Asia. With two PhDs working on the Dutch East Indies and the American Philippines, and a postdoc specialized in British Malaya, we can reveal the scope of human subject research in the region and compare these three colonies. By understanding how ethics in medical research were shaped by colonial politics, religion, and local contexts and cultures, this project aims to provide insight into why past medical (mis)conduct occurred. In addition to studying the past, the project also examines how this history continues to affect us today.
