The Nuremberg Code

Summary

This video delves into the significance of the Nuremberg Code of 1947, established in response to the unethical human experiments during WWII. It outlines the 10 principles for conducting ethical research, emphasizing voluntary consent, risk assessment, and the responsibility of researchers. The video also highlights a community health project in Uganda, focusing on food security and empowerment, offering a hopeful counterpoint to the historical atrocities discussed.

Takeaways

• 📜 The Nuremberg Code of 1947 was established in response to atrocities committed during WWII, specifically human experimentation.
• 🔬 The Code is based on 10 principles, emphasizing the necessity of voluntary and informed consent for participants in medical experiments.
• 🚫 The experiments must be the only way to obtain necessary information, and the potential benefits must outweigh the risks, avoiding unnecessary suffering.
• 🛑 There should be no expectation of death as a result of the experiment, and the risk should be proportional to the potential human benefit.
• 👩‍⚕️ The research must be conducted by qualified scientists and doctors, who are responsible for the well-being of the subjects and must be prepared to terminate the research if necessary.
• 🛡 The subjects have the right to opt out of the experiment at any time without consequences.
• 🏥 The Nuremberg Code arose from the trials of doctors and nurses who were complicit in the Holocaust, highlighting the importance of medical ethics.
• 💡 The speaker suggests adding a clause against financial motives for conducting experiments, emphasizing the need for ethical considerations beyond the original code.
• 🌾 The script also discusses a community health project in Uganda, focusing on food security and the empowerment of local communities through agricultural initiatives.
• 📈 The project involves buying maize in bulk during low-price seasons to prevent food insecurity and price hikes, demonstrating a proactive approach to community support.
• 🔄 The initiative includes both direct medical work and agricultural efforts, aiming to create a sustainable model for other parts of Africa.

Q & A

What is the main subject of the video?

The main subject of the video is the Nuremberg Code of 1947, which was established in response to the atrocities committed during the Second World War, particularly the unethical human experimentation.

What is the significance of the Villa mentioned in the video?

The Villa mentioned in the video is the Wannsee Conference Villa, where Reinhardt Heydrich and Adolf Eichmann met to plan the 'Final Solution', which led to the establishment of the Nuremberg Code to prevent such atrocities in the future.

What are the key principles outlined in the Nuremberg Code?

The Nuremberg Code outlines 10 key principles for ethical human experimentation, including voluntary consent, necessity of the experiment, previous knowledge, avoidance of unnecessary suffering, no expectation of death, proportionality of risk to benefit, anticipation of possible injuries or deaths, proper conduct and supervision by qualified professionals, the right of subjects to opt out, and the responsibility of researchers to terminate the research if harm is likely.

What does the video suggest about the importance of informed consent in medical experiments?

The video emphasizes that informed consent is essential in medical experiments. Participants must have complete understanding and voluntary agreement to participate, knowing the nature, duration, and purpose of the experiment, as well as potential risks and inconveniences.

Why was the Nuremberg Code created?

The Nuremberg Code was created as a result of the trials of Nazi doctors after World War II, who were accused of conducting inhumane and unethical experiments on human beings. The code was established to prevent such atrocities from happening again.

What is the video's stance on the potential inclusion of a financial motive in the Nuremberg Code?

The video suggests that there should be an additional clause in the Nuremberg Code to explicitly state that there should be no financial motive for conducting experiments, as exploiting people for monetary gain is appalling and unethical.

What is the community health project in Uganda mentioned in the video?

The community health project in Uganda is an initiative that focuses on food security and direct feeding of poor children. It involves buying maize in bulk during the harvest season when it's cheaper and storing it to prevent food insecurity and price hikes later on.

How does the video relate the Nuremberg Code to current practices in medical research?

The video implies that while the Nuremberg Code provides a framework for ethical medical research, it is up to interpretation whether all current practices adhere to these principles, and it is important to continually reflect on and learn from history to avoid repeating past mistakes.

What is the role of self-experimentation in the context of the Nuremberg Code?

The video acknowledges the role of self-experimentation, where researchers conduct experiments on themselves, as a noble example of taking personal risk for the advancement of knowledge, which is an exception to the principle of avoiding unnecessary harm to subjects.

How does the video conclude on a positive note after discussing the Nuremberg Code?

The video concludes on a positive note by sharing the progress and impact of a community health project in Uganda, which focuses on food security and empowerment, serving as a model for other parts of Africa and providing a hopeful perspective on community-based initiatives.

Outlines

00:00

📜 The Nuremberg Code: Ethical Foundations of Human Experimentation

The video script begins with an introduction to the Nuremberg Code of 1947, established following the atrocities committed during World War II, specifically the human experimentations. The narrator visited the Villa where the 'final solution' was discussed, highlighting the significance of the Nuremberg Code, which is based on 10 principles ensuring the voluntary and informed consent of subjects in human experiments. The principles also emphasize the necessity of the experiment, its potential benefits, the avoidance of unnecessary suffering, and the anticipation of any possible harm. The narrator refrains from showing the disturbing material from the museum but encourages viewers to visit for a life-changing experience.

05:00

🔬 Historical Context and the Nuremberg Code's Tenets

This paragraph delves into the historical context of the Nuremberg Code, which was formulated after the trials of doctors and nurses who participated in the Holocaust. The narrator expresses horror at the idea that medical professionals could be complicit in such acts under orders. The Code's principles are reiterated, emphasizing voluntary consent, the necessity of the experiment, the prohibition of unnecessary harm, and the requirement for the experiment to be conducted by qualified professionals. The narrator also suggests an additional principle against financial motives in experimentation, reflecting on the importance of transparency and informed consent in medical research.

10:03

🌾 Community Health Project: Addressing Food Security in Uganda

Shifting focus from the historical to the present, the script introduces a community health project in Uganda that aims to secure food for the local population. The project involves buying maize in bulk during the low-price harvesting season to prevent food insecurity and price hikes later on. The narrator discusses the project's success in harvesting maize and other crops, and the plan to provide meals for 100 children. The support from the channel's viewers is acknowledged, and the script concludes with an invitation for further involvement in this empowerment initiative, contrasting the aid model with a community-based approach.

15:04

🌱 Empowering Communities: A Model for Sustainable Development

The final paragraph reinforces the importance of the community-based approach to food security and healthcare, as exemplified by the project in Uganda. It emphasizes the project's focus on empowerment rather than aid, and the potential for this model to be replicated in other parts of Africa. The script also touches on the issue of corporate interests buying up agricultural land in Africa, expressing relief that the project has secured land through a legal trust with the Ugandan government. The narrator thanks the viewers for their support and encourages continued involvement in such initiatives, ending on a hopeful note that contrasts with the earlier discussion of the Nuremberg Code.

Keywords

💡Nuremberg Code

The Nuremberg Code is a set of ethical guidelines for conducting research on human subjects, established in 1947 following the Nuremberg Trials where Nazi doctors were prosecuted for their inhumane experiments during World War II. It is central to the video's theme as it discusses the importance of ethical considerations in human experimentation. The script mentions the code's 10 points, emphasizing voluntary consent, the necessity of the experiment, and the avoidance of unnecessary suffering.

💡Human Experimentation

Human experimentation refers to scientific studies or medical tests conducted on human subjects to evaluate the safety and efficacy of drugs, medical devices, diagnostic products, or treatment protocols. The video discusses the dark history of unethical human experimentation during WWII and contrasts it with the principles outlined in the Nuremberg Code, highlighting the necessity for informed consent and the prohibition of causing unnecessary harm.

💡Informed Consent

Informed consent is a process in which a subject voluntarily agrees to participate in a study or undergo a procedure, having received and understood all relevant information about the potential risks and benefits. The script underscores the importance of informed consent as the first point of the Nuremberg Code, illustrating the necessity for participants to have complete understanding and voluntary agreement before engaging in any experimentation.

💡Ethical Issues

Ethical issues pertain to moral principles and values that guide decisions and actions, especially in matters of life, death, and well-being. The video raises ethical issues related to human experimentation, such as the atrocities committed during WWII, and the ethical responsibilities of doctors and scientists conducting research, as outlined in the Nuremberg Code.

💡Atrocities

Atrocities are acts of extreme wickedness, often involving cruelty or violence. The script refers to the atrocities committed during WWII, particularly the inhumane experiments on human beings, which led to the development of the Nuremberg Code to prevent such acts in the future.

💡Voluntary

Voluntary implies an action that is done willingly or by choice without coercion. The video emphasizes the voluntary nature of participation in human experimentation, as mandated by the Nuremberg Code, where subjects must enter with complete free will and informed consent.

💡Risk-Benefit Analysis

Risk-benefit analysis is a process of evaluating the potential risks and benefits of a particular action or decision. The script mentions that the risks taken in an experiment must be proportional to the potential benefits, as one of the tenets of the Nuremberg Code, ensuring that the potential harm does not outweigh the potential good.

💡Self-Experimentation

Self-experimentation is when a researcher conducts an experiment on themselves. The video provides historical examples of self-experimenters like John Hunter and Barry Marshall, who undertook personal risks to advance medical knowledge, demonstrating a form of ethical commitment to the safety and efficacy of their research.

💡Medical Ethics

Medical ethics involves the principles and guidelines that govern the conduct of medical professionals in their interactions with patients and the practice of medicine. The video discusses the importance of medical ethics in the context of the Nuremberg Code, highlighting the responsibilities of doctors and scientists to uphold ethical standards in research.

💡Community Health Project

A community health project refers to initiatives aimed at improving the health and well-being of a community through various means, such as education, healthcare services, and food security. The script concludes with a discussion of a community health project in Uganda, which contrasts the historical context of unethical medical practices with current efforts to empower and support communities through ethical and compassionate work.

💡Food Security

Food security means having access to enough food for an active, healthy life. The video mentions a community health project in Uganda that is focused on food security by buying and storing large quantities of maize during periods of low prices to ensure availability and affordability for the community, especially for the poor.

Highlights

Introduction to the Nuremberg Code of 1947 and its historical context during the Second World War.

The significance of the Wannsee Conference and its role in the formulation of the 'Final Solution'.

Transformation of the Villa into a memorial and museum for victims of human experimentation.

The Nuremberg Code's ten principles for ethical human experimentation.

Emphasis on voluntary and informed consent as a fundamental requirement for human experimentation.

The necessity of previous knowledge or animal experimentation as a basis for human trials.

Avoidance of unnecessary suffering in human experimentation.

The requirement that human experiments should not be expected to result in death.

Risks taken in an experiment must be proportional to the potential benefits.

Anticipation of possible injuries or deaths in the planning of human experiments.

Supervision of human experiments by qualified doctors and scientists.

Subjects' right to withdraw from an experiment at any time.

Researchers' responsibility to terminate the research if significant harm is likely.

Reflection on the historical trial of German doctors and the implications for medical ethics.

Proposal for a new clause against financial motives in human experimentation.

Community health project in Uganda focusing on food security and direct support for children.

The importance of learning from history to avoid repeating past mistakes.

Transcripts

well it's Wednesday the 19th of

September and a warm welcome to this

video now today's subject couldn't be

more serious it's about the Nuremberg

code of 1947.

during the second world war of course

many atrocities were committed

and a certain group of atrocities were

experimentation on human beings

deeply evil Acts

now um my life kind of changed a bit

really when I went to this Villa here

this is the uh the vancy conference

Villa

and on the 20th of January 1942

Reinhardt heydrich and Adolf weichmann

and cronies

met here in this beautiful setting near

Berlin to work out what they

euphemistically called the final

solution and this whole Villa now uh in

in immensely good taste it has to be

said but very distressingly

has been converted into a uh

Memorial stroke museum for victims of a

human experimentation

now I'm not going to show you the

material that I photographed it in there

but if you do get the chance to visit as

I say life-changing experience Nuremberg

code

based on 10 points

the first one

um all people that are experimented on

in human experimentation and this is

sometimes necessary we think about

randomized double-blind control trials

for example

but they must enter it with complete

free will it must be utterly voluntary

and they must have complete informed

consent to know what they're doing

an alarm pick some of the details on

that later but free will inform consent

people must know what they're getting

into unambiguously

second point

the human experiment must be the only

way to get the information and that

information must be worthwhile

it must be worth getting that

information

and it must be based third Point must be

based on previous knowledge possibly

animal experimentation which we could

debate about as a separate

ethical issue of course but based on the

best available site so this is not just

some sort of leap into the dark some

completely oh I don't know completely

untested technology for example they

were experimenting on millions of people

with it must be based on the best

available science and previous knowledge

with full experimentation getting up to

that stage

fourthly it must avoid unnecessarily any

unnecessary suffering

there must be no unnecessary suffering

in human experimentation

not saying there should be zero

suffering but it shouldn't be

unnecessary but of course it's all

entered into completely voluntarily

I've had experiments to know me at work

but I've volunteered to to go into it a

physiological calibration of instruments

for example have been done on me when I

was ill and fit

um fifth Point death will not occur

there must be no reason to expect that

subjects will die

now there is a caveat here that the

experimenting doctor may choose to

experiment on himself and if he dies

then that's his informed consent but

apart from that death will not

occur certainly not to the subjects

sixth point though the risk that is

taken must be proportional to the

potential benefit and the outcome that

comes from the experiment

so this has got to be a reasonably

expected beneficial outcome which is

proportional

to the risk which has been taken

there must be anticipation of any

possible injuries or deaths

even if this is a remote possibility

this must be anticipated in other words

people carrying out human

experimentation must think ahead

must anticipate what could possibly go

wrong here

has this always been done in the time

period since 1947

is up to your interpretation

eighthly the research must be conducted

and closely supervised by proper doctors

and scientists so it's not take this

experimental treatment off you go live

your life as normal

I might see if there's a problem but no

no it has to be closely properly

supervised

either relevant to experts in the field

ninthly

the subject May opt out at any time

so this subject can say nope had enough

of this I'm opting out forget it walk

away at any time completely free to do

so

and the tenth point is the doctors

scientists conducting the research must

be prepared to terminate the research

if they think there is a significant or

realistic risk of unacceptable levels of

harm

to the individual being experimented on

so that's the Nuremberg code of

1947. now I am going to post the the

whole thing for your perusal I think

we'll have to just have a quick look

through

some of the main points now on the

overhead

so this is a Nuremberg code 1947 it's in

many historical documents

it was doctors on trial doctors and

nurses after the war

and it's frightening to think that in a

relatively modern sophisticated country

doctors and nurses collaborated

with the elimination

of human beings other human beings

thought were substandard and deserve to

be eliminated the doctors and nurses

could

actively take part in this because they

were told to

is simply terrifying

doctors and nurses do what they're told

it would appear in this situation to the

point of ending the lives of

other

people

this comes from the uh German doctors

trial 1946 now the doctors argued it's

all this is this is the codes here you

can look them up for yourself I'll put

some references in

um that their experiments were no

different from those that had been

conducted before and there was no law

anyway so they could do what they wanted

that was their argument so as a result

of this the permissible experiments

permissible medical experiments were

drawn up by this Nuremberg code part of

the Nuremberg Trial process after the

second world war published by the

American government in this document

here's the first point voluntary consent

of the human subject was essential

they have to have legal capacity to give

consent

so people that don't have capacity

cannot be experimented on

they should have free uh completely free

to exercise personal choice

without any intervention element of

force fraud deceit duress overreaching

and all the legal Safeguard languages

that are included there must be no

coercion

they must have sufficient knowledge to

give informed consent

understanding an enlightened decision

before they say yes to anything

they should know the nature duration and

purpose of the experiment they should

know the methods all inconveniences and

hazards that can be reasonably expected

and other adverse effects should be made

clear

before the start of the experiment

before they decide

if they want to cooperate

this must be open clear and above board

full information can be given

and part of the reason I'm angry is

because I wasn't given full information

in some events that have occurred over

the past few years

by people that should have given me full

information

over the past few years

how can you make an informed decision

without full disclosure by those leaders

that have power over us

the duty and responsibility of the

person conducting the experiment

it's a personal Duty they have to do

that themselves they can't delegate it

to someone else second the experimentary

dude you'd yield to fruitful results

can't get it by other means not some

random hair brained idea

it doesn't actually say there shouldn't

be a financial motive in the Nuremberg

code

but maybe we should add that as Point 11

there should be no Financial motive by

the experimenter on those being

experimented on

to make money out of people being

experimented on

that is so appalling it didn't even seem

to be considered in 1947.

this was ideological rather than

financial

but to me it goes without saying that

people should not be experimented on for

others

to make money out of

0.3 experiment should be based on

previous experimentation with full

knowledge not some hair brained idea

that we simply don't know what the

outcomes will be if we have full

knowledge and we're just building the

next stage

then we're more likely to get it right

than if it's a completely new

idea

four the experiment should avoid

unnecessary harm and suffering

five no experiments should be conducted

if there's an a priori reason

believing death or disabled disability

disabling injury will occur except

perhaps

where the experimenter themselves takes

that risk upon themselves and there are

many noble examples of

self-experimenters in history John

Hunter

famously uh infected himself with um

uh sexually transmitted puss

to work out the nature of those form of

diseases

Barry Marshall infected himself with

helica back to pylori to demonstrate the

effectiveness of his eradication therapy

and went on to save Untold millions of

well he does know this has several

Billion Lives from peptic ulceration

0.6 the degree of risk should never

exceed that determined by the importance

of the problem to be solved the

proportionality

uh proper preparation should be made and

adequate facilities provided to protect

experimental subjects against even the

remote

possibility of death

if there's any possibility of the

subject dying the experiment should not

be carried out it's very simple

eight experiment should only be

conducted by very highly qualified

people and should be well supervised

now there's no point having

three well well qualified people who

live I don't know

let's say in I don't know Geneva let's

say in Geneva saying oh we should do

this they should be experimenting every

supervising every single subject that's

being experimented on

we need the expertise and the

supervision

together

High degrees of skill nine

subject can pack in at any time

and finish it anytime and the

experimenter may need to bring the

subject

they may need to bring the experiment to

an end at any time they must be fully

prepared to do this

that's the Nuremberg code 1947 makes a

lot of sense to me I'd like to see a new

Clause inserted for the

uh financial gain

but uh it's a pretty comprehensive well

drawn up document after the doctor's

trial at the time

the indictment on Humanity that it

needed to be done in the first place of

course

have we

moved on from then

of course we hope so

if history does anything

it's a warning

history is a warning for the future

not going to over interpret we'll leave

it there

now let's finish on a brighter note for

goodness sake

um this is from our community health

project in Uganda now we're actually

buying at the moment um maze because

it's quite cheap in Uganda at the moment

and it gets very expensive later on and

poor people can't afford to buy it so

we're buying the maze we've got a mill

now so we're going to Mill it and and

sort of kind of spread the prices out so

uh poor people don't start and we're

also feeding directly 100 uh uh poor

children so but let me talk about it and

um and then um

yeah well we'll just do just two minutes

give it two minutes a great project I'm

totally convinced by it

so I want to share with you some

information from our guidance and then

some good news from Dr John as I will

start with a report from our guidance uh

so uh we are in a harvesting season in

the community actually harvesting season

is ending uh but the good thing is we

were able to harvest a 1.8 tons of maize

from our Gardens uh we also harvested

uh gnat and the

beans so we are going to be able to

provide food for those ones who don't

have a school going children also

so uh we are very happy we hope to

provide for at least 100 children

a meal at least for some good months so

the good news is Dr John sent us money

that we used to buy 13 tons of maize we

are doing this because during the

harvesting period the price of Maize and

other Foods is usually low and since

people don't have money because they

sell this food

sometimes to support themselves on top

of eating so people from different areas

and the outside the country come and buy

this food and this leads to food

insecurity and Hiking of prices just

after a short time so we decided to buy

food in large quantities and we are

still buying in case when there is

someone who is interested in buying for

us the idea is we want to store food in

large quantities from the community such

that in time of

yeah there we go um so that when

refractor says the gardens he means the

aquacultural land that we've bought

we've got 1.8 tons of maize from there

plus plus the beans for the protein

also the beans of course are legumes so

they're plowed back into the soil so

soil maintenance is a very big part of

this and at the moment in Africa there

are corporate interests buying up

agricultural land so I'm glad that we've

got at least this small piece

uh that we've got a completely legal

trust with the Ugandan government now uh

to make that land secure

um now when he says when he says I sent

money uh that that he means the channel

sent money so thank you if you've

watched the channel That helps in this

uh in this project

and we bought 13 tons and we've just

been able to send some more money so

it's going up to 20 tons now so uh it's

really going to help in food security

for that area and as well as that maybe

even more importantly

um this is a model that can be followed

in other parts of Africa it's Community

Based this is not Aid we don't do Aid

it's it is empowerment

of course if you like to be involved in

this we'll put some links below you can

talk to with other directly

um so interesting we're doing the

agricultural food security work as well

as the uh the direct medical work of

course

so brighter note to end on

sorry of the Nuremberg code bit was a

bit depressing but I think it needed to

be

it needs to be discussed because we have

to learn from the mistakes of History

otherwise we are destined to repeat them

thank you for watching