Medical ethics and racial injustice. Discuss...
Yes this months choice did read more like a thesis than a summer read but its' no nonsense style gripped the Hussies and spurred them on to the end. Skloots' non fiction best seller tells the human story behind the HeLa cells. It is a testament to her skill as a writer that she manages to combine science and humanity in a way that engages the reader and doesn't require any subject specific knowledge. For those unfamiliar with He La cells this book gives a comprehensive account of their successful growth and subsequent immortality in a lab dish. The reader learns how the cells have been used by scientists over the years for incredibly diverse purposes, not just in America but across the whole world and beyond, even travelling in to outer space.
The author covers the facts behind the harvesting of the cells from their owner, a young black woman called Henrietta Lacks, hence the name He La cells. Henrietta never knew nor agreed to her cells being used for medical research, however at that time it was seen by the medical profession as a form of payback for free medical treatment. Henrietta was poor and had no medical insurance and in 1951 Baltimore black people did not have access to the same medical care as their white counterparts. She died from cervical cancer in 1951, a time when it was the norm for Dr's to use parts of their patients for medical research without gaining consent. The author sites other cases in America where patients were used as guinea pigs for medical research. The book raised questions about ethics and racial discrimination but a lot of the things that happened were of their time and modern medicine has moved on so much its hard to imagine any procedure going ahead without full written consent.
The book is of interest to non medics because it delves into the family history of Henrietta, highlighting the poverty and chaos some people have to endure. Dysfunctional interbred families that go on repeating the mistakes of past generations out of ignorance and circumstance. Skloot met with the family of Henrietta Lacks and discovered that they had no idea that her cells continued to live 20 years after her death. She highlights the misunderstandings that can arise when two worlds come together. Henrietta's husband believed his wife was still alive and locked in a prison cell when he was first told of the existence of the HeLa cells. His daughter worried that her mother could feel the pain of all the experiments conducted on her cells. We don't know how we would feel on hearing our long dead relative had immortal cells until we were in that position. A certain level of anger would be understandable especially given that some scientists have made a lot of money from the HeLa cell line whilst the family remain poor and unable to afford basic medical care. Of course we all agreed that it would be an impossible undertaking to trace every person who had ever donated body tissue to medical research and give them their fair share of any money made.
A well written interesting read that we would all recommend, not as dry as it first sounds.
The book was discussed at The Barrasford Arms, Barrasford, Northumberland. A picturesque village pub surrounded by castles and countryside, home to top chefs Tony Binks and Richard Muncaster. The food was of a very high standard, all agreed it was well worth the £30 per head for two courses including the tip. Tempura King Prawns for starters were huge and well worth the £6.50 price tag, as was the slightly cheaper minestrone soup. We all went for the same main course, Roe buck on a bed of mash, very nice but could have benefitted from a bowl of summer vegetables, although we were all too full for pudding. The service was friendly and efficient leaving the Hussies with ample time to discuss the book. A great venue to which we will return.
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