title: [Carl Arthur Scheunert's experiments on human nutrition, 1938-1943: boundary transgressions of a scientist under national socialism].
abstract: Carl Arthur Scheunert (1879-1957) was a German scientist who supervised several studies with prisoners that were designed to assess the optimal vitamin and nutrient supply, and were conducted by his associate Karl-Heinz Wagner (1911-2007) from 1938 to 1943. This contribution describes the aims, results and conclusions of Scheunert's research 1923 to 1945 in comparison with the national and international vitamin research and its consequences for public health measures. Conditions and results of the human experiments are reconstructed and compared with similar studies performed in other countries. Burden as well as health risks for the study participants are assessed. In addition, it is discussed whether general rules for human experimentation were followed (e.g. informed consent and minimizing of health risks). Although the available documents support the conclusion that no deaths or lasting injuries were caused, the experiments violated ethical standards, in particular because of the conditions in the Waldheim prison including progressive deterioration of nutrition and health.
authors.affiliation: Deutsches Institut für Ernährungsforschung Potsdam-Rehbrücke, Nuthetal. joost@dife.de
authors.forename: Hans-Georg
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Joost
mesh_terms: D001361:Avitaminosis / Q000266:history*; D005858:Germany; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006805:Human Experimentation / Q000266:history*; D006801:Humans; D028683:National Socialism / Q000266:history*; D018673:Nutrition Policy / Q000266:history*; D052756:Nutritional Sciences / Q000266:history*; D015871:Scientific Misconduct / Q000266:history*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000266:history*
chemical_list: D014815:Vitamins