Doctor: Picking Up Attributes in the Hospital

Chapter 564 - 431: Cherish Those Around You—Engagement?

In order to persuade these African Americans to participate in the experiment, the Tuskegee Things offered them small favors, such as reimbursing travel expenses for each visit and providing lunch on examination days. Although these benefits were trivial, they were still extremely attractive to the impoverished African Americans during the Great Depression in the 1930s.Of course, the price paid by these African Americans was enormous. They not only sacrificed their right to health, but even entrusted their deaths to the Tuskegee Things. The experiment agreement they signed even stated that their bodies would be handed over to Tuskegee University for medical research after their death.

The root reason these African Americans accepted the experiment was that they were attracted by the word "treatment." Until their death, they believed they were receiving treatment. However, what they didn’t know was that they never received any treatment at all. Fonder and Tuskegee University allowed them to suffer from syphilis without any intervention.

What was even worse was that by 1936, penicillin had been proven to effectively treat syphilis, but Fonder and Tuskegee University still deceived the infected African Americans, refusing to give them penicillin, and continued to torture them with so-called "free treatment" that had no therapeutic effect.

Another important reason why these African Americans willingly accepted the experiment was that there was a Black female nurse at the John Andrew Hospital affiliated with Tuskegee University, named Yunis Rivers.

Nurse Rivers was hailed as a "Black intermediary." She was the link between the African Americans participating in the experiment and the experimental team. With her black skin and unique affinity, the African American patients had immense trust in Rivers. The benefits provided by Tuskegee University to the African Americans were also distributed through Nurse Rivers. Rivers was involved in the entire experiment project from beginning to end, personally sending people of the same skin color as hers one by one to a dead end.

We all know that syphilis not only brings immense pain to patients but is also an infectious disease.

However, Fonder, Rivers, and the staff of Tuskegee University who were involved in the experiment never stopped the spread of syphilis. They never warned the African Americans participating in the experiment that the disease they had was infectious, and instead, they allowed them to marry and have children, meaning the syphilis also got transmitted to their partners and children.

This experiment continued from 1932 until 1972, lasting as long as 40 years.

This experiment did not treat African Americans as human beings at all, directly using living people for virus experiments.

Although the experiment was exposed to the media in 1972, it was not until 25 years later, in 1997, that the then-president of the United States, Clinton, apologized for it.

This is the most typical example of hell being empty and the devils residing among humans!

Soon after, Zhao Heng, Xu Man Ni, and Xu Hongdou arrived at a teppanyaki restaurant located in the commercial area in front of the North City No.1 Courtyard.

This restaurant specializes in luxury buffets, priced at 598 yuan per person.

After finding a private room, Xu Hongdou enthusiastically began ordering.

"This salmon belly, sea urchin, bluefin tuna, sweet shrimp, and peony shrimp, along with this pan-fried silver cod, almond tofu, Arctic surf clam, matsutake seafood teapot soup, millet sea cucumber, crayfish, and also caviar, pan-fried pomfret with tofu skin, Iberian ham."

"That will be all, let’s have three servings first."

Xu Hongdou handed the menu to the waitress and said.

"Miss, you’re the best at ordering I’ve ever seen in this restaurant. You’ve ordered all our signature dishes."

The waitress smiled and said. In reality, when it comes to dining at such high-end buffets, many people don’t really know how to order. This gives the ordering waitress a lot of room to recommend dishes that look delicious and expensive but are actually very low-cost.

As for someone like Xu Hongdou, directly ordering entrust-worthy dishes, it’s rare for the waitress to encounter someone so knowledgeable about food unless they are a true gourmet.

"Alright, serve the dishes quickly, and we’ll order more once we finish these."

Xu Hongdou waved her hand and said.

"Okay, Miss."

The waitress nodded and bowed as she left.

"Xu Hongdou, you really know how to eat."

Xu Man Ni couldn’t help but say, looking at the skillful ordering by Xu Hongdou, imagining how often she must have dined here.

"If you don’t know how to eat, then you’re really cheating yourself.."

Xu Hongdou said nonchalantly.

"Brother-in-law, what have you been eating in Africa these past days? Did you get to explore or anything?"

Pausing for a moment, Xu Hongdou asked curiously.

"Stayed in the camp all the time, how could I go out walking around, even if I could go out, who would dare to go. As for food, it was just bread, milk, and sandwiches, just enough to not starve to death."

Zhao Heng said.

"That sounds really tough."

Xu Hongdou said, initially thinking that the United Nations-organized team should have pretty good living conditions.

"Brother-in-law, I read some comments online these past days, saying that the virus outbreaks in Africa and New Guinea might be man-made and are related to the United States. Is the United States truly this ruthless and insane?"

Pausing for a moment, Xu Hongdou asked again, full of curiosity.

"Do you know about the United States syphilis experiment?"

Zhao Heng did not answer but instead asked.

"Syphilis experiment?"

Xu Hongdou was a bit puzzled.

"Yes."

Zhao Heng nodded and explained the whole story of the United States syphilis experiment.

After he finished, even though it was midsummer, Xu Hongdou felt a chill running down her spine.

"Brother-in-law, you said it was something from the last century. We are living in a civilized society now, right? Such things shouldn’t happen anymore?"

Xu Hongdou said, unable to imagine.

The story Zhao Heng told was scarier than any ghost story she had ever heard.

Because she knew ghost stories are fictional, while this story actually happened.

"Such things have nothing to do with the era or the level of civilization."

Zhao Heng shook his head slightly.

Even a developed country like Neon Country still discharges nuclear waste into coastal waters, doesn’t it?

Where does that show civilization?

"It seems like a storm is brewing."

As a healthcare worker, Xu Man Ni heard more than just the syphilis experiment from Zhao Heng’s story.

She knew Zhao Heng must have known something, but wouldn’t say it out loud, hence he told the story of the United States syphilis experiment.

"Sis, don’t scare me."

Xu Hongdou said fearfully.

"Don’t think too much, we aren’t in Africa."

Zhao Heng said slowly, showing some confidence in the local situation here, unlike places like Africa where it indeed can’t be easily said for sure.

Soon, the three servings of signature dishes that Xu Hongdou ordered were served. Once the food was served, and they tasted the delicious dishes, the three of them felt their internal anxiety alleviated somewhat, hence the saying, only love and food should not be let down!

"You don’t say, the dishes Hongdou ordered are really good."

After tasting a few dishes, Xu Man Ni said to Zhao Heng.

"Of course, I told you, I really know how to eat."

Xu Hongdou said with a slight sense of pride, though it’s unclear why knowing how to eat should be a source of pride.

"Brother-in-law, now that you’re back, you won’t be going back over there, right?"

After a pause, Xu Hongdou asked again.

"I probably won’t be going back, why?"

Zhao Heng nodded, having gone once was enough for him. If it happens again, it’s not something he’d go to, and you can’t keep using the same person for the same task, can you?

"How about getting engaged to my sister first, and then find a time to get married?"

Suddenly, Xu Hongdou suggested.

"Uh.. why did you think of that all of a sudden."

Zhao Heng didn’t expect Xu Hongdou to say that.

"I just think, with the state of the world these days, who knows what might happen next, so we should cherish the people around us."

Xu Hongdou said seriously.

Xu Man Ni didn’t say anything, just looked at Zhao Heng, but it was clear that she was also feeling unsettled.

"How about we have the two sides meet first?"

Zhao Heng thought for a moment and said to Xu Man Ni.

"Alright."

Xu Man Ni nodded and smiled.