History

Standards for human subject research evolved over the course of the 20th century. From the time of Hippocrates through the 18th century, society did not question the right of a doctor to make decisions about patient treatment. Questions about physicians’ authority only emerged during the 19th century with the rise of experimental medicine, especially in cases in which the research could inflict pain or spread disease. Antivivisectionists were among the first to challenge the ethics of medical research, a debate that soon broadened ...