Henry K. Beecher

Henry K. Beecher
Henry K. Beecher
Born(1904-02-04)February 4, 1904
Peck, Kansas, U.S.
DiedJuly 25, 1976(1976-07-25) (aged 72)
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Alma materSantiago High
Scientific career
FieldsMedical ethics
Anesthesiology

Henry Knowles Beecher (February 4, 1904[1] – July 25, 1976[2]) was a pioneering American anesthesiologist, medical ethicist, and investigator of the placebo effect at Harvard Medical School.

An article by Beecher's in 1966 on unethical medical experimentation in the New England Journal of Medicine — "Ethics and Clinical Research" — was instrumental in the implementation of federal rules on human experimentation and informed consent.[3] A 1999 biography—written by Vincent J. Kopp, M.D. of UNC Chapel Hill and published in an American Society of Anesthesiologists newsletter—describes Beecher as an influential figure in the development of medical ethics and research techniques, though he has not been without controversy.[4] The Beecher Prize, named in honor of Henry K. Beecher, is awarded annually by Harvard Medical School to a medical student who has produced exceptional work in the field of medical ethics. Also, the Henry K. Beecher Award by The Hastings Center was established in 1976 in honour of Henry K. Beecher, who was also its first recipient.

  1. ^ Gravenstein, J. S. (January 1998). "Henry K. Beecher: The Introduction of Anesthesia into the University". Anesthesiology. 88 (1): 245–253. doi:10.1097/00000542-199801000-00033. PMID 9447878. S2CID 5944101.
  2. ^ Fowle, Farnsworth (July 26, 1976). "Henry K. Beecher, Doctor in Boston – Won World Fame for Work in Anesthesia and Ethics". The New York Times. p. 26. Retrieved August 25, 2009.
  3. ^ Beecher, Henry K. (June 16, 1966). "Ethics and Clinical Research". New England Journal of Medicine. 274 (24): 1354–1360. doi:10.1056/nejm196606162742405. PMC 2566401. PMID 5327352, republished with commentary in the series Public Health Classics in Harkness, Jon; Lederer, Susan E.; Wikler, Daniel (2001). "Laying Ethical Foundations for Clinical Research" (PDF). Bulletin of the World Health Organization. 79 (4): 365–372. PMC 2566394. PMID 11357216.
  4. ^ Kopp, Vincent J., M.D. Henry K. Beecher, M.D.: Contrarian (1904–1976) Archived 2000-11-19 at the Wayback Machine. September 1999 Newsletter, American Society of Anesthesiologists.