Beyond the pale

“All I saw before me were acres of skin. It was like a farmer seeing a
fertile field for the first time.” So dermatologist Albert Kligman recalled his
first visit to Holmesburg Prison, a leading centre, under his leadership, for
human experiments involving shampoo, eye drops and much, much worse. Acres of
Skin, Allen Hornblum’s exposé of 20 years of experiments in one US
prison, contains powerful first-hand testimony. Published by Routledge,
£19.99, ISBN 0415919908.