Bad trip to Edgewood: US Army drug testing, television documentary archive, 1950–1992
Documentary programme
[BADTRIP: 1/1]
One VHS (Vertical Helix Scan) video cassette of television documentary film Bad Trip to Edgewood, broadcast in March 1993. 55 minutes
[BADTRIP: 2/1]
Jul-Aug 1992
'Interview notes'. Typescript notes of preliminary research interviews conducted Jul-Aug 1992, with US Army volunteers in the LSD and BZ drug testing programme at Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland, from 1956 to 1971, including William Spellbring, Troy Roark, James Dell, Steve Bonner, Maurice Hahn, James Stanley, William Jordan, Lyman Lewis, Roger Hagerman, Chris Roop, Ronald Brookes Mason (formerly Ronald Tatanish), Calvin Sweet, and Otto Hytien, in which they describing their test experiences, their reasons for participating in the tests, subsequent career and medical conditions. Also notes on interviews with other individuals in involved in testing programs including Richard Kupfer, Attorney for James Stanley; Rita Furman-former wife of Ron Tatanish; Dr Richard P Wheat, doctor at Stanford University Hospital San Francisco concerning cases of Serratia Marcescens infection 1950 and the death of Edward Nevin; Belinda Blauer, daughter of Harold Blauer who received a lethal injection of an experimental agent at New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1953; and Dr James Ketchum, US Army psychiatrist at Edgewood Arsenal 1961-1966, 1968-1971, describing tests he carried out and comments on the films made of the test subjects reactions.
[BADTRIP: 2/2]
[1992]
'Doctors'. Typed transcripts of interviews with doctors concerning the US Army chemical and biological warfare testing including: Dr James Ketchum, psychiatrist at Edgewood during 1950s describing testing of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and 3 quinuclidinyl benzilate (BZ) on army volunteers 1950s-1970s; Dr Richard Wheat, doctor at Stanford University Hospital, San Francisco discussing outbreak of Serratia Marcescens in 1951 and revelation of Army biological testing at that time; and Dr Alexander Shuglin, expert in psycho pharmacology discussing human testing of chemicals such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), scopolomene, atropine and 3 quinuclidinyl benzilate (BZ), and opinion of scientific value of the US Army testing project.
[BADTRIP: 2/3]
[1992]
'Interview transcripts'. Typescript transcripts of filmed interviews with Lt Gen Ronald R Blanck, Surgeon General US Army and Commanding General, US Army Medical Command, commenting on current US Army medical research programmes and the conduct of the Army's biological and chemical research projects in the 1950s and 1960s; Richard Kupfer, attorney for James B Stanley, explaining the Supreme Court judgement and the claim filed before Congress; Richard Kelly, commenting on the case of Richard Blauer and the related law suits; Dr Fred Sidell lecturing a class of Army officers at Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland, on incapacitating agents; Dr Victor Yu, who studied infectious diseases at Stanford in1977, focusing on Serratia Marcescens and antibiotic treatment, and author of articles concerning links between US Army biological testing and cases of serratia infection.
[BADTRIP: 2/4]
[1992]
'Interview transcripts – guinea pigs'. Typescript transcripts of interviews with US Army volunteers in the drug testing programme at Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland, 1956-1971, including Steve Bonner, James Dell, Otto Hytien, Bill Jordan, Lyman Lewis, Troy Roark, Calvin Sweet, and James Stanley, in which they describe their reactions to lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and 3 quinuclidinyl benzilate (BZ), their reasons for participating in the tests, subsequent career and medical conditions. Also contains transcript of interview with Belinda Blauer, daughter of Harold Blauer, civilian, who died in 1953 as a result of a lethal injection of a mescaline derivative (Experimental Agent 1298) supplied by the US Army to New York State Psychiatric Institute, discussing the 1975 revelations concerning his death.
[BADTRIP: 3/1]
1964-1992
'LSD – US Army follow-up studies'. Letters and survey form from National Research Council, Washington, relating to follow-up study of US servicemen participating in experimental testing of LSD between 1955-1967, 30 May 1984 attached to Dept of the Army Information for Members of Congress 6 Dec 1979; article 'Army suspends drug test program' 23 Aug 1975 from Facts on File World News Digest, 5 Oct 1990; LSD follow-up study report, US Army Medical Department, US Army Health Services Command, Oct 1980, 158pp; copy of American nuclear guinea pigs: three decades of radiation experiments on US citizens report prepared by the Subcommittee on Energy Conservation and Power of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, US House of Representatives, Nov 1986, 38pp; photocopy of 'Veterans as government guinea pigs: are they receiving care and compensation?' DAV Magazine, Oct 1991, 5pp; photocopy of building location map at Edgewood Arsenal; results of National Library of Medicine MEDLINE Database search on 'physostigmine and chemical and nerve and agents', 18 Sep 1992, 9pp; Possible Long-term health effects of short term exposure to chemical agents, Volume 3 Final Report: current health status of test subjects, Committee on Toxicology, Board on Toxicology and Environmental Health Hazards, Commission on Life Sciences, National Research Council, Washington DC 1985. 99pp
[BADTRIP: 3/2]
1964-1973
'Medical research papers'. Copies of letters and information sent to William R Jordan relating to the effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD); notes on scientific article 'LSD through inhalation route', James Ketchum, George K Aghaganian and Oscar H L Bing, Edgewood Arsenal, July 1964; CAR 301060: estimate of minimal effective dose in man (U), Edgewood Arsenal Technical Memorandum EATM 114-12, Arthur H Hayes, July 1967; Department of Army memoranda re approval of drug testing project, 6 Mar 1972-Oct 1973
[BADTRIP: 3/3]
1953-1993
'UK Tests.' File containing research notes, extracts of reports, interview notes, newspaper articles, scientific articles, correspondence and memoranda concerning research into chemical and biological warfare conducted at the UK Ministry of Defence establishment at Porton Down, Wiltshire, from 1916-1970s. Mentions Nancekuke Base, Cornwall and accidental exposure of Thomas H Griffiths to nerve gas in 1958.Also includes material relating to the Tripartite (quadripartite) Agreement between US, UK and Canada (and later Australia) regarding research into chemical and biological weapons and parallels with the human 'guinea pigs' used to test lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) at Edgewood Arsenal, background notes on Bad Trip to Edgewood programme with notes recording conversation with Dr James Ketchum, former US Army psychiatrist at Edgewood Arsenal who visited Porton Down in 1965, and scripts for Bad Trip to Edgewood documentary.
[BADTRIP: 3/4]
1968, 1987-1992
'Army literature'. US Army Medical Research and Development Command Newsletter, Nov 1989–May 1992; Information booklets about US Army bases with biological and chemical research facilities-Fort Detrick and Fort McClellan; printed literature relating to US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Disease, US Army Medical Biological Development Research Program, US Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defence, Chemical Corps, and Chemical Research Development and Emergency Centre. Also annotated information from seminars about the US Army Medical Chemical Defense Research Program, and US Army Medical Biological Defense Research Program.
[BADTRIP: 3/5]
1955-1991
'Brain washing'. Copies of newspaper and scientific articles and relating to brainwashing, communist indoctrination techniques, use of drugs in brain washing, and CIA drug testing. Also copies catalogue entries for film footage [1967–1982] relating to mind control.
[BADTRIP: 3/6]
1975-1990, mainly 1979
'BZ – 3 Quinuclidinyl Benzilate'. Copies of newspaper articles, scientific reports, and memoranda relating to testing of 3 quinuclidinyl benzilate (BZ) on US Army volunteers at Edgewood, storage and disposal of the chemical, and the campaign by American Citizens for Honest in Government, sponsored by the Church of Scientology.
[BADTRIP: 3/7]
1959-1992
'Chemical warfare'. Copies of articles and reports concerning chemical weapons development and testing in the US and USSR. Including an annotated bibliography produced for Congress titled 'Chemical and Biological Warfare: Selected references 1988-1991, Valentin Leskovesek Oct 1991; and a section of 'Summary of major events and problems, US Army Chemical Corps, Jan 1960.
[BADTRIP: 3/8]
1952 –1979
'CIA'. Mainly contains copies of censored memoranda relating to the CIA behaviour control projects MKULTRA, ARTICHOKE and BLUEBIRD which involved testing drugs such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD); testing carried out at Edgewood Arsenal; and death of Frank Olsen. Also contains news articles, including 'Sex drugs and the CIA, the shocking search for an "ultimate weapon"' John Marks, Saturday Review 1979.
[BADTRIP: 3/9]
1975-1977
'US Congress'. Copies of reports of Congressional hearings including Human Drug testing by the CIA Sep 1977; Unauthorized storage of toxic agents Sep 1975; Project MKULTRA, the CIA's program of research in behavioral modification Aug 1977; Biological testing involving human subjects by the Department of Defense 1977; Intelligence activities Apr 1976; Foreign and Military Intelligence Final Report Book I, April 1976. Also contains statement from Ronald V Dellums, U.S. Congressional Representative from California, Ninth District, on the abuses in the Edgewood Arsenal drug testing program.
[BADTRIP: 3/10]
[1992]
'Database of documents'. Printout from database listing research files by titles with lists of documents contained in them.
[BADTRIP: 3/11]
1962, [1992]
'Films'. List and description of film footage from Edgewood Arsenal, Fort Detrick and NBC/CBS of recording biological and chemical warfare test, trials of techniques for release of such weapons, some of which have been requested under FOI; also contains a list of films in the 'FT Archive', 9 Dec 1992; quotes from the Chemical Corps 1962 film 'Armour for the inner man' and description of its screening at the Eighth Annual Army Human Factors Engineering Conference, Oct 1962.
[BADTRIP: 3/12]
1975, 1980, 1987-1991
'Guinea-pigs: James Stanley'. Copies of news articles, 1987, relating to the Supreme Court ruling in the suit of James Stanley, unwitting volunteer of US army testing of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in 1958. Also correspondence between Harry Johnston MC, Florida, and the Department of the Army concerning a Private Bill For the Relief of James B Stanley [1989–1990], and transcripts of committee hearings.
[BADTRIP: 3/13]
1980-1992
'Guinea-pigs: Harold Blauer'. News articles and papers relating to death of Harold Blauer as result of injection of Experimental Agent 1298 at New York State Psychiatric Institute, 8 Jan 1953, the revelation by the US Army in 1975 that the cause of death was a lethal dose of a mescaline derivative (Experimental Agent 1298), and subsequent court proceedings of Blauer's daughter Elizabeth Barrett. Includes copies of Blauer's medical case notes.
[BADTRIP: 3/14]
1975-1978
'Guinea-pigs: Frank Olson'. Copies of newspaper cuttings describing the 1975 reopening of the case of Dr Frank R Olson who apparently committed suicide after being an unwitting subject of CIA testing of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in Nov 1953. Also reports of the Presidential apology to the Olson family, and thee black and white negatives of images of Olson family's audience with US President Gerald Ford, 21 Jul 1975. Also contains notes of interviews with Col Vincent L Ruwet present during administering of LSD to Olson, Mrs Herbert G Tanner, wife of HG Tanner unwitting subject of LSD test with Olson; Dr Benjamin Wilson worked on Chemical Corps test projects; Lyman Kirkpatrick, CIA Inspector General who investigated Olson's death; and Sidney Gottlieb, the doctor involved in the testing project; copy of article by Tad Szule 'The CIA's electric kool-aid acid test'; copies of censored memoranda from US Department of Army relating to Olson's death.
[BADTRIP: 3/15]
1991
'Gulf War'. Copy of article 'Double jeopardy for US troops' from Gannett News Service 31 Dec 1991, concerning US Army testing of experimental drugs on troops stationed in the Persian Gulf.
[BADTRIP: 3/16]
1951-1977
'Army documents'. Copies of sections of Inspector General, Department of the Army, 'Use of volunteers in Chemical Agent Research', 10 Mar 1976; advertisement for volunteers for the Chemical Warfare Laboratory at Army Chemical Centre, Maryland; 'Chemical Warfare Laboratories Report 2071 on psychochemical agents', 14 Sep 1956; Edgewood Arsenal report titled 'Human assessment of EA1729 and EA3528 by inhalation route' by James Ketchum, George K Aghajanian, and Oscar H L Bing, Jul 1964; 'Clinical investigation of EA1729' by Van M Sim Jun 1961; 'Special Report, First Psychochemical Conference 12 May 1954', Amedeo S Marrazzi, Sep 1955; and 'US Army Activity in the US Biological Warfare programs' Vol I and II, 24 Feb 1977.
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[1980]
'Nevin case: Depositions (File 1)'. Copies of papers relating to 1980 court action concerning Edward J Nevin a civilian non-volunteer who died as a result of bacterial infection at Stanford Lane Hospital 1 Nov 1950, linked to US bacteriological warfare testing of Serratia Marcescens in San Francisco, Sep 1950. Includes depositions of William M Creasy, former US Army Chemical Engineer at Edgewood, Charles R Phillips, chemist and civilian employee at Fort Detrick and Edgewood, and Richard P Wheat physician who treated Nevin and other Serratia Marcescens patients.
[BADTRIP: 3/18]
1979-1980
'Nevin case: Depositions (File 2)'. Papers relating to the case of Mabel Nevin et al versus USA, including copies of 'Order denying motion for Summary Judgement' Jun 1980, 'Reply memorandum, Mar 1980, 'Notice of motion to dismiss or in the alternative for summary judgement', and deposition of Richard P Wheat MD 20 Jun 1979. Also contains copy of scientific article 'Serratia Marcescens, Historical perspective and clinical review' Victor L Yu, New England Journal of Medicine, Vol 300, No16, 19 Apr 1979.
[BADTRIP: 3/19]
1950-1951, 1976-1988
'Public trials'. Copies of scientific articles on case of Serratia Marcescens infection 1976-1977, 1984 by various authors; copies of news cuttings relating to Nevin case and US Army biological testing as well as Army Navy collaboration in 1951 germ warfare tests on a navy supply ship shipment, 1979-1980, 1988; copy of Chemical Corps Biological Laboratories report 'Biological Warfare trials at San Francisco, California 20-27 Sep 1950', 22 Jan 1951; memoranda relating to exposure of Larry Hoaditch to chemicals by US Army at Fort Hood; extract of US Army Medical Research and Development Command report 'Problem definition studies on potential environmental pollutants VIII. Chemistry and toxicology of BZ (93-Quinuclidinyl Benzilate)' Aug 1977; report on Army and Navy collaboration in San Francisco tests; US Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory report on 'Testing of the NRDL fall-out collectors during experiments at San Francisco, California, Sep 1950, 30 Oct 1950; news reports of Nevin case, 1979 and 1981; copies of scientific articles relating to Serratia infection by Victor L Yu, 1979 and 1984, and 'Infection due to chromobacteria, report of eleven cases', Richard P Wheat, Anne Zuckerman and Lowell A Rantz, Archives of Internal Medicine, Oct 1951 Vol 88; memoranda with extracts of US Senate hearing 'Biological testing involving human subjects by the Department of Defense, examination of serious deficiencies in the defense department's efforts to protect the human subjects of drug research' 8 Mar and 23 May 1977, 1980;press release by Church of Scientology, 2 Apr 1981 relating to US Army test spraying of zinc cadmium sulfide in San Francisco 1965–1967 with related documentation.
[BADTRIP: 3/20]
1979-1984
'Public trials: Florida and Washington'. Church of Scientology press release regarding US Army secret biological testing in Washington DC in 1964-1965, accompanied by extracts of the Army report of the study; copies of newspaper articles concerning biological test in Washington as well as CIA biological testing in Florida during 1955, and zinc cadmium sulfide used in tests in San Francisco 1965 and 1967.
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1954-1980
'Public trials: New York'. Copy of Dept of Army report of 'A study of the vulnerability of subway passengers in New York City to covert attack with biological agents', Jan 1968; American Citizens for Honesty in Government press release and research report relating to open air testing of biological agents by the CIA in New York 1956; copies of CIA memoranda concerning funding of MKULTRA Subproject 30, May 1954; copies of newspaper articles 1979-1980 relating CIA biological testing in NY during 1956 and 1966; and 'Report on CIA/ Army open-air testing submitted to Congress' with accompanying papers released by the American Citizens for Honesty in Government.
[BADTRIP: 3/22]
1950-1951, 1979
'Public trials: San Francisco'. US Chemical Corps Biological Division report 'Biological warfare trials at San Francisco, California 20-27 Sep 1950', 22 Jan 1951.Also copies of newspaper articles relating to US Army's germ warfare testing in public areas 1979.
[BADTRIP: 3/23]
1977-1992
'Miscellaneous documents'. Copies of printed material including US Army activity in the US Biological Warfare Programs, Vol I 24 Feb 1977; 'Department of the Army, Information for Members of Congress, 8 Mar 1977' relating to US Army activities in the US biological warfare testing program'; abstracts of the Declassified Documents Quarterly Catalog Vol 3 No 3, Jul-Sep 1977 and Vol 3 No 1 Jan-Mar 1977; extracts from Medical Directory 1985 and 1992 relating to Lt Cdr William Maxwell Hollyhock RN; news reports relating to biological warfare tests, Jul 1985, the death of James Thornwell, volunteer participant in Army lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) testing, 28 Jun 1984, and the case of Charles A Laswell subjected to radiation during Army testing at Eniwetok in the Pacific during 1947-1948, 15 Nov 1980; and transcript of Paul Altmeyer report for American Broadcasting Company's 'News Closeup' titled 'Mission: mind control' relating to CIA testing of chemical warfare agents, broadcast 30 Jan 1979.
[BADTRIP: 3/24]
1986-1987
'Supreme Court'. Copies of printed court documents relating to the case of US versus James B Stanley, including 'Respondent's brief in opposition in the case of USA Vs James B Stanley, and Board of Regents of the University of Maryland versus James B Stanley', Supreme Court, Oct Term 1986; an extract of Supreme Court Reporter 107 recording the 1987 judgement, and US Supreme Court Vol 483 Cases Adjudged, Oct Term 1986. Also contains news articles relating to the Supreme Court judgement of the Stanley case, Jun 1987 including Nat Hentoff's interview with former Supreme Court judge William J Brennan Jr in, 'The justice breaks his silence' Playboy, in which he comments on the Stanley case.
[BADTRIP: 3/25]
1976
'Use of volunteers in chemical agent research'. Photocopy of the Inspector General, Department of the Army, Report 98, Use of volunteers in chemical agent research, 10 Mar 1976. 267pp
[BADTRIP: 3/26]
1963
'Report to the President'. Photocopy of Report to the President, Skybolt and Nassau, American policy making and Anglo-American Relations, Richard E Neustadt, relating to a joint UK/USA nuclear deterrent project 'Skybolt' and the Conference in Nassau, Bahamas, Dec 1962 between the UK Prime Minister Harold Macmillan and US President John F Kennedy, 15 Nov 1963. 135pp
[BADTRIP: 3/27 ]
1953-1982
'Project MKULTRA: File 1'. Photocopies of censored documents referring to CIA operations involved the use of drugs including Project MKULTRA, experimentation in behaviour control, and its numerous sub-projects: Operation MONGOOSE, a covert action program to overthrow Fidel Castro, ruler of Cuba, 1959-; Project ZRRIFLE, an assassination program; and Projects BLUEBIRD and ARTICHOKE, researching the use of drugs in interrogation. File also contains notes of interviews with W Timothy Adams, Lyman Kirkpatrick, Edward Hunter, and Chester Leese, and related material on CIA projects for chemical development and testing, and methods of surveillance and assassination.
[BADTRIP: 3/28]
1953-1969
'Project MKULTRA: File 2'. Photocopies of censored CIA documentation of Project MKULTRA, CIA experimentation in behaviour control, and its numerous sub-projects.
[BADTRIP: 3/29]
1952-1970
'Project MKULTRA: File 3'. Photocopies of censored CIA documentation of Project MKULTRA, CIA experimentation in behaviour control and its numerous sub-projects.
[BADTRIP: 3/30]
1951-1988
'Miscellaneous memoranda on drug research projects'. Photocopies of miscellaneous censored CIA documents relating death of Frank R Olsen, and Project MKULTRA, CIA experimentation in behaviour control.
[BADTRIP: 3/31]
1951-1988
'Miscellaneous memoranda on LSD research projects'. Photocopies of assorted CIA and Army memoranda, news articles, notes of interviews, relating to testing of biological and chemical weapons, also radiation experimentation.
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1976
'US Army report re use of volunteers'. Photocopy of US Department of the Army Research Report concerning the use of Volunteers in Chemical Agent Research, Col James R Taylor and Maj William N Johnson, 1976, which covers the history of chemical research in the US Army; guidelines and authorisation for use of human volunteers; research projects concerning chemical incapacitating agents including lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), benzilates and glycolates, with particular focus on the Chemical Corps work at Edgewood Arsenal. 185pp
[BADTRIP: 3/33]
1979
'Mission Mind Control, PAL copy'. VHS (Vertical Helix Scan) video cassette of 'News Closeup: Mission mind control', a documentary broadcast on American Broadcasting Companies television network, 30 Jan 1979, produced and written by Paul Altmeyer relating to CIA testing of chemical agents on humans. 90 minutes
[BADTRIP: 3/34]
1975
'World in Action: Guinea Pig Soldiers'. VHS (Vertical Helix Scan) video cassette of a Granada Television production, titled World in Action: Guinea Pig Soldiers' relating to the cover up of US Army and CIA testing of incapacitating agents on humans, Gus Macdonald, Executive Director and David Boulton, Producer. 30 minutes
[BADTRIP: 3/35]
1985
'Unit 731'. VHS (Vertical Helix Scan) video cassette of a Television South (TVS) documentary titled Unit 731 about Lt Surgeon General Shiro Ishii and Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army which conducted biological warfare tests on humans, including prisoners of war, during 1933 –1945. Directed by David C Rea, and produced by Peter Williams. 55 minutes
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