Many people claim that it was Dr. Richard Wesley Telinde was to blame for taking Henrietta's cells without her consent, due to his great desire to prove his theory that non-invasive carcinoma can develop into invasive carcinomas if left untreated, and prove to the other physicians and scientists that viewed his theory as absurd, that he was right. Many people also claim that George and Margaret Gey were the ones responsible for spreading Henrietta's cells unbeknownst to Henrietta and her family. However, one must not forget about the man responsible for actually and physically taking Henrietta's cells without her consent. That man was Dr. Lawrence Wharton Jr. During Henrietta's surgery, prior to the placement of the radium filled tube that was intended to destroy the tumors, he took out two dime-sized samples of the tumor off of Henrietta and sent it to Dr. George Gey's lab. I believe two questions arise from his actions. Is he directly responsible for not informing Henrietta or her family about the fate of her cells? Or Is he just following orders from his mentor, Dr. Telinde, and he is not directly responsible? We can start a discussion/flame war about Dr. Wharton's actions.
Additional Information about Dr. Wharton obtained from the baltimore sun website:
-Born in Baltimore and raised in Roland Park, Dr.
-Wharton was the great-great-grandson of William Wallace Spence, a Baltimore coffee and sugar merchant who donated the "Divine Healer" statue of Christ that stands in the Johns Hopkins Hospital's entry rotunda.
-Studied chemistry and played football at Princeton University, and worked as a deliverer of trunks for a railway company and mover of pianos.
-He joined the Army prior to obtaining his degree and served as a military physician.
-In 1954 he specialized in gynecology under Dr. Telinde at Johns Hopkins.
-Taught at Johns Hopkins until 1970.
-"He was a great clinician...He was also an excellent surgeon, a real gentleman and a scholar..."- Dr. Theodore A. Baramki.
- Was a member and surgeon general of the Society of Colonial Wars, and the Elkridge Club.
-Died December 4th, 2003 (80 years old) of congestive heart failure.
Sorry guys could find a pic of Dr. Wharton Jr., Only a picture of Dr. Wharton Sr.
I thought George Gey collected the sample from Henrietta, at least that's what I remember from the book. Now I am thinking how did he come to know about Henrietta's cervical cancer and the miracle cells since he was not directly involved in her treatment. I need to dig through the book again.
ReplyDeletePart 1, Chapter 3, Pg.33."With Henrietta unconscious on the operating table in the center of the room, her feet in stirrups, the surgeon on duty, Dr. Lawrence Wharton Jr., sat on a stool between her legs. He peered inside Henrietta, dilated her cervix, and prepared to treat the tumor. But first-though no one had told Henrietta that TeLinde was collecting samples or asked if she wanted to be a donor-Wharton picked up a sharp knife and shaved two dime sized pieces of tissue from Henrietta's cervix: one from her tumor and one from the healthy cervical tissue nearby...Tissue given to Dr. George Gey...A resident took the dish with the samples to Gey's lab..." (Skloot, 33)
ReplyDeleteThis seems one of those trials where fault is attempting to be blamed but in honesty it is all around. In cases such as these though you could sue a certain party it would end up getting shoved off onto the hospital for knowingly allowing the practitioners to perform their work and for allowing the research to proceed.
ReplyDeleteThank God for the new regulations with privacy and consent now...
ReplyDeleteHow would the world be if she had been given the chance, and had refused to give consent?
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