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Dr. Frances Kelsey, Who Saved American Babies From Thalidomide, Dies At 101

Posted by Soulskill on from the rest-in-peace dept.

circletimessquare writes: Plenty of regulations are bad (some because big business corrupts them) but the simple truth is modern society cannot function without effective government regulation. It keeps are food safe, our rivers clean, and our economy healthy. Passing away at age 101 Friday was a woman who personified this lesson. In 1960 the F.D.A. tasked Dr. Frances Kelsey with evaluating a drug used in Europe for treating morning sickness. She noticed something troubling, and asked the manufacturer William S. Merrell Co. for more data. "Thus began a fateful test of wills. Merrell responded. Dr. Kelsey wanted more. Merrell complained to Dr. Kelsey's bosses, calling her a petty bureaucrat. She persisted. On it went. But by late 1961, the terrible evidence was pouring in. The drug — better known by its generic name, thalidomide — was causing thousands of babies in Europe, Britain, Canada and the Middle East to be born with flipperlike arms and legs and other defects." Without Dr. Kelsey's scientific and regulatory persistence in the face of mindless greed, thousands of Americans would have suffered a horrible fate.

6 of 278 comments (clear)

  1. But but but.. by Daemonik · · Score: 5, Funny

    Corporations can regulate themselves! We can totally trust them not to put greed ahead of public safety! Really, they've learned their lessons and besides, we have all the regulation the market needs with civil lawsuits! Just let us reform a few tort laws and cut a few useless regulations holding back all the awesome good things we want to bring to people and we'll all be living in a utopia!

    1. Re:But but but.. by serviscope_minor · · Score: 5, Funny

      Yeah those babies should have voted with their wallets and not bought thalidomide in the first place. After enough consumers suffered hideous deformities, word would have got around and the company would have stopped being profitable. The free market would work as it should.

      --
      SJW n. One who posts facts.
    2. Re:But but but.. by weilawei · · Score: 5, Funny

      Uh, maybe I'm missing something, but you two seem to be violently agreeing.

    3. Re:But but but.. by Outtascope · · Score: 2, Funny

      Whatever. Clearly it's a problem caused by the fact the some people just don't like to listen, and would prefer to talk.

    4. Re:But but but.. by JustOK · · Score: 4, Funny

      they get an eh

      --
      rewriting history since 2109
  2. Re:We don't need regulation by Opportunist · · Score: 1, Funny

    Killing? Don't be so melodramatic, no kid was killed. They were just short a few limbs, that's all.

    Jeesh, the fuckin' leftist crowd, always exaggerating. Chernobyl also was no disaster. They just completed the five year plan of energy production in a mere 5 nanoseconds! And what do you get? Sensationalist press making a fuss.

    You just can't make people happy.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.