For long pain killers have been a subject for research.
These medicines work by suppressing the active part of brain which let us feel
pain. But as the amount of medicine is increased slowly brain starts responding
to it in different ways it can be in terms of affecting ones thought
processing, brain behavior and psychological mannerism, people have also
complained having hallucination. Recently I came to know that various
researches are going on to make these medicines side effect free. As I am a
curious child I found a link through one of my old doctor friend and got a permission
to visit one such experiment.
I visited a medical research institute where a group of
scientists were conducting an experiment on the same. As a part of
non-disclosure contract, because such experiments on humans can be categorized
as inhuman and Indian law along with human rights organizations does not permit
experiments on man, I was not allowed here to name the institute but finding a
loop hole in the agreement I am free to document the events and the procedure
of the experiment.
Doctors involved in this experiment are highly confidential
about the people used as subjects. In all I could find that there were three
person on whom the tests were going on. A hushed voice told me that these men
are criminals, one of them a serial killer and other two rapists. I guess this kind
of selection is because it will reduce the guilt of going to an extreme level
of testing on them.
In paper it was a simple paragraph stating what exactly they
need to do. All three of them were kept in different closed chambers and were
given a healthy diet at regular intervals. There oxygen intake, heartbeat rate,
blood pressure and brain activity were continuously monitored through different
instruments which were attached to their bodies through various channels and
fibers. Front wall of the chamber was made of glass so that they can be
watched. I was allowed to stay in the corridor from where I could see the glass
clearly. But I could not see any of them as the chamber was kept in complete
dark. They said this new medicine gives desired result only in absence of
light. The dose of medicine was given daily twice and each day the amount of
drug was increased by 10% concentration. Once the medicine was given they were asked
questions in order to know the effect. This is what the experiment was to check
the maximum amount of the medicine which does not affect the brain.
When I reached there, fifteen days of the experiment was
already over from the overall schedule of three months. I used to be there only
at the time of questioning session to know their experiences. Five days were
passed and there was nothing weird, I could hear them saying, ‘when I will be
getting out of here’ or ‘yes, your medicine is working, I feel nothing weird’
or ‘I still feel the pain you idiots’ or similar kind of statements coming from
the room. I was not able to see them but behavior felt normal. Till now the
medicine was working as they wanted. ‘Increase the dose by 25% tomorrow’ I
heard the doctor saying to the assistant’.
It was twenty first day of the experiment and we all were
curious as the dose concentration was increased. ‘I feel good’ was the reply
from the murderer. There was no reply from the second chamber there was just
tapping of foot and humming of an unknown song. From the third chamber reply
was like previous, ‘when will I get out from here’. But nothing was weird. Next
day it was similar and replies were same. Each day there was increase of 25%
concentration. ‘Can I have more?’ the murderer asked while questioning. We felt
he was chewing something.
‘What do you want more?’ one of the doctors asked him.
‘Medicine’ he replied still chewing something.
‘What are you eating?’
‘Nothing’ and then there was no reply from him. He didn’t
reply any of the questions after. The monitor showed everything normal no
increase or decrease in blood pressure. We all moved to second chamber.
‘How are you today?’
‘I am fine, just bit hungry’
‘But you just now had food’
‘Its not enough’ then again he started humming the same
song.
Third one was still the same.
‘Come to the front so we can see you’
‘No, first promise me you will take me out’
‘Ok’
‘No, I won’t come, go away’
We heard him walking at the end of the room. It was weird
for all of us why he refused to come in front of us.
Next day all three of them
were asked to come to the glass wall but none of them agreed to it. The
instruments were showing normal readings for all three. But the first one
always kept chewing something and second one kept humming and tapping his foot.
Now for two days there was no sound coming from the third chamber. All the doctors were worried of the third
subject.
‘Ok you can come out, you are free’ one of the doctor said to
the third subject. There was no sound.
‘Don’t you want to go home?’ he asked again. With a long
pause a slow voice said ‘no’. We all were surprised. Before he could ask him
more, there was a loud screaming from the second cell. We could feel he was
running from wall to wall and screaming. We turned to the instruments, blood
pressure was shooting high, heart pumping rapidly but the brain was showing no
activity. And within few minute it all went silent. All measures normal again.
They noted the concentration and decide not to give him tomorrow.
No change for other two.
Next day, the first subject did not reply anything, just
kept chewing something. Second subject was briskly walking from wall to wall
beating his foot, but there was no humming of song now. There was no sound from
the third subject. Only change they felt was increase in oxygen intake and rise
in blood pressure. After 29 days they decided to take the second subject out.
Lights outside were made dim so that sudden light should not harm his eyes. Two
security guys were sent inside the compartment to bring him out and they came
out almost running. One of them started vomiting and other without saying
something ran out of the room. Looking at the situation it was decided to light
the cell a bit to see the situation. A ten watt bulb was lit and the scene was
horrifying.
The subject was completely naked. He had broke chunks of
cement from the wall and had cut his skin from everywhere on his body. His
thigh was missing flesh and those flesh chunks were lying here and there on the
ground. His intestine was hanging from his stomach and those chunks of cements
were put there in his stomach. He was still walking from wall to wall. There
was no flesh left under his feet because of walking.
Looking at the condition doctors decided to inject him with
anesthesia and operate his injuries. To surprise any dose of anesthesia didn’t
work on him. More guards were called and finally he was tied up on an operation
bed and was operated to keep back his intestine back in his stomach. Unfortunately
he died in mid operation. We came to know that not a single sigh of pain came
from his mouth may be because he has broken his vocal cord while screaming and
was unable to speak anything.
This was shocking enough for the panel to decide and bring
out other two too. Another team of security guards were called as none of the
member of previous team was ready to go inside. We all were in front of the
third cell and like yesterday there was no sound coming from it. A dim light
was lit and within no time subject started screaming to switch it off. His
situation was no different from the person who was dead. But in this case he
seemed more violent. The security people were struggling to control. And
started hitting him with their sticks. We could hear him laughing and screaming
‘more’ ‘more’. One of the guard took out his rifle to threaten him but instead
he snatched the rifle and shot himself in his chest and kept laughing till his
heart stopped beating. There was smile on his face after he was dead.
As both of the subjects were dead, the team of doctor
decided to take the third subject out immediately. Third subject, the murderer
was in worst condition of all, still chewing his own flesh. One of his leg and
a hand was completely out of flesh and we could see the bones peeping out of
it. There was a big cut on his side chest from where the ribs were visible and
he kept peeling the skin from it and putting it in his mouth. Only surprising
thing was that he was not at all violent but was sitting in the corner calmly.
As he was brought out of the cell, he kept asking if he
would get more medicine. Once he was on the operation bed so that his wounds
could be sealed, he started smiling like other two. As the anesthesia was not
working on any of them, one of the doctors started cutting the hanging flesh.
Seeing him smile another doctor asked, ‘why are you smiling?’
Ignoring his question
he turned to the first doctor and said smiling, ‘keep cutting…’
