Sarin Nerve Agent Experiments On Humans At Porton Down

National Geographic: CIA Secret Experiments (March 10th, 2008)

Sarin nerve agent experiments at Porton Down resulted in the death of 20-year-old Aircraftman Ronald Maddison.

Full Documentary posted by 'Erictronik Page' (July 6th, 2012): https://web.archive.org/web/20121114123352/https://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=prQpG1k9UcY

"Porton Down, founded in 1916, is the oldest chemical warfare research installation in the world. The tight secrecy which has surrounded the establishment for decades has fed the growth of all sorts of myths and rumours about its experiments. One Whitehall official once remarked that Porton had an image of 'a sinister and nefarious establishment'...There are still concerns that the tests have damaged the long-term health of the human subjects...its work has been thrown into the spotlight once again: an inquest was reopened into the death, in May 1953, of a young airman, Ronald Maddison. He died after liquid nerve gas was dripped on to his arm by Porton scientists in an experiment...From 1945 to 1989, Porton exposed more than 3,400 human "guinea pigs" to nerve gas. It seems probable that Porton has tested more human subjects with nerve gas, for the longest period of time, than any other scientific establishment in the world...Two other nations have admitted testing nerve gas on humans: the American military exposed about 1,100 soldiers between 1945 and 1975, and Canada tested a small number before 1968...One of the early tests established just how little one of the nerve gases, sarin, was needed to trigger a reaction in humans. Fifty-six men were sent into gas chambers and exposed to 'low concentrations' of gas. The scientists watching recorded that after 20 minutes, the men started to suffer miosis (constriction of the pupil), one of the first symptoms of nerve gas poisoning. Their vision was blurred and darkened, in some cases for up to five days. Fourteen men were exposed to repeated doses of sarin, some when they were still experiencing the effects of the previous poisoning...By 1950, Porton had begun to test 'considerable higher doses' of sarin on 133 men, and catalogued the severity of symptoms, such as runny noses, headaches, vomiting and eye pain...After Maddison's death, Porton was limited in the amount of nerve gas it could test on humans, but the trials continued."
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2004/may/06/science.research

"Since 1916 more than 20,000 people have taken part in studies at the base...Tests were carried out on servicemen to try and determine the effects of nerve agents on humans - with one recorded death due to a nerve gas experiment. Leading Aircraftman Ronald Maddison died aged 20 in 1953 after taking part in sarin nerve agent toxicity tests...During the tests sarin was dripped onto his arm through two layers of cloth. He died shortly after and an inquest in 2004 returned a verdict of unlawful killing...Tests included going into gas chambers, repeated exposure, mental performance tests and tests on bare skin."
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/inside-porton-down-britains-controversial-12192830