"Dr. Mary's Monkey"

[Jan Klimkowski]

My thinking is that 'they' thought they could hide it as a case of ergotism [which has similar, although milder, symptoms by and large]. I think there was an advantage to doing it in a developed country over and undeveloped one in that there would be doctors, psychiatrists, and other professionals [naive or planted / in-on-it] around to report on the effects. Also, better support for those affected adversely. Rye and other grains subject to the growth of ergot are not used as much in most developing nations, but ae in Europe in breads, etc.

Peter - I'm sure you've seen reports of covert testing of new drugs in Yankee colonies such as Panama, Costa Rica and Haiti.

See eg my post #6 here.

It would be possible to flood a particular area of, say, Panama with security cleared doctors to run a mass incapicitant experiment on a community. The presence of foreign doctors with clipboards would not be reported.

The presence of a large number of foreign doctors in a small French village such as Pont St Esprit would surely attract attention. Sandoz doctors may have been used as cover, but to do any kind of "meaningful" science, British and American "MK-ULTRA" doctors would need to be in the vicinity in the immediate aftermath.

Also, why not do it in Germany? In 1954, there would have been very little risk of a public outcry - even if the "experiment" was discovered.