Monkeys: 1900s Treatment for pellagra — a niacin deficiency marked by skin lesions, intestinal, and nervous system disturbances.

1940s Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis — a disease in which the connective tissues of the body become inflamed; cause still unknown, but medications relieve pain and control inflammation.

1940s Discovery of the Rh factor — the ability to detect the Rh antigen in red blood cells marked a breakthrough in the immunology of pregnancy.

1950s Prevention of poliomyelitis — also called polio or infantile paralysis, marked by symptoms ranging from mild infection to extensive paralysis. In 1950, 33,344 cases were reported in the U.S. alone; today there are virtually none.

1950s Discovery of chlorpromazine and other tranquilizers — chemical compounds used to reduce hyperactivity, anxiety, and tension.

1950s Development of cancer chemotherapy — can bring about remission of different cancers, either short-term or permanently.

1960s Prevention of rubella — also called German Measles, an epidemic viral disease marked by low fever, rash, enlarged lymph glands; can cause severe fetal defects in pregnant women.

1970s Treatment for leprosy — a chronic, infectious disease marked by severe paralysis, ulcerations, nutritional disturbances, gangrene and mutilation.

1980s - Present Research on communicative abilities — led to the development of strategies for teaching language to children with mental retardation.

1980s - Present Discovery of genetic factors — leading to treatments for predisposition that contribute to the development of behavior problems such as chronic anxieties.

1980s - Present AIDS, Alzheimer’s Disease — research is currently being conducted to understand the role of viruses in degenerative disorders.