▁the ▁man ▁who ▁secret ly ▁poison ed ▁her ▁over ▁forty ▁years ▁ago . ▁ ▁Background ▁The ▁story ▁is ▁lo os ely - based ▁on ▁pr en atal ▁experiments ▁conducted ▁at ▁V ander b ilt ▁University , ▁in ▁which ▁ 7 0 0 ▁pre gn ant ▁women ▁were ▁given ▁radio active ▁iron ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁see ▁if ▁radio activity ▁could ▁pass ▁through ▁the ▁pla cent a ▁and ▁affect ▁the ▁un born ▁children . ▁( The ▁experiments ▁found ▁that ▁it ▁could .) ▁The ▁women ▁were ▁given ▁pr en atal ▁vit amin ▁drink s ▁and ▁were ▁una ware ▁that ▁the ▁be ver ages ▁contained ▁radio ▁active ▁material . ▁▁ ▁Author ▁Elizabeth ▁St uck ey - F rench ▁said ▁that ▁she ▁found ▁out ▁about ▁the ▁government - engine ered ▁radiation ▁experiments ▁upon ▁discover ing ▁the ▁book ▁The ▁Pl ut on ium ▁Files : ▁America ’ s ▁Secret ▁Medical ▁Exper iments ▁in ▁the ▁Cold ▁War ▁by ▁E ile en ▁W els ome ▁at ▁her ▁local ▁library . ▁ ▁Plot ▁summary ▁ ▁Mary lou ▁A he arn ▁tempor arily ▁moves ▁from ▁M emph is , ▁Tennessee ▁to ▁T alla has see , ▁Florida ▁to ▁take ▁an ▁extended ▁vac ation . ▁In ▁actual ity ▁though , ▁she ▁is ▁really ▁there ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁find ▁and ▁murder ▁retired ▁doctor ▁Wilson ▁Spr ig gs . ▁It ▁is ▁explained ▁that ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁Dr . ▁Spr ig gs ▁was ▁in ▁charge ▁of ▁a ▁medical ▁experiment ▁where ▁pre gn ant ▁woman ▁were ▁un know ingly ▁given ▁a ▁vit