Bad trip to Edgewood consists of, interview transcripts, research files and videos for a television documentary on US Army testing of chemical and biological warfare agents on human 'guinea pigs' between 1955 - 1975, and includes files of mainly photocopied documents, reports, scientific articles, letters and newspapers articles, with some printed brochures, as well as videotapes.There is also a video copy of Bad trip to Edgewood which was produced by Michael Bilton, Yorkshire Television, and broadcast as a First Tuesday film in March 1993.

The files focus on secret projects carried out by the US Army Chemical Corps at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, Edgewood, Maryland USA, between 1955-1975, in which US Army volunteers were used to test the effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), benzilates such as BZ (3-quinuclidinyl benzilate, also known a QNB) and glycolates. The testing programs were suspended in 1975 when information about them became public. A number of volunteers claimed to have suffered long term mental health effects from the tests. They also claim they were not informed at the time of immediate or long term effects of the agents tested.

In 1977 US Army notified 686 volunteers who has been tested with LSD and conducted a follow up study of their health. The LSD follow-up study report released in 1980 found 'the majority of subjects evaluated did not appear to have sustained any significant damage from their participation in the LSD experiments'. There are notes and transcripts of interviews conducted with former US Army personnel who were volunteers in the research programmes, individuals involved in the running testing programs, medical experts and lawyers.

Several files relate to particular law suits including that of Sgt James B Stanley, US Army, volunteer at Edgewood during 1958. In 1977 he was informed by the army that he had been given LSD as part of the testing program. In 1987 a controversial judgement by the US Supreme Court found against Stanley, effectually granting immunity from liability for money damages for all federal officials who intentionally violate the constitutional rights of those serving in the military. Other notable cases frequently mentioned in the files include that of Frank Olson and Harold Blauer. Dr Frank R Olson, US Army scientist at Fort Detrick, apparently suicided, on 28 November 1953. In 1975 the Commission on CIA Activities within the United States (the Rockefeller Commission) revealed Olson had been given LSD without his knowledge while attending a meeting of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) personnel eight days before his death. A civilian, Harold R Blauer died on 8 Jan 1953 after being given a lethal injection of Experimental Agent 1298 supplied by the US Army Chemical Corps to the New York State Psychiatric Institute where he was a patient. A 1975 Senate investigation revealed the facts of his death. Files also contain material on bacteriological testing by the Army and the CIA carried out in Washington DC, Florida, San Francisco, and New York. Particular reference is made to the case of Edward Nevin, a civilian, who died on 1 Nov 1950 in San Francisco as a result of a rare bacterial infection Serratia Marcescens, which coincided with a significant and unexplained outbreak of this infection between Oct 1950 and Feb 1951. In 1976 it was revealed that the US Army had conducted bacteriological warfare experiments with Serratia Marcescens over San Francisco Bay during September 1950. There is a small amount of material relating to the role of American Citizens for Honesty in Government, a Church of Scientology sponsored organisation who campaigned during 1979 for a full investigation of the testing and storage of BZ and compensation for volunteers suffering long term effects from testing of the substance, and to chemical testing carried out in the UK at Porton Down, Wiltshire, UK and production of chemical agents at Nancekuke Base, Cornwall, and Anglo American cooperation in this area.

Papers, 1915-2000, relating to background research by Rob Evans for his book, Gassed: British chemical warfare experiments on humans at Porton Down (House of Stratus, London, 2000), including: copy Public Record Office papers, 1915-1919, relating to the development and use of poison gas on the Western Front, World War One; copy Public Record Office papers relating to meetings of the Chemical Defence Advisory Board of the Advisory Council on Scientific Research and Technical Development, 1947-1968; copy Public Record Office papers relating to the testing of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), 1954-1967; Porton Down annual reports, 1991-1994; Public Record Office papers on the testing of V class nerve agents, 1961-1964; copy Public Record Office papers, 1921-1953, on the use of tear gas in the British Empire; papers on the development and use of CS tear gas, 1919-2000; papers on the use of pepper spray, 1922-1999; copy Public Record Office papers on the testing of radioactive material, 1956-1964; Public Record Office papers relating to biological warfare trials, 1953-1977; transcripts of interviews done by Observer Films for ITV documentary, Secrets of Porton Down , broadcast 1994; copies of parliamentary answers relating to chemical testing on volunteers, 1995-2000

Pamphlets, handouts and notes, 1974-1985, issued to Sergeant C T Holt while on Territorial Army training courses, including: 'Soviet Weapons Whiz Wheel', a guide to the identification of various weapons, Sep 1975; nuclear, biological and chemical defence training pamphlets, produced by the Ministry of Defence, comprising: 'Pamphlet 2: The Effects of Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Attack', Aug 1974, 'Pamphlet 3: Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defence Equipment', Oct 1978, 'Pamphlet 4: Radiac Instruments', Oct 1977, 'Pamphlet 5: Personal Protection and Decontamination', May 1975, 'Pamphlet 6: NBC Defence of Airfields and Landing Sites', Jan 1975 and 'Pamphlet 7: The Organisation of Unit Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defence', 1974; notes and handouts from a Combat Signals Course, Royal School of Military Engineering, including pamphlet 'Royal Engineer Communications: Signal Procedure & Radio Notes', 1981; notes and handouts from a course on nuclear, biological and chemical warfare for non-commissioned officers, 1982; 'Survive to Fight', Army Training drill sheets describing procedures in case of nuclear, biological or chemical attack, Jun 1983; notes and handouts relating to exercises, including nuclear, biological and chemical warfare tactics, 1983; 'Warning and Reporting Aide Memoire', issued by Defence Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Centre (Defence NBC Centre), Winterbourne Gunner, Salisbury, Wiltshire, Jul 1984; Training Information Folder Edition No 5', issued by 'Training Wing, Defence Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Centre (Defence NBC Centre), Winterbourne Gunner, Salisbury, Wiltshire, 1985.Handout from a Brigade and Regimental Intelligence Course (BRIC); handouts introducing the Geneva Convention, prisoner handling and tactical questioning, analysis of methods of interrogation and indoctrination, and Communist methods of interrogation and indoctrination; handouts from a course on field defences; handouts relating to the Soviet Army issued by the Soviet Training Branch, Defence Intelligence and Security School; notes and handouts relating to training on MAPCO, a method of encoding map references.Also a sealed Decontamination Kit labelled 'personal No 1, Mk 1'.