1946-12-11, #4: Doctors' Trial (late afternoon)
Prosecution: freezing experiments
THE MARSHAL: The Tribunal is again in session.
MR. McHaney; We had cone to document 1611 PS which will be Prosecution Exhibit 83.
THE PRESIDENT: It is 85.
MR. HcHANEY: You are right, Your Honor, - 85. This is a letter from Heinrich Himmler to Dr. Rascher, dated 22 September, 1942:
I have received the intermediate report on the subcooling experiments in Camp Dachau.
That refers to the report which I have just read and which is Prosecution Exhibit 84. I will continue.
Dispite everything, I would so arrange the experiments that all possibilities, prompt warning, medicine, body warning will be executed in positive experiment orders.
/s/ H. Himmler
That last paragraph is perhaps a little garbled, Hour Honors, but the meaning is quite clear. You will recall that in the intermediate report Rascher had made the statement that he thought that they could dispense with the attempt to save intensely chilled subjects by means of animal heat. Now in this letter which is Prosecution Exhibit 85 Himmler is in effect ordering Rascher to exhaust all possibilities of re-warming, including body warming, as he puts it, of animal heat. A copy of this letter, it can be seen, want to Sievers, with a request for acknowledgment, and there apparently are not initials on that. However it indicated Lieutenant Colonel, and presumably the letter was forwarded to Rudolf Brandt in the office of Heinrich Himmler, and the Court will recall too that about this tine Dr. Rascher was attached to the Ahnenerbe Society, which is an Institute for Scientific Research, and consequently a copy of this letter, which in effect was an order to Rascher, was sent to his superior, the defendant Sievers.
The next document is No. 285, which will be Prosecution Exhibit 86. It is also a letter from Rascher to Rudolf Brandt. The letter is addressed to " Most Honored Obersturmbannfuehrer ", and is not address by name to the defendant, Rudolf Brandt. The Prosecution takes the position that the letter was in fact addressed to the defendant, Rudolf Brandt. His title at that time was an SS Obersturmbannfuehrer, which is an equivalent rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
The letter is dated 3 October, 1942:
First of all I want to thank you very much for "the Glass Ocean."
-- That apparently refers to a pointing--
My wife and myself are very happy to possess now a complete set of these books.
-- It was not a painting--
I have already read the book with great interest.
The Reichsfuehrer-SS wants to be informed of the state of the experiments. I can announce that the experiments have been concluded, with the exception of these on warming with body heat. The final report will be ready in about 5 days. Professor Holzlochner, for reasons that I cannot fathom, does not himself want to make the report to the Reichsfuehrer and has asked mo to attend to it. This report must be made before 20 October, because the great Luftwaffe conference on freezing takes place in Nuernberg on 25 October. The report on the results of our research must be made there, to assure that they can be used in time for the troops. May I ask you to arrange for a decision from the Reichsfuehrer regarding the final report to him, and the submission to him of the relevant material?
Today I Received your letter of 22 September 42, in which the Reichsfuehrer orders that the experiments on warning through body heat must absolutely be conducted.
That is the letter which has come in as Prosecution Exhibit 85.
Because of incomplete address it was delayed. Today I asked Obersturmbannfuehrer Sievers to send a telegraph to the camp commander immediately, to the effect that 4 gypsy women be procured at once from another camp.
Your Honors would appreciate the fact that the concentration camp Dachau was reserved almost exclusively for men.
However, I asked SS Ober-sturmbannfuehrer Sievers to take steps to have the low-pressure chamber ready for use.
The report to General Field Marshal Milch planned for 11 September could not be made, as you have discovered, because he was prevented from attending, and no representative was commissioned to receive it. As the Reichsfuehrer had not empowered me to report to anyone in the Reich Air Ministry, I abstained from making the report, which rather nettled the gentlemen of the Medical Inspectorate. I immediately informed Obersturmbannfuehrer Sievers.
For the time being the report is being held as a military Secret at the German Experimental Institute for Aviation together with a distribution list prepared by the Reich Air Ministry. The distribution of the copies, however, has not yet taken place, because, as I said, the report has not yet been nade to Milch. I assume that you were informed of this whole business long ago. What shall we do now?
I wish to enclose a letter of thanks to the Reichsfuehrer from the former prisoner Neff. At the same time I should like to thank you very much for your efforts; and let me beg you, should opportunity offer, to convey to the Reichsfuehrer my most sincere thanks for his granting of this request. I did not write to the Reichsfuehrer in person, in order not to make any further demands on his valuable time.
With best wishes and Heil Hitler! Yours most sincerely,
/s/ S. Rascher.
Your Honors are particularly concerned about whether or not this letter was addressed to the defendant, Rudolf Brandt, which I am rather sure he would not deny. You may refer to paragraph 6 and 7 of his affidavit, which has gone in as exhibit No. 80, and he therein states substantially the facts which are revealed in this letter. I would also like to point out in referring back to the high altitude experiments that the next to the last paragraph in this letter deals with that subject, and of particular interest is the language stating that for the time being the report is being held as a military secret at the German Experimental Institute for Aviation, and that institute, of course, was the one to which defendants Ruff and Romberg were attached.
Your Honors will recall that when they presented the final report on the high altitude experiments it was found with the letter from Ruff and Romberg that Himmler sends three copies, two, three and four. Now that is significant, because as it states here the distribution list was prepared by the Reich Air Ministry, which indicates that these experiments were well known on the highest level of the medical service of the Luftwaffe, including Erhardt Wilch himself, Secretary of State for Air.
The reference to the former prisoner Heff is to one of the concentration camp inmates, who was an active assistant to Rascher during the low pressure and freezing experiments, and it certainly does not refer to any concentration camp inmates who was the subject of these experiments. Consequently, it is not to be construed as any evidence of amnesty to an experimental subject.
Document 1619 PS will be Prosecution Exhibit 87 and is a telegram from the Reichssicherheitshauptant, which is what we normally call the RSHA, and the Gestapo was a part of that organization. The telegram is signed, "Weiss", who apparently was the Camp Commandant at Dachau. The telegram is addressed to SS Obersturmbannfuehrer Rudolf Brandt, and states that the Commandant of the Concentration Camp Dachau asks to instruct the Amtsgruppenchef SS Drigadefuehrer Cliecks, to send from Ravensbruck to Dachau the four women wanted by Stabsarzt Dr. Rascher for his experiments, according to instructions given by the Reichsfuehrer SS.
Ravenbruck, Your Honors, was a concentration camp which remained almost exclusively female inmates.
The next exhibit is Document 1619-PS and will be Prosecution Exhibit 88. I am in error, Your Honors, both the telegram which I have just read and the teletype which follows are included as Document 19610-PS and both have gone into the record an Exhibit 87.
This is a teletype to SS-Brigadefuehrer Gluecks, Oranienburg. It states:
SS-Sturmbannfuehrer Dr. Brandt asks you to give instructions for the four women ordered by the Reichsfuehrer-SS to be put at the disposal of Dr. Rascher to be sent from Ravensbrueck to Dachau.
If Your Honor please, the next document in the English Document Books is on Page 21. It's Document NO-295 and is in fact the same as the second telegram in Document 1610-PS, consequently, it will not be put in. It's simply a case of the same document being picked up at two different sources and being registered with two different numbers here in Nuernberg. It is, in fact, the same document.
He come now to a very interesting letter, which is Document NO 286 and this will be prosecution Exhibit 88. This letter is from Anthony of the Department for Aviation Medical Service of the Luftwaffe. It is directed to the Reichsfuehrer-SS, Heinrich Himmler and it informs him about a Luftwaffe meeting of doctors which is to be held in October in Nuernberg, and that questions concerning freezing are to be there discussed.
It is important here to look at the letter designations appearing in the first part of this letter, and I will ask Your Honors to recall the affidavit of the defendant Decker-Freyseng in that regard. You will remember that he stated, when he first went into the Department for Aviation Medicine in the Luftwaffe in 1941, that it carried the letter designations and organization designation of 2 II B, and that shortly sometime thereafter, it changed to 2 F and then to 2 11 A. We see here the letter designation 2 II B after the letters L.I. 14, which is Luftwaffe Inspectorate 14, which is a medical service of the Luftwaffe.
Subjet: Research order on Freezing.
"deference": -- Then follows a series of letters, the meaning of all of which I do not know. It says "D.D.d.L." I don't know the meaning of that. Then comes "and Ob.d.L." That means Oberkommando der Luftwaffe. Then "Ch.d.Luftwaffen L.In. 14". T think , means Chief of the Luftwaffen Inspectorate 14, who at that time was Erich Hippke, Then immediately under that you see again the letter characters "2 II B"-- which refers to the Department for Aviation Medicine, the chief of which was Anthony, the author of this letter, and his chief assistant was the defendant Becker-Freyseng. The letter reads:
The Inspectorate of the Medicine Service of the Luftwaffe has given an order for research to the Stabsarzt Professor Dr. Holzloehner, reference above, dated 24 February 1942, for work on the following problem: "The effect of freezing on warm-blooded subjects."
Now I'd like to pause again, Your Honors and emphasize the meaning of that short paragraph. It states that the order has been given for research to Holzloehner, who collaborated with Rascher in these freezing experiments. "Reference above"-- and the reference is to reference No. 1 dated 24 February 42, as there carried in tho reference, and the Department far Aviation Medicine 2 II B appears very clearly, indicating that that research order came through the Department for Aviation Medicine and that the defendant Becker-Freseng was in that office at that time.
At the proposal of Stabsarzt Dr. Rascher appropriate examinations were made of human beings, and in agreement with the Reichsfuehrer-SS suitable SS facilities were used for the examinations.
In order to carry out these examination, a research group 'Heardships at Sea' was set up, consisting of Professor Dr. Holzloehner also leader and Stabsarzt Dr. Rascher and Dr. Finko.
The leader of this research group reported that the examinations have been concluded.
It is intended to dissolve the research group at the latest by 15 October 1942.
The research documents and an extensive report will be presented to the Reichsfuehrer-SS by Stebsarzt Dr. Rascher. It is requested that the originals or copies of the report and of the documents be put at the disposal of the inspectorate of the Medical Service of the Luftwaffe.
It is intended to make the results, in the form of an extract, accessible to exports at a conference which will take place in Nurnberg on 26 and 27 October 1942.
The daily schedule of the conference is enclosed.
The SS Central Office, Medical Department has been invited to this discussion by letter, dated 30 September 1942.
I would like to state in that connection that if my memory serves me correctly that the--I beg your pardon, the reference must be there to the department run by Dr. Grawitz. I was about to say that the defendant Genzken however-- his office, as I recall, was attached to the SS Fuehrungshauptamt, which is the operational headquarters of the Waffen SS, and the reference here is to the SS Central Office to which Grawitz' Office was attached.
It is further requested to abstain from forwarding the documents and the report to other non-medical offices.
It is there signed: "by order Wullen. True copy". /s/ Anthony.
The rest of the letter simply gives the date end place of the meeting, which was held in the Deutsche Hof in Nurnberg on the 26 and 27 of October 1942, and it also gives the agenda of the meeting. And Your Honor will see that it is dealing exclusively with problems of cold.
I call your attention to Page 24 of the Document Book to the note that Oberstabsarzt Dr. Weltz is also to speak on freezing problems at the same meeting.
The next exhibit will be Document NO-225 which will be Prosecution Exhibit 89. This is a letter from Sigmund Rascher to Himmler dated October 16, 1942.
Very honored Reichsfuehrer:
By order of the Chief of LIN 14 of the Reich Air Ministry, I have been ordered to submit an oral report concerning the most recent Dachau work to you very honored Reichsfuehrer SS.
Since your time does not permit it, I herewith request most obediently that you approve the release of the results of those experiments.
At the same time I beg you kindly to let the Adjutant's Office, Reichsfuehrer-SS in Munich, have a decision concerning the matter, by teletype, as the report is to be utilized on the occasion of the Luftwaffe conference of 25 October '42 dealing with cold experiments. This date is urgent, for the reason that countermeasures must be taken against freezing of airmen.
/s/ Rascher
Document 1916-PS will be Prosecution Exhibit 90. This also is a letter from Dr. Rascher, the Reichsfuehrer, dated 16 October '42.
Permit me to submit the attached final report on the super-cooling experiments performed at Dachau. This report does not contain the course and results of a series of experiments with drugs as well as experiments with animal body heat which are now being conducted. Likewise, this report does not contain the microscopic pathological examinations of the brain tissues of the deceased. I was surprised at the extraordinary microscopic findings in this field. I will carry out experiments before the start of the conference in which the effects of cooling will be discussed and I hope to be able to present further results by that time. My two co-workers left Dachau about eight days ago.
In the hope that you, highly esteemed Reichsfuehrer, will be able to spare a quarter of an hour to listen to an oral report, I remain, with the most obedient regard an Heil Hitler ! Yours respectfully, Rascher.
We came now to the final report on the cooling experiments on living human persons at Dachau. This is Doc. NO-428 and it will be Prosecution Exhibit 91.
This report is rather long, your Honors, and while I do wish to read a number of excerpts from it, there are several things which I think we can omit, although I am sure that you will wish to study the report in full.
On page 29 they give the problem of the experiment and I think it would be well for me to here read that excerpt, as well as the general procedure of the experiment, and also some excerpts on their clinical findings. And, I will also call your attention to a certain exhibit, or a certain appendix attached to the report.
I. Problem of the Experiment.
Up to the present time there has been no basis for the treatment of shipwrecked persons who have been exposed for long periods of time to low water temperatures. These uncertainties extended to the possible physical and pharmacological methods of attack. It was not clear, for example, whether those who had been rescued should be warmed quickly or slowly. According to the current instructions for treating frozen people,a slow warming-up seemed to be indicated. Certain theoretical considerations could be adduced for a slow warning. Well-founded suggestions were missing for a promising Midicinal therapy.
All these uncertainties rested in the last analysis upon the absence of well-founded concepts concerning the cause of death by cold in human beings. In the meantime, in order to clarify this question, a series of animal experiments were started. And, indeed, those officials who wished to make definite suggestions to the doctors in the sea rescue service had to assume a great deal of responsibility if it came to a question of convincing and consistent results in these animal experiment. At this particular point it is especially difficult to carry the findings in animals over into the human field. In the warm-blooded, one finds a varied degree of development in the heat-regulating mechanism. Besides, this, the processes in the skin of the pelted animals cannot be carried over to man.
II. General procedure of the Experiment.
The effect of water temperatures of 2°, 3°, to 12° C were investigated. A tank 2 x 2 x 2 m . served as an experimental basin. The water temperature was attained by addition of ice, and remained constant during the experiment. The experimental subjects were generally dressed in equipment such as the flyer wears, consisting of underclothing, uniform, a one piece summer or winter protective suit, helmet and aviators fur lined boots. In addition they were a lifepreserver of rubber or kapok. The effect of additional protective clothing against water-cold was tested in a special series of experiments, and in another series the cooling of the unclothed person was studied.
The bodily warmth was measured thermoelectrically. Following preliminary experiments in which gastric temperatures were measured, by a Thermic sound, we adopted the procedure of continuously registering rectally the body temperature. Parallel with this the recording of the skin temperatures was undertaken. The point of measurement was the skin of the back at the level of the fith thoracic vertebral process. The thermoelectrical measurements were controlled before, during, and after the experiments by thermometric test of the cheek and rectal temperature.
In severe cooling, checking of the pulse is difficult. The pulse becomes weaker, the musculature become stiff, and shivering sets in. Auscultation during the experiment by means of a tube stethoscope fastened over the tip of the heart proved effective. The tubes were led out of the uniform and made possible the continuous listening to the heart during the stay in the water.
Electrocardiographic controls were not possible in the water. After removal from the water they were possible only in these cases in which a too severe muscle shivering did not disturb the electrocardiograph records.
The following chemical studies were carried out: following up of the blood sugar picture; the sodium chloride picture in the serum; the non-protein nitrogen; the alkali reserve; the alkali reserve of the venous and arterial blood and sedimentation rate (before and after the experiment). Besides this the general blood condition and viscosity were followed during the experiment, and before and after the experiment the resistance of the red blood cells and the protein content of the blood plasma were measured.
The following urinalyses were made regularly: sediment, albumen, sugar, sodium chloride, acetone, acetic acid, as well as qualitative albumen determination.
In part of the experiment lumbar and subccipital punctures were made as well as corresponding spinal fluid studies.
Among physical and therapeutic measures the following were tested:
a) Rapid warming by means of a hot bath,
b) Warming by means of a light cradle,
c) Warming in a heated sleeping bag,
d) Vigorous massage of the whole body,
e) Wrapping in covers,
f) Diathermy of the heart." ...
On the following two pages, your Honors, certain charts and appendices have been inappropriately inserted in the middle of this document. They really belong at the back. The context of the document continues on page 34 of the English Document book.
in addition the following drugs were given : Strophanthin i.v.; Cardiazol i.v. and i.c.; Lobelin and Coramin i.v. and i.c.. In other experiments alcohol or grape sugar was given.
A part of the experiments were begun under narcosis (8 cc. Evipan i.v.).
Only part were done under narcosis.
The clinical picture of cooling I think worthwhile to read since it is clearly stated there was considerable pain and suffering during the course of these experiments.
III. The clinical picture of cooling.
The clinical picture as well as the behavior of the body temperature showed certain regularities in the general course; the time of appearance of certain phenomena was, however, subject to very great individual variations. As one might expect, a good general physical condition delayed the cooling and the concomitant phenomena. Further differences were conditioned by the position of the subject in the water and the manner of clothing. Furthermore, differences showed up between experiments in which the subject lay horizontally in the water so that the nape of the neck and the back of the head were splashed with water, and others in which neck and head protruded freely out of the water.
Peculiarly, the actual water temperatures between 2° C and 12° C, had not demonstrable effect upon the rate of the cooling. Naturally such an effect must exist. But since besides the already mentioned individual differences and those due to experimental conditions, the various subjects cooled on different days at different rates of speed, the effect of the actual water temperatures between 2° and 12° disappears behind such variations.
If the experimental subject were placed in the water under narcosis, one observed a certain arousing effect. The subject began to groan and made some defensive movements. In a few cases a state of excitation developed. This was especially severe in the cooling of head and neck. But never was a complete cessation fo the narcosis observed. The defensive movements ceased after about 5 minutes. There followed a progressive rigor, which developed especially strongly in the arm musculature; the arms were strongly flexed and pressed to the body. The rigor increased with the continuation of the cooling, now and then interrupted by tonicclonic twitchings. With still more marked sinking of the body temperature it suddenly ceased. These cases ended fatally, without any successful results from resuscitation efforts.
In the course of the narcosis experiments the evipan effect in a few cases wont directly over into a cold narcosis; in other cases one could determine a transitory retur of consciousness, immediately following the awakening effect already described; at any rate, the experimental subjects were dizzy. Cold pain was not expressed.
Experiments without narcosis showed no essential differences in the course of cooling. Upon entry into the water a severe cold shuddering appeared. The cooling of the neck and back of the head was felt as especially painful, but already after 5 to 10 minutes a significant weakening of the pain sensation was observable. Rigor developed after this time in the same manner as under narcosis, likewise the tonicclonic twitchings. At this point speech became difficult because the rigor also affected the speech musculature.
Simultaneously with the rigor a severe difficulty in breathing set in with or without narcosis. It was reported that, so to speak, an iron ring was placed about the chest. Objectively, already at the beginning of this breathing difficulty, a narked dilatation of the nostril occurred. The expiration was prolonged and visibly difficult. This difficulty passed over into a rattling; and snoring breathing However the breathing at this point was not especially deep as in Kussmaul's breathing nor were any CheyneStokes breathing or Biot's breathing to be observed. Not in all subjects, but in a great number, a simultaneous hindering during this breathing through very profuse secretion of mucous could be established. Under these conditions sometimes a white, fine-bubbled foam appeared at the mouth which reminded one of an incipient lung edema. Though it was not possible to determine this symptom with certainty by clinical auscultation; only a sharpened unclean breath sound was audible. This foam night occur early, that is, at rectal temperatures of 32° C to 35° C. No special significance was to be attributed to this regarding the outcome of the experiment, which is the opposite of the described relaxation of rigor. The rate of breathing increased at the beginning of the experiment, but after about 20 minutes it decreased to something like 24 per minute with slight variations.
In general a definite dulling of consciousness occurred at the dropping of the body temperature to 31 degress Centigrade rectal temperature, Next, the subjects still responded to speech but finally answered very sleepily. The pupils dilated markedly. The contraction under light become increasingly weaker. The gaze was directed overhead with a compulsive fixation. After withdrawal from the water an increase in the reflexes was evident in spite of the rigar, and regularly a very marked drawing up of the testicles occurred which practically disappeared into the abdomen. Early in the experiment the face was pale. After 40 to 50 minutes cyanosis appeared. With this the face appeared redder, the mocous membrane bluish-red.
The skin veins were not maximally collapsed and wore virtually always penetrable " The heart activity showed a constant change independent of all other individual variations, which was noticeable in all subjects.
Upon introduction into the water with narcotized subjects as well as non-narcotized subjects, the heart rate went suddenly to about 120 per minute. At a rectal body temperature of about 34 degress Centigrade, it then began to become increasingly slower and to sink continuously to about 30 per minute.
The bradycardia at a body temperature of about 29 to 30 degrees Centigrade changed suddenly to an arrythmia perpetuator, as the case may be, to a total irregularity, and this be an with a slow form of about 50 beats per minute; this slow form of irregularity could be transformed into a faster one, The transformation to the faster form was not an unfavorable sign regarding life.
When an electrocariographic control after the experiment was possible, it regularly showed a Vorhofflotter. Let it be anticipated that this irregularity could continue to exist after the cessation of the cooling and a recovery of the body temperature to 33 or 34 degrees Centigrade one and a half to two hours after removal from the water, but then customarily changed of itself and without therapeutic aids into a coordinated heart activity. In the same way, let it be anticipated that in all cases with a lethal termination, a sudden cessation of the heart beat ensued upon an irregularity of the slow type.
A check of the blood pressure was attempted, but was in no case satisfactory since an exact measurement was not possible in the decisive stage of the experiment because of the severe rigor and muscle febrillation.
Reference has already been made to individual differences in the behavior of the rectal temperatures. Figure 4 fives an example which includes four experiments, in which four different experimental subjects were cooled at identical water temperatures and with identical clothing. It was shown that in water at 4.5 degress Centigrade temperature the time required for reaching a rectal temperature of about 29.5 degrees Centigrade varies between 70 and 90 minutes. But nevertheless the diagram shows that in spite of those individual differences, it is observable that the progress or the rectal temperature proceeds according to rule. The body temperature begins to sink mere rapidly from about 33 degress Centigrade.
I'll skip the next paragraph, and on page 39, the middle of the page, it state:
in our experimental series, the lowest rectal temperatures which could be survived varied individually just as did the progress of the temperature drop. In general, (in six cases) death occurred with a drop in temperature to values between 24.2 and 25.7 degrees Centigrade. In one case, however, a drop to 23.2 degrees Centigrade was survived. This experiment fell outside the typical picture insofar as after 90 minutes at 26.6 decrees Centigrade a virtually stationary condition of the rectal temperature had become established for 85 minutes. We will come back again to this special experiment.
Then I shall skip to page 40 at the bottom of the page :
In order to follow up the effect of isolate cooling of the neck and back of the head on consciousness, body temperature and circulation, this was undertaken in three special experiments. The experimental subject lay horizontal; the bake of the head the neck were dipped into a receptacle through which water of corresponding temperature was continuously run. In an experiment of three hours' duration there occurred small temperature drops of not more than 0.8 degrees Contigrade. The water temperature was 1 to 2 degrees Centigrade. In one case after 50 minutes a marked, sleepiness occurred which Changed over into a deep narcosis.
The heat activity was variable, and obvious bradycardia could not be observed. Irregularity never developed. Changes were not seen in the electrocardiograph. On the other hand, in all three subjects the spinal fluid pressure was markedly increased after the ending of the experiment to maximal values of 300 mm. After the experiment, ataxia and definite Romberg phenomena were observed, as well as an exaggeration of the normal reflexes; pathological reflexes were absent.
The next section, IV, deals with blood, spinal fluid, and urine during freezing, and I shall not take those up here.
Section V also deals with recovery after cooling and its dependence upon physio-therapeutic measures.
Section VI on page 50 I think perhaps I should read, since its title is:
Death after Cooling in Water; Practical and Theoretical Considerations
Reports to the effect that those who have been rescued at sea are imperilled for a considerable time after rescue have aroused special attention. It has been reported especially that sudden cases of death occurred as much as twenty minutes to ninety minutes after rescue, and that in mass catastophies these sudden deaths could amount to mass dying (rescue collapse). These observations have set off far-reaching discussions. Bleeding in the re-warming periphery, breakdowns of neral and humoral correlations and similar ideas have been brought up.
In contrast to this, our experiments give all relatively simple explanation of cold-death under these condition. With the exception of a single case, a total irregularity of the heart chamber could be definitely demonstrated in all cases of cooling under 30 degrees Centigrade (50 experiments), when to rectal temperature reached 29 degrees Centigrade and usually already at a cooling of 31 degrees Centigrade. The exception was an experiment on an intoxicated subject, which is to be gone into more fully below.
Furthermore, a heart-death was established clinically in all cases of death observed by us. In two cases breathing ceased simultaneously with the heart activity. These were cases in which it was specially noted that the neck and the back of the head lay deep in the water. In all remaining cases breathing outlasted the clinical chamber-cessation by as much as twenty minutes.
In part this was 'normal, much-decelerated breathing', in part an angonal form of gasping. As already referred to, a Vorhofflutter could be demonstrated, cardiographically during the irregularity.
In cases in which a special cooling of neck and back of head had existed before death, the autopsy showed a marked brain edema, a tight filling of the general brain cavity (Hirngefaesse), blood in the spinal fluid as well as blood, in the Michaelisrhomboid (Rautengrube). The heart findings warrant our taking a certain attitude toward the question of rescue collapse.
As Figure 5 shows, death occurred relatively quickly after removal from the water, which may be compared with rescue. The longest interval involved, was fourteen minutes. It is to be noted, however, in the first place, that almost certainly a much larger number of death would have been observed if an active heat therapy had not almost regularly been coupled directly with the completion of the experiment; in the second place, that in such cases there would have been very much longer intervals. We have already called attention repeatedly to the after-cooling following the experiment. In every case, where this had proceeded to a certain point, countermeasures were taken, since the experiments were never planned to end in death. One may will imagine, however, that in mass catstrophes, in which almost exclusively rescue collapse has heretofore been described, the therapeutic measures were confined to an undressing and drying off of the rescued, together wit a subsequent wrapping in covers. Under these conditions, afterdrops of great magnitude and long duration were to be expected. In the course of this delayed fall in temperature a heart death might occur as in our experiments.
We should like to emphasize that the irregularity per se is not to be regarded in our experiments as a symptom of danger to life any more than in the clinic, but rather, as a sign of direct heart damage, which increases continuously with further falling off of temperature, until finally the heart fails. If the temperature drop is arrested, the slow form of irregularity passes over into a rapid form. This transition is a favorable sign for survival; for this irregularity virtually always passes over of itself after a time averaging ninety minutes into normal heart activity.
It continues therefore for a long tine after the body temperature has already risen markedly. A danger to the circulatory system could not be demonstrated at this stage. In three cases the return of the hear action to normal occurred in spite of simultaneous energetic physical work.
The report continues by making scientific observations about death resulting from cold. It also discusses comparative results they obtained with these obtained in animal experimentation. I would call your attention to some of the language on the top of Page 55 where it states:
The idea that cold-death in water depends upon failure of the heart, accompanied or unaccompanied by breathing, is subject to limitation. Ones experiment among fifty-seven was typical.
-- I just wanted to point out the words "fifty-seven" so that the Court may gain some idea of the extent of these experiments.
Part VII on Page 57 deals with the influence of pharmacology and the question of alcohol which I think we may omit reading here.
Part VIII on Page 61 deals with preventive measures. They tested the effect of various types of protective clothing including a so-called "foam suit" which is something I imagine your Honors are familiar with. It is a type of chemical that generates heat when it becomes wet.
Part IX is concerning life jackets in which they make certain recomendations about improving the design of life jackets in order that they may increase the buoyancy and protect the back of the head and neck.
I think I might read Part X which is a Summary, on Page 69:
1. The curve of rectal temperature of human beings chilled in water of 2°C to 12°C shows a gradual drop to about 55°C, after which the droop becomes rapid. Death may occur at rectal temperature below 30°C.
2. Death results from heart-failure. The direct damage to the heart becomes evident from the total irregularity observed in all cases, getting in at approximately 30°C. This cardiac damage is due to overloading of the heart, caused by the marked and regular increase in the viscosity of the blood, as well as by the marked throttling of large peripheral vascular areas; besides, a direct injury to the heart by the cold, is also probable.
3. If the neck is also chilled, the lowering of the temperature is more rapid... This is due to interference with the temperature-regulating and vascular centers; several edema also makes its appearance.
4. The blood sugar rises as the temperature falls, and the blood sugar does not drop again as long as the body temperature continues to fall.
This fact suggests an intermeliary disturbance of metabolism.
5. Respiration of the chilled subject is rendered difficult due to the rigor of the respiratory musculature.
6. After removal from the water the body temperature may continue to fall for 15 minutes or longer. This may be an explanation of deaths which occur after successful rescue form the sea.
7. Intensive rewarning never injures the severely chilled person.
8. Strophantin treatment was not observed to have been successful. The question of the used of strophantin remains open, however. Remedies which influence the peripheral circulation are definitely lot advisable.
9, The most effective therapeutic measure is rapid and intensive heat treatment, best applied by immersion in a hot bath.
10. By means of special protective clothing, the survival time after immersion in cold water could be extended to double the survival time of subjects who were immersed without protective clothing.
11. Certain proposals for improvement of life-jackets are being made.
Conclueded on 10 October 1942.
Signed, Prof. Dr. Holzloehner, Dr. Rascher, & Dr. Finke
I would like to call the Court's attention to several of the appendices which are attached to the original German document.
You may perhaps have to refer to them in order to get a clear picture of what is shown. For example, Figure 2... I think you might probably have some difficulty finding it there now, your Honors. You may probably wish to refer to it in your office. The point I wanted to make is that on Figure 2 of the Appendices it shows the temperature, pulse and respiration at death, and Figure 5 is a very interesting document which gives in a chart form the experiment number, the water temperature, the body temperature on removal from water, the body temperature at death, the time in water and the time of death. There are seven such cases given. Surely this is the shortest and most succinct report of murders in the history of criminology.
If the Tribunal please, you will note that the next two documents appearing in the document book are pictures numbered Document no-855. These pictures will not be introduced this afternoon because we will call one Mr. George Tauber to the stand tomorrow.
THE PRESIDENT: What page are they on?
MR. McHANEY: Between Pages 76 and 77. They're little photostatic copies.
THE PRESIDENT: The document number is what?
MR.McHANEY: Number 855. It is in the upper left hand corner. We will have to authenticate and have these documents admitted through the testimony of Goerge Tauber tomorrow. He was it will be revealed, an inmate at Dachau and had an opportunity to draw these pictures.
The next document will be 1609-PS which is Prosecution Exhibit 92. It is letter from Heinrich Himmler to Rascher dated 24 October 1942:
Dear Rascher:
I acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 9th and 10th and both correspondences of 16 October 1942.
I have read your great regarding cooling experiments on humans with great interest. SS-Major Sievers should arrange the possibility of evaluation at Institutes which are connected with us.
I regard those people as high and national traitors who, still today, reject these experiments on humans, and would instead let sturdy German soldier die as a result of these cooling methods. I shall not hesitate to report these men to the Offices concerned. I empower you to make my opinion, on this, know to the concerned offices.
I invite you to a personal conference in November as I can not make it sooner despite my great interest.
SS-Lt.Gen.Wolff will once again get in touch with General Field Marshall Milch. You are empowered to make a report to the General Field Marshall Milch and, of course, to the Reichs Marshall of those who are not doctors.
I think that covers, which have heat packets or something similar sewed in their linings, are the best for the warming to those who were stranded at sea and were picked up in boats or small vessels and where there is no possibility of placing these chilled people in a hot bath.
I take it for granted that you know of these heat packets which we also have in the SS and which were used by the Russians a great deal. They consist of a mass which develops a warmth of 70 to 80° upon addition of water and retains it for hours.
I am very curious as to the experiments with body warmth. I personally take it that those experiments will probably bring the best and lasting result naturally, I could be mistaken.
Keep me informed on the following findings. Of course we will see each other in November.
Your /s/ H. HIMMLER
The second copy was sent to Karl Wolff with a request for acknowledgment and return since the Reich Fuehrer SS Munich wants these copies again.
Signed Brandt - that is, the defendant Rudolf Brandt.
(The Tribunal adjourned until 12 December 1946 at 0930 hours).