a. Introduction
The defendants Genzken, Gebhardt, Mrugowsky, and Poppendick were charged with special responsibility for and participation in criminal conduct involving incendiary bomb experiments (par. 6 (L) of the indictment). The defendants were acquitted on this charge.
The prosecution’s summation of the evidence on the incendiary bomb experiments is contained in its closing brief against the defendant Poppendick. An extract from this brief is set forth below on page 640. A corresponding summation of the evidence by the defense on these experiments has been selected from the closing brief for the defendant Poppendick. It appears below on pages 641 to 643. This argumentation is followed by selections from the evidence on pages 643 to 653.
b. Selection From the Argumentation of the Prosecution
EXTRACT FROM THE CLOSING BRIEF AGAINST
DEFENDANT POPPENDICK
Incendiary Bomb Experiments
Sturmbannfuehrer Ding-Schuler (hereinafter referred to as Ding) carried out incendiary bomb experiments in the Buchenwald concentration camp between 19 and 25 November 1943. (NO-265, Pros. Ex. 287.) In order to ascertain the effectiveness of the drug R 17 and echinacine ointment and liquid for the treatment of phosphorus burns, five experimental persons were deliberately burned with ignited phosphorus which was taken from an incendiary bomb. The resulting burns were very severe, the victims suffered excruciating pain and permanent injury. The drugs to be tested were manufactured at the Dr. Madaus Works in Dresden-Radebeul. (Tr. pp. 1187-90.)
The report on these experiments (NO-579, Pros. Ex. 288) was forwarded by Ding to the defendants Poppendick and Mrugowsky. (Tr. pp. 1158, 1188.) The Research Department “V” (for Vonkennel) in Leipzig was also interested in these experiments. Correspondence by Ding with this department went through Poppendick. (Tr. pp. 1158, 1175, 1247, 1267.) Research Department “V” was a laboratory run by Sturmbannfuehrer Vonkennel, with funds and material furnished by Grawitz. (Poppendick 9, Poppendick Ex. 8; Tr. pp. 5589-5592.) Poppendick was the expert in Grawitz’ office responsible for the work of that laboratory. (Tr. p. 1267.) This testimony of Kogon is corroborated by letters from Vonkennel to Poppendick and Ding to Poppendick concerning typhus experiments. (NO-1182, Pros. Ex. 477; NO-1184, Pros. Ex. 476; NO-1185, Pros. Ex. 478.) The latter was actually typed by Kogon for Ding, as can be seen from the file notation.
c. Selection from the Argumentation of the Defense
EXTRACTS FROM THE CLOSING BRIEF FOR
DEFENDANT POPPENDICK
Experiments with Incendiaries
Evaluation of Evidence
The prosecution questioned the witness Kogon about the dispatch of reports on experiments with incendiaries. He stated:
“The photos were placed opposite each other, mounted in an album, described in detail; the result sent in two copies to Berlin, one to Professor Mrugowsky, the other—here I am not quite sure—to Oberfuehrer Poppendick. I believe that Oberfuehrer Poppendick certainly received one report concerning this matter because Dr. Ding intended to publish a dissertation on this in a medical journal.”
The prosecution then referred in this connection, to the entry in the so-called Ding diary under 5 January 1944 (NO-265, Pros. Ex. 287):
“Records dispatched to the Reich Physician SS with the request that they be forwarded to the Dr. Madaus Works.”
The prosecution now thought they would be able to connect these two pieces of evidence with one another and wants to prove from this that Poppendick received a regular report, with photos, on experiments with incendiaries, and thus learned about criminal experiments with incendiaries in Buchenwald.
The defense first questioned the persons concerned in Leipzig, in the form of affidavits, about the previous history of the experiments with incendiaries—the affidavit of Dr. Koch from the Madaus Works (Mrugowsky 103, Mrugowsky Ex. 97), the affidavit of Kirchert (Poppendick 7, Poppendick Ex. 9), and the affidavit of von Woyrsch (Mrugowsky 115, Mrugowsky Ex. 108), all of these make similar reports on these events. Each one of these three witnesses, viewing this matter from different angles, was able to testify under oath that the correspondence between Dr. Ding and the firm of Madaus did not pass through Poppendick personally, and that the research section of Professor Vonkennel also had nothing to do with the whole matter as far as it took place in Leipzig, but that the connections were somewhat different in many respects from what might be concluded from the statement of Kogon.
For a person like Kogon, it was, of course, difficult to take in the connections as a whole, as he only occasionally received letters which had anything to do with the questions dealt with here. On the basis of letters still available, he can only draw certain retrospective conclusions today. Therefore, in the formulation of his statements, he exercises a certain caution, qualifying in advance things as they happened by remarks such as “I believe,” “certainly,” and so on. (See also testimony, Pohl trial, 22 April 1947;[[71]] Poppendick 21, Poppendick Ex. 20.) For these reasons the phrase “in this case I am not quite sure,” relating to Poppendick’s knowledge of illustrated reports on incendiaries, can only be taken as an indication of the fact that Kogon did not want Poppendick to be charged, through his sworn testimony, with the knowledge of these reports, with photographs concerning incendiaries. Poppendick has definitely declared that he would certainly have remembered such a report with photographs if he had received it. In this way then, the uncertain statement of Kogon is confronted by the definite statement of the defendant, who could not be accused of any unreliability in the course of his examination. The contention of the defendant is supported by the three above-mentioned affidavits which fully confirm this. Kogon then said, however: “A report, I think * * *”—then again with a certain limitation—“which Oberfuehrer Poppendick certainly received because Dr. Ding intended to publish a dissertation on this in a medical journal.”
Although this last statement was made with somewhat more emphasis, but still not with complete certainty, the following comment can be made on it:
It is certain that Kogon had access to the entire documentary evidence as introduced in this trial before making his statement. Without doubt he saw the manuscript of the Ding publication on typhus (NO-582, Pros. Ex. 286) with the stamp of approval “by order of Poppendick,” even if he did not see it while still in Buchenwald during his stay in the camp. From this he thought he could deduce that Poppendick must be the person responsible—in spite of the words “by order”—for the approval of scientific publications. Kogon knew from his work in Buchenwald that Ding meant to publish a pamphlet on the treatment of burns. He therefore took it for granted that the only way of getting official permission was via Poppendick, whereas actually Poppendick authorized these requests and signed them “by order of” in every case only when given special permission by Grawitz. Neither Kogon nor we know whether such a manuscript was ever actually sent in for publication. Even if it was actually sent in, it is not certain that Poppendick had to grant permission for its publication. If Poppendick actually authorized the publication of such a pamphlet “by order of”—a fact which cannot be proved—there is a 100 percent probability, taking the typhus manuscript (NO-582, Pros. Ex. 286) as an example, that in such a publication the question of artificially inflicting wounds on human bodies would not have been openly mentioned but would have been just as carefully veiled as was done in the manuscript concerning typhus treatment.
It is quite obvious, though, and even the prosecution will not dispute this, that Poppendick otherwise played no part whatever in the incendiary bomb experiments, and had no contact with the authorities responsible for them, such as the Madaus Works, Dr. Ding, etc., whereby he might have been informed of what was going on in Buchenwald also in regard to those incendiary bomb experiments.
d. Evidence
| Prosecution Documents | |||
| Doc. No. | Pros. Ex. No. | Description of Document | Page |
| NO-579 | 288 | Extracts from a report on the findings of 2 January 1944, on a skin ointment—R 17—for phosphorus burns. | [644] |
| NO-1080 A, E, F | 219 A, E, F | Exposures of the witness Maria Kusmierczuk who underwent sulfanilamide and bone experiments while an inmate of the Ravensbrueck concentration camp. (See Selections from the Photographic Evidence of the Prosecution.) | [901] |
| NO-1082 A, C | 214 A, C | Exposures of the witness Jadwiga Dzido who underwent sulfanilamide and bone experiments while an inmate of the Ravensbrueck concentration camp. (See Selections from the Photographic Evidence of the Prosecution.) | [903] |
| Defense Documents | |||
| Doc. No. | Def. Ex. No. | Description of Document | |
| Mrugowsky 115 | Mrugowsky Ex. 108 | Extracts from the affidavit of Udo von Woyrsch, 3 May 1947, concerning experiments on combating injuries due to phosphorus incendiary bombs. | [647] |
| Testimony | |||
| Extract from the testimony of prosecution witness Eugen Kogon | [648] | ||
| Extract from the testimony of defendant Mrugowsky | [651] | ||
PARTIAL TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT NO-579
PROSECUTION EXHIBIT 288
EXTRACTS FROM A REPORT ON THE FINDINGS OF 2 JANUARY 1944, ON A SKIN OINTMENT—R 17—FOR PHOSPHORUS BURNS
EXPERIMENTS ON ANIMALS
EXPERIMENTS ON HUMAN BEINGS
I. Application of the phosphorus-caoutchouc mixture and immediate removal—
1. With R 17.
19 November. The mixture was dropped on a smooth spot of skin on the forearm and immediately thereafter wiped off with a tampon dipped in R 17. R 17 quickly dissolved the phosphorus and the caoutchouc. Subsequent checks showed a complete cessation of phosphorescence. The spot of skin showed an increased temperature until 14 December, as the testers ascertained by placing the backs of their hands against it.
2. With CuSO4.
19 November. The mixture, which had been applied to a smooth spot of skin on the forearm, was removed with a 2 percent solution of copper-sulphate. There appeared a blackish-brownish, strongly viscous mass with a metallic sheen which, when rubbed off, spread over the entire experimentation area. After an initial formation of black smoke (phosphorus fumes) and a strong glow, the phosphorescence, because of the formation of a copper-phosphate coating, ceased almost immediately. It seems to be possible that phosphorus, if it comes in contact with small skin wounds, is assimilated into the body by resorption. This spot of skin likewise showed an increase in temperature until 14 December.
3. With water.
19 November. It was always possible to remove the mixture from the skin by water. However, in this case pronounced phosphorescence lasting several minutes and phosphorus fumes were to be observed.
II. Lighting of the phosphorus-caoutchouc mixture and treatment:
1. With R 17.
a. Immediate ignition.
25 November. The mixture was applied to a skin area of 6 × 3 cm. and immediately ignited. After burning for 20 seconds, it was extinguished with water and then wiped off with R 17. A burn appeared, with a yellowish induration of the skin. Later a thin scab formed. After 3 days, the wound was treated with liquid echinacine. On 11 December the scab fell off; the surface of the wound was dry and rosy red. Epithelium formed very rapidly; on 21 December only 1/5 of the surface remained without epithelium. On 29 December this spot too was almost healed.
25 November. The mixture was applied to a skin area of the same size (6 × 3 cm.) and immediately ignited. It burned for 55 seconds until it went out by itself. The burned spot was wiped off with R 17. There appeared a yellowish-brown burn which exhibited a cavity at the proximal end and a blister at the distal end. An elastic scab formed. On the fourth day the wound was treated with echinacine ointment. Thereupon, on 3 December, the scab began to slough off; on 10 December the wound was dry and closed; on 13 December only the edge of the wound still showed a scab and the main part of the wound was covered with fine granulation. The wound continued to become smaller until 29 December without healing over.
b. Ignition after 30 seconds.
19 November. The mixture was applied to 2 sq. cm. of skin. After 30 seconds it was ignited and after burning for 40 seconds it was wiped off with R 17. A dry burn appeared. During the following days a small oedematous swelling developed. The wound was treated with liquid echinacine. Thereafter, the swelling subsided rapidly, so that on 1 December there remained a clear, dry wound without necrosis. Subsequently to this a broad zone of epithelization formed and by 29 December the wound had healed with the exception of 0.5 sq. cm. still lacking epithelium.
19 November. The mixture was again applied to 2 sq. cm. of skin, ignited after 30 seconds, but treated with R 17 only after burning 60 seconds. Here too a dry burn appeared, however with severe reddening and pain in the surrounding area. The wound formed a necrotic coating. On the third day it was treated with a 10 percent solution of cod-liver-oil ointment. On 19 December it was circumscribed and dry. A slow epithelization began. Later the wounded skin area became similar to the smooth surrounding area. On 29 December the wound had not yet healed over.
c. Application to a piece of cloth covering the skin.
25 November. The phosphorus-caoutchouc mixture, applied to a piece of cloth covering the skin was ignited. Sixty-seven seconds elapsed before it had burned itself out. The piece of cloth, except for a small remainder, was carbonized. After it was wiped off with R 17 there appeared on skin a burn with a central blister which later developed to a thin, elastic scab. After 3 days the wound was treated with echinacine ointment. Until 3 December cleaning of the wound took place; at this date it was dry, rosy red, and closed; a fine granulation covered it. Thereupon rapid epithelization began. On 29 December it was not yet healed over.
2. With CuSO4.
a. Immediate ignition.
25 November. The mixture was applied to a skin area of 6 × 3 cm., and immediately ignited. After burning 20 seconds it was extinguished with water, and then wiped off with copper-sulphate solution. During this operation the entire epidermis separated from the area of the wound. An oedematous swelling of the surrounding area, 12 × 13 cm. in extent and a thick scab formed. Treatment took place with liquid echinacine. On 7 December the necrosis began to slough off, and gradual epithelization took place. On 21 December one-third of the area of the wound was still without epithelium (cf. II/1/a/aa). On 29 December the wound was healed over.
25 November. The mixture was again applied to a skin area of 6 × 3 cm. and immediately ignited. After it had burned itself out in 60 seconds, the burned area was wiped off with copper-sulphate solution. A brownish-grey burn with thickening of the skin appeared. The thickening developed to a strong scab. It was treated with a 10-percent solution of cod-liver oil ointment. The surrounding area remained very red and painful. On 10 December a subcutaneous suppuration appeared at the edge of the wound. Consequently the treatment with cod-liver oil was replaced by liquid echinacine. On 13 December the scab separated from the greater part of the wound, but the surrounding area remained more inflamed than in the corresponding experiment with R 17 (cf. II/1/a/bb). The granulation was coarse and uneven. On 29 December the wound was not yet healed over; epithelization advanced only slowly.
b. Ignition after 30 seconds.
19 November. The phosphorus-caoutchouc mixture was applied to 2 sq. cm. of skin and left there for 30 seconds; then it was ignited and after burning for 60 seconds wiped off with copper-sulphate solution. A brownish-black viscous mass formed; the dry wound discolored to a blackish-grey. Thereupon a thick crust formed and a considerable oedematous swelling of the area surrounding the wound developed. Treatment took place with echinacine ointment. The swelling subsided more slowly than in the treatment with R 17 (cf. II/1/b/aa). On 5 December the wound was without necrosis, with a wide zone of epithelization. On 29 December it had healed over except for 1 sq. cm. lacking in epithelium (cf. II/1/bb/aa).
c. Application to a piece of cloth covering the skin.
25 November. The skin was covered with a piece of cloth 6 × 3 cm. to which the mixture was applied and then ignited. After it had burned itself out in 57 seconds there remained of the piece of cloth only small carbonized remnants. After being wiped off with copper-sulphate solution a yellowish, rather strong thickening of the skin appeared. The wound was treated with a 10-percent solution of cod-liver oil. A few days later little blisters appeared, which then dried up on 5 December. On 9 December, thickened, shred-like necroses began to peel off, and a dark red surface with rough, uneven granulations developed. The epithelization progressed only slowly. On 29 December the wound was not yet healed over.
3. With water.
19 November. The mixture was applied to a 2 sq. cm. of skin and ignited 30 seconds later. After 45 seconds the fire was extinguished with a damp cloth and the burned spot washed off with water. A burn of parchment-like, dry, greenish-brownish appearance appeared. The wound was treated with echinacine ointment. On 3 December it was clean, dry, and without necrosis. On 5 December the epithelization began, which then made rapid strides, so that on 23 December the wound, in contrast to the treatment with a 10-percent solution of cod-liver oil, was considerably smaller. On 29 December it was not yet healed over, but was only half as large as the wound treated with a 10-percent solution of cod-liver oil.
PARTIAL TRANSLATION OF MRUGOWSKY
DOCUMENT 115
MRUGOWSKY DEFENSE EXHIBIT 108
EXTRACTS FROM THE AFFIDAVIT OF UDO VON WOYRSCH, 3 MAY 1947, CONCERNING EXPERIMENTS ON COMBATING INJURIES DUE TO PHOSPHORUS INCENDIARY BOMBS
From 20 April 1940 to 12 February 1947 I was Higher SS and Police Leader in Military District IV and main district leader [Oberabschnittsfuehrer] in Dresden. In this capacity I was responsible for measures counteracting the damage caused by the air war. I knew Dr. Hans Madaus, co-partner of the firm Dr. Madaus & Co., in Dresden. He told me that experiments on the combating of injuries caused by phosphorus incendiary bombs were being carried on in his laboratory with rabbits. On the occasion of an inspection of the whole pharmaceutical lay-out of the firm, I inspected, at his suggestion, in particular numerous hothouses and also the above-mentioned experiments. As far as I remember I inspected the experiments once again at a later date—at that time I called in Dr. Kirchert as medical expert, who was the physician of the Higher SS and Police Leader.
The experiments seemed to me to be so successful that I reported about them to Reich Physician SS and Police Dr. Grawitz; that is, I called his attention to these experiments on the combating of injuries caused by phosphorus incendiary bombs, which in my opinion were particularly successful.
I do not remember Dr. Ding, who, as I have learned only now, is supposed to have carried on experiments in Buchenwald with the preparation of the Madaus firm. It is possible that when visiting Dresden he paid a brief visit to me with Kirchert. But I do not recall such a visit.
I want to emphasize that the experiments at the Madaus firm made a big impression upon me, because I saw that the rabbits used in those experiments were treated very well. The content of the phosphorus incendiary bombs which was rubbed onto their skins and then wiped off with preparation R 17 did not seem to cause any kind of pain to the animals, because after they were returned to their cage, immediately after the experiments, they immediately ate again and did not show any signs of discomfort.
Professor Dr. Joachim Mrugowsky is personally known to me. He was not mentioned in any way nor did he participate in the matter of incendiary bombs. Since I know him, I would certainly remember if he had participated in any way at all or if his name had been mentioned.
Dr. Helmut Poppendick has also never been mentioned in any way in connection with this matter.
EXTRACTS FROM THE TESTIMONY OF PROSECUTION WITNESS EUGEN KOGON[[72]]
DIRECT EXAMINATION
Mr. McHaney: Witness, I had just asked you whether or not you know anything about experiments conducted at Buchenwald with the phosphorous content of incendiary bombs.
Witness Kogon: * * * As far as I can recall, I was told by Dr. Ding in the spring of 1944 that he had been given orders by Professor Dr. Mrugowsky in collaboration with the firm of Madaus & Co. at Dresden-Radebeul to carry out experiments on human beings with regard to the effect of a drug against the contents of phosphorous-caoutchouc incendiary bombs. I had the impression that the idea for this experiment had come from Dr. Ding and had been given to Dr. Mrugowsky by him, and then he had obtained permission to carry out this experiment. On the part of the firm Madaus, negotiations were led by a certain Dr. Koch. He had a drug which he called R 17 and which was used by the German population after attacks in which incendiary bombs were dropped.
By way of Obersturmbannfuehrer Dr. Koch and the higher police leader of the Dresden sector, the contents of phosphorus incendiary bombs were sent to Buchenwald, and four experimental subjects from Block 46, who had survived other experiments, had this phosphorus liquid applied to their forearms. The whole mass was then ignited and was then treated in various manners. In the case of one experimental subject, water was used in order to wipe off the liquid, and in other cases a damp rag was applied, and in the last case R 17 was applied. Several experiments were carried out on these four subjects.
In one instance the drug R 17 was applied immediately after the mass had been ignited; in another instance, after approximately five minutes, and in yet another case, after thirty minutes. After the mass had burned the arm, serious burns developed which were observed for two weeks afterwards. The experiment was conducted by the Special Section 5 at Leipzig, and photographs were taken of the wounds. Previously experiments on animals had been carried out in Block 40 on rabbits. These experiments were conducted in the same manner, and the various results were also photographed, and the photographs were compared with each other. Then they were put into an album with exact descriptions and the results were sent to Berlin—two copies. One was sent to Professor Mrugowsky, and the other was sent to Oberfuehrer Poppendick, but I am not quite sure about that. I believe that Oberfuehrer Poppendick must surely have received a report on this matter because Dr. Ding intended to write an article about this in a German medical journal.
Q. Now, you have mentioned an album report. Did you see this report?
A. I personally made the report after having it dictated to me by Dr. Ding.
Q. I will ask you if the document which I will now have handed to you, and which is Document NO-579, is the report on these incendiary bomb experiments which you have described.
Mr. McHaney: I will ask that the original of this document be passed up to the Tribunal.
I didn’t hear any answer to the question.
A. Yes. It is a carbon copy of the report with the original photographs.
Mr. McHaney: I offer Document NO-579 as Prosecution Exhibit 288, and I will ask that the original be passed up to the Tribunal for inspection. I will ask that the Tribunal turn particularly to page 15 and following of the exhibit itself. Your Honor, I think you would find the pictures more easy to discern in the original document. Page 15 and following are pictures of burns on the arms of human beings. Witness, did you see any of the experimental subjects who were burned with this phosphorus?
Witness Kogon: I personally saw all the experimental subjects because this experiment was carried out in the private room of Dr. Ding in Block 50 and in the library of the Hygiene Institute in Block 50. The reason for this was that the experiment in Block 46 among the experimental subjects that were located there, and who were destined for other purposes, would have caused far too much excitement.
Q. Were these burns very severe?
A. As far as I can recall they were very severe in three out of the four cases.
Q. Did the experimental subjects suffer any pain?
A. Kapo Arthur Dietzsch had suggested that the subjects should be given an anesthetic as soon as they came into Block 50, so that violent scenes could be avoided, and in Block 50, which was completely different from Block 46, having persons handcuffed, as was the common practice in Block 46, was to be avoided. It was like that at least in the first experiment, but I only saw the subjects. I did not personally witness the experiments, and I saw the subjects before as well as afterwards. During the first experiment at least, the subjects were given an anesthetic, and after about half an hour they regained consciousness and complained of very severe pains. You could see that they were really suffering very badly. I must confess that I personally, after having looked at the photographs, almost became sick.
Q. Do you know whether the injuries which they received are permanent?
A. In the case of some of the wounds, it is completely impossible that they will ever become completely healed; very deep scars must have remained because the wounds were big and were as deep as two or two and a half centimeters.
Q. Do you know whether any of the experimental subjects died?
A. Four persons were returned to Block 46, and I do not know anything about the future fate which awaited them there. I especially do not know if they were used for further experiments.
Q. Do you know the nationality of the experimental persons used?
A. No. However, all four wore the green triangle to signify that they were habitual criminals, and they were Germans.
Q. And you state that the purpose of these experiments was to test certain chemical preparations of the Madaus Company in treating the burns.
A. Yes.
EXTRACT FROM THE TESTIMONY OF DEFENDANT MRUGOWSKY[[73]]
DIRECT EXAMINATION
Dr. Flemming: Now, I come to the incendiary bomb experiments. Dr. Kogon during his testimony frequently spoke of an experiment by Dr. Ding with a phosphorus-caoutchouc incendiary bomb, and he said that you ordered this experiment.
Defendant Mrugowsky: I did not know who ordered this experiment. I found out about it only from the report which was drawn up after the experiment had been terminated. This report has been put in evidence here as a document. From this it can be seen that animal experiments were also carried out. I assume that these were not performed in Block 46, but in Block 50, which was under my supervision. I went with the report to Grawitz and asked him if he knew any more about this matter. I asked him if I was correct in my assumption that some of the experiments took place in Block 50 and if so, to tell Dr. Ding in future to confine himself to his Block 46 in such matters, which was directly under Grawitz. Grawitz answered thereupon that it did not make any difference one way or the other, and I should not be so fussy. I also know that after a few weeks Ding was looking for this report and called me up and asked me if I had it. I no longer had it at that time as I had given it to Grawitz, and it was in his files where it belonged.
Q. Kogon also testified that the experimental subjects had suffered serious pain and had incurred wounds from 2 to 2.5 centimeters deep, which led to the formation of extensive scars. I show you now Document NO-579, Prosecution Exhibit 288 and ask you to comment on this document and Dr. Kogon’s testimony?
(The document is handed to the witness.)
A. The first part of this document deals with the rabbit experiments. In the second part, however, there are pictures of experiments on human beings. These pictures show the place on the arm where the experiment was made. Kogon said that this burning was done in such a way that the mass of phosphorus was burning for quite awhile. The document, however, proves exactly the contrary. The length of time during which the matter was burning was not long, but the period between the time when the mixture was applied and the time it was ignited was long; that is possibly the reason for this misunderstanding. Moreover in the description of the individual cases, it can be seen that already on 29 December, in other words four days after the experiment, the burn was almost healed, or had greatly reduced in size. In one case there was still an open wound of 0.5 centimeter but there is no mention anywhere of any deeper wounds, but only of purely superficial epidermal wounds. There is constant mention of the fact that the wounds healed over nicely and in some cases the wound was completely healed four days after the experiments. Wounds 2½ centimeters deep, or large scars could not have occurred and that testimony of Kogon is false. In this case let me point out that he was not speaking from his own knowledge. During the first discussion of these incendiary bomb experiments, he said he had seen the experimental subjects, and then in the same interrogation he later says this was not the case. In other words, he is reporting what he has heard and not what he knows at first hand.
Q. I am submitting to the Tribunal Mrugowsky 56, and it will be Mrugowsky Exhibit 50. I should like to read from page two:
“Treatment of phosphorus burns with ‘R 17.’
“The dropping of phosphorus incendiary bombs made it necessary to find an adequate method of treatment. As the copper-sulphate solution hitherto in use did not give satisfactory results, the firm of Dr. Madaus in Dresden looked for a different solvent and produced a liquid carbon tetrachloride which was called ‘R 17.’ The efficacy of R 17 had been proved by means of experiments on rabbits carried out by the firm of Dr. Madaus.
“After the completion of these rabbit tests, Dr. Madaus asked the Higher SS and Police Leader von Woyrsch, Dresden, to come and see the tests. As my emergency office was in the building of Gruppenfuehrer von Woyrsch, he asked me to accompany him to the firm of Madaus in my capacity as a doctor and to watch these tests. That was in the autumn of 1943. At the request of Gruppenfuehrer von Woyrsch and the firm of Madaus, I reported to the Reich Physician SS and Police the results achieved by the firm of Madaus in the treatment of phosphorus burns and suggested that the drug R 17 be made known to the air-raid precaution dispensaries. Grawitz promised to have another test made.
“Some time afterward he sent Dr. Ding to Dresden for this purpose in his capacity as health expert, and instructed me to make arrangements for Ding to see the results achieved there, by the firm of Madaus, with R 17. I arranged this. Ding came to Dresden and saw the above-mentioned tests in my presence, on the premises of the Madaus firm. Afterward he declared that, on the orders of the Reich Physician SS in Buchenwald, he would also test the efficacy of the drug on rabbits. He requested the firm of Madaus to put the drug R 17 at his disposal. Immediately after inspecting the firm of Madaus he left Dresden.
“I also know that Dr. Ding asked the office of the Higher SS and Police Leader to procure for him the filling of an English incendiary bomb, which as far as I know was done through the Commissioner of the Police of Leipzig. Dr. Ding had the drug R 17 and the incendiary bomb collected.
“I also know that Ding made a report on his experiments. I know this because Dr. Ding asked my office in Dresden several times, in writing and by telephone, if they had this report, as he could not find it. It was supposed to be a report with photographs. I do not know if the report went through my office, as I was in Dresden only one day a week. At the time when Ding was looking for the report it was not in my office. I assume, therefore, that he sent it direct to the firm of Madaus, as they were interested in the results of his test.
“When, after a considerable time, I still had not heard from the Reich Physician whether the drug R 17 was to be made known to the air-raid precaution dispensaries, I asked the Reich Physician about it at a meeting. He then declared that the drug would not be introduced, as it only possessed phosphorus-dissolving properties, but did not directly contribute to the healing of the burns. However, a drug was in preparation elsewhere that combined both qualities and this would be introduced.”
I submit further the last paragraph of Dr. Morgen’s affidavit. (Mrugowsky 23, Mrugowsky Ex. 26.) Dr. Morgen says here:
“While I was making observations in Block 46 I paid repeated surprise visits in order to inspect the running of the Block. Once, when I paid a surprise visit to Block 46, examinations on the treatment of wounds caused by phosphorus incendiaries were being carried out.
“As I arrived a big strong prisoner came into the room laughing. On each of his two upper arms there were applied on a space about 1 centimeter wide and 5 centimeters long, some parts of the contents of a phosphorus incendiary bomb. These spots on both upper arms were treated with various ointments. During the discussion with Dr. Ding I was informed that the experimental persons volunteered for the experiment. They received the diet for sick persons, a packet of cigarettes, and for one month they did not have to work. In the case of the inmate whose treatment I witnessed by chance, I had the definite impression that he was a volunteer.”
[71] United States vs. Oswald Pohl, et al. See Vol. V.
[72] Complete testimony is recorded in mimeographed transcript, 6, 7, 8 Jan 1947, pp. 1150-1290.
[73] Complete testimony is recorded in mimeographed transcript, 27, 28, 31 March and 2, 3 April 1947, pp. 5000-5244, 5334-5464.