Gas Oedema Serum Experiments
The affidavit of Dr. Erwin Schuler, alias Ding, states that at a conference in the Military Medical Academy in Berlin, at the end of 1942, in which he took part, one of the topics of discussion was the fatality of gas oedema serum on wounded soldiers. The affidavit goes on to state that among the participants in the discussion were Killian, General Schreiber, Mrugowsky, and a medical officer who was unknown to him. Killian and Mrugowsky gave reports on soldiers who had received the serum in high quantities and hours later, after apparently having recovered, died suddenly without visible reason. It was suspected that the phenol content of the serum brought about the fatal result. In the presence of Killian and Schreiber, Mrugowsky ordered Ding to take part in the performance of euthanasia with phenol on a concentration camp inmate and to describe the results in detail. Ding later witnessed the execution of four or five persons with phenol injections by the defendant Hoven in the Buchenwald concentration camp. According to orders, Ding reported his findings to Berlin. (NO-257, Pros. Ex. 283.)
Mrugowsky denied having given any such order to Ding. It is quite apparent, however, that Ding-Schuler, who was under arrest at the time he executed this affidavit, would not have implicated himself in a crime which did not occur. Mrugowsky’s continued interest in the effect of the phenol contained in serum is evidenced by a letter of 24 August 1944 from Grawitz to him. Grawitz stated that the Reich Leader SS had approved experiments proposed by Mrugowsky on the tolerance of serum containing phenol. (NO-1198, Pros. Ex. 466.)
d. Evidence
| Prosecution Documents | |||
| Pros. Ex. | |||
| Doc. No. | No. | Description of Document | Page |
| NO-429 | 281 | Extracts from the affidavit of Waldemar Hoven, 24 October 1946, concerning the killing of inmates by phenol and other means. | [685] |
| NO-257 | 283 | Extract from a sworn statement by Dr. Erwin Schuler (Ding), 20 July 1945, concerning euthanasia with phenol injection. | [686] |
| Testimony | |||
| Extracts from testimony of the defendant Mrugowsky | [688] | ||
TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT NO-429
PROSECUTION EXHIBIT 281
EXTRACTS FROM THE AFFIDAVIT OF WALDEMAR HOVEN, 24 OCTOBER 1946, CONCERNING THE KILLING OF INMATES BY PHENOL AND OTHER MEANS
I, Waldemar Hoven, being duly sworn, depose and state: