Nazi Experiments

Despite the obvious evils that Nazis inflicted on the world, behind closed doors doctors
and scientists were conducting some of the most abhorrent and disturbing experiments on
human subjects.
According to NOVA, there were ! such Nazi human experiments performed on
concentration camp prisoners.
"he result was unimaginable pain, mutilation, disabilit# and ultimatel# death.
During the Nuremberg doctor trials, $% of & defendants were found guilt# of unthin'able
war crimes.
(ere is a list of the most shoc'ing and evil experiments that #ou ma# not have ever heard
about.
Nazi doctors submerged victims in vats of ic# water for periods of up to five hours in an
attempt to find wa#s to treat )erman pilots forced to eject into ic# ocean water. "he
victims were either na'ed or dressed in aviator suits and submerged in water. Others were
ta'en outside into the freezing cold and strapped down na'ed.
"he infamous Dr. *osef +engele experimented on twins in an effort to learn the secrets of
multiple births and to find a wa# to ,uic'l# multipl# the )erman race. +engele-s
experiments were performed on prisoners at Auschwitz. (e experimented on $,!!! pairs
of twins. .oughl# &!! survived those experiments. /hen twins were of no more use to
+engele, he-d dispatch subjects with an injection of
chloroform straight to the heart.
Other Nazi doctors wanted to see if some people had a
natural immunit# to tuberculosis in order to develop a
vaccine. Dr. 0urt (eissme#er injected the tuberculosis
bacteria directl# into the lungs of his victims at the
Neungamme concentration camp. (e was responsible
for the deaths of at least &!! people.
Nazis subjected %& concentration camp prisoners to 1hosgene gas in an attempt to find an
antidote to the compound. 1hosgene was used as a biological weapon during //2. "he
Nazis intentionall# exposed victims to the gas, causing unbearable irritation in the lungs.
+an# prisoners, alread# malnourished and wea', suffered further complications after the
experimental exposure, and four died.
"he Nazis wanted to 'now if a person-s joints and limbs could be removed and
transplanted into someone else. "hese cruel experiments led to scores of concentration
camp prisoners having limbs needlessl# amputated. 3ver# attempt to transplant a limb or
joint was a failure. +an# were 'illed, mutilated and exposed to excruciating pain.
4ections of muscle, bone and nerves were also removed in fruitless attempts to regenerate
those bod# parts.
2nfamous Nazi doctor (ans 3ppinger tried to ma'e seawater drin'able,
but failed. 4cientists forced about 5! )#psies to drin' only seawater,
and deprived them of all food or fresh water. "he victims reportedl#
lic'ed a freshl# mopped floor just to get a small amount of fresh water.
4erious bodil# injur# resulted from these horrible experiments.
"he Nazis also used poison to torture and 'ill inmates. At the
6uchenwald concentration camp, .ussian prisoners were injected with
experimental poisons as scientists wor'ed to develop new methods of execution. One was
a combination of phenol and c#anide.
Other experiments included adding toxic chemicals to food or shooting prisoners with
poison bullets. "hose who didn-t die during the experiments were murdered so that an
autops# could determine what impact the poison actuall# had.
"he notorious (einrich (immler himself ordered a Nazi doctor to artificiall# inseminate
concentration camp prisoners though various experimental methods. Dr. 7arl 7lauberg
artificiall# inseminated about !! women at Auschwitz, who were strapped down and
taunted mercilessl#. 7lauberg told his victims that he had used animal sperm to create a
monster inside of them.
During /orld /ar 22, a number of )erman ph#sicians conducted painful and often deadl#
experiments on thousands ofconcentration camp prisoners without their consent.
8nethical medical experimentation carried out during the "hird .eich ma# be divided
into three categories. "he first categor# consists of experiments aimed at facilitating the
survival of Axis militar# personnel. 2n Dachau, ph#sicians from the )erman air force and
from the )erman 3xperimental 2nstitution for Aviation conducted high9altitude
experiments, using a low9pressure chamber, to determine the maximum altitude from
which crews of damaged aircraft could parachute to safet#. 4cientists there carried out so9
called freezing experiments using prisoners to find an effective treatment for
h#pothermia. "he# also used prisoners to test various methods of ma'ing seawater
potable.
"he second categor# of experimentation aimed at developing and testing pharmaceuticals
and treatment methods for injuries and illnesses which )erman militar# and occupation
personnel encountered in the field. At the )erman concentration camps of
4achsenhausen,Dachau, Natzweiler, 6uchenwald,
andNeuengamme, scientists tested immunization
compounds and sera for the prevention and treatment of
contagious diseases, including malaria, t#phus,
tuberculosis, t#phoid fever, #ellow fever, and infectious
hepatitis. "he .avensbruec' camp was the site of bone9
grafting experiments and experiments to test the
efficac# of newl# developed sulfa :sulfanilamide; drugs.
At Natzweiler and 4achsenhausen, prisoners were subjected to phosgene and mustard gas
in order to test possible antidotes.
"he third categor# of medical experimentation sought to advance the racial and
ideological tenets of the Nazi worldview. "he most infamous were the experiments of
*osef +engele at Auschwitz. +engele conducted medical experiments on twins. (e also
directed serological experiments on .oma :)#psies;, as did /erner <ischer at
4achsenhausen, in order to determine how different =races= withstood various contagious
diseases. "he research of August (irt at 4trasbourg 8niversit# also intended to establish
=*ewish racial inferiorit#.=
Other gruesome experiments meant to further Nazi racial goals were a series of
sterilization experiments, underta'en primaril# at Auschwitz and .avensbruec'. "here,
scientists tested a number of methods in their effort to develop an efficient and
inexpensive procedure for the mass sterilization of *ews, .oma, and other groups Nazi
leaders considered to be raciall# or geneticall# undesirable.