Rewarming experiments of intensely chilled experimental subjects
demonstrated that rewarming with animal warmth was very slow. Only such
experimental subjects whose physical condition permitted sexual
intercourse rewarmed themselves remarkably quickly and showed an equally
strikingly rapid return to complete physical well-being. Since
excessively long exposure of the body to low temperatures implies danger
of internal damage, that method must be chosen for rewarming which
guarantees the quickest relief from dangerously low temperatures. This
method, according to our experiences, is a massive and rapid supply of
warmth by means of a hot bath.
Rewarming of intensely chilled human beings by human or animal warmth
can therefore be recommended only in such cases in which other
possibilities for rewarming are not available, or in cases of specially
tender individuals who possibly may not be able to stand a massive and
rapid supply of warmth. As for example, I am thinking of intensely
chilled small children, who are best rewarmed by the body of their
mothers, with the aid of hot water bottles.
Dachau, 12 February 1943.
[Signature] DR. S. RASCHER
SS Hauptsturmfuehrer
TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT NO-268
PROSECUTION EXHIBIT 106
LETTER FROM HIPPKE TO HIMMLER, 19 FEBRUARY 1943, ON
FREEZING EXPERIMENTS IN DACHAU