I, Fritz Ernst Fischer, having been duly sworn, depose and state under
oath:
I am a doctor of medicine, having been graduated from the University of
Hamburg. I passed my state examination in 1936. On 13 November 1939 I
was inducted into the Waffen SS and after having served with a combat
division as medical officer, I was hospitalized and then assigned to the
SS hospital at Hohenlychen, as assistant surgeon.
In addition to my normal duties as surgeon at the SS hospital at
Hohenlychen, I was ordered by Professor Gebhardt to begin medical
experiments in my capacity as assistant surgeon to Professor Gebhardt on
or about 12 July 1942. The purpose of the proposed experiments was to
determine the effectiveness of sulfanilamide, which I was informed at
that time was a matter of considerable importance to military medical
circles.
According to the information which I received from Professor Gebhardt,
these experiments were directed initially by the Reich Leader SS and the
Reich Physician Dr. Grawitz.
Professor Gebhardt instructed me, before the operations were undertaken,
on the techniques to be followed and the procedure to be employed. The
persons who were to be the subjects of these experiments were inmates of
the concentration camp at Ravensbrueck who had been condemned to death.
The administrative procedure which was followed in obtaining the
subjects for the experiments was established by Professor Gebhardt with
the camp commandant at Ravensbrueck. After the initial arrangements had
been made, it was the general practice to inform the medical officer at
Ravensbrueck as to the date on which a series of experiments was to be
begun and the number of patients who would be required, and then he took
the matter up with the commandant of the camp, by whom the selections of
subjects were made. Before an operation was undertaken, the persons who
had been selected in accordance with this procedure were given a medical
examination by the camp physician to determine their suitability for the
experiments from a medical standpoint.
The first of the series of experiments involved five persons. The
gangrenous bacterial cultures for use in the experiments were obtained
from the Hygiene Institute of the Waffen SS. The procedure followed in
the operations was as follows: The subject received the conventional
anesthetic of morphine-atropine, then evipan ether. An incision was made
5 to 8 centimeters in length and 1 to 1½ centimeters in depth, on the
outside of the lower leg in the area of the peronaeus longus.
The bacterial cultures were put in dextrose, and the resulting mixture
was spread into the wound. The wound was then closed and the limb
encased in a cast, which had been prepared, which was lined on the
inside with cotton so that in the event of swelling of the affected
member the result of the experiment would not be influenced by any
factor other than the infection itself.
The bacterial cultures used on each of the five persons varied both as
to the type of bacteria used and the amount of culture used.
After the initial operations had been performed, I returned to
Ravensbrueck each afternoon to observe the progress of the persons who
had been operated on. No serious illnesses resulted from these initial
operations. I reported the progress of the patients to Professor
Gebhardt each night.
When the five persons first operated on were cured, another series of
five was begun. The surgical procedure and the post-operative procedure
was the same as in the initial experiments, but the bacterial cultures
were more virulent. The results from this series were substantially the
same as in the first and no serious illnesses resulted.
Since no inflammation resulted from the bacterial cultures used in the
first two series of operations, it was determined, as a result of
correspondence with Dr. Mrugowsky, the Chief of the Hygiene Institute of
the Waffen SS, and conversations with his assistant, to change the type
of bacterial culture in the subsequent operations. Using the new
culture, two more series of operations were performed, each involving
five persons.
The difference between the third and fourth series was in the bacterial
cultures used. The Hygiene Institute of the Waffen SS prepared them from
separate combinations of the three or four gangrene cultures which were
available. In the third and fourth series, more pronounced infection and
inflammation were discernible at the place of incision. Their
characteristics were similar to a normal, local infection, with redness,
swelling, and pain. The circumference of the infection was comparable in
size to a chestnut. Upon the completion of the fourth series, the camp
physician informed me that the camp commandant had instructed him that
male patients would no longer be available for further experiments, but
that it would be necessary to use female inmates.
Accordingly, five women were prepared for the operation, but I did not
operate on them. I reported the change of situation to Professor
Gebhardt and suggested that in view of these circumstances, it would be
desirable to stop the experiments. He did not adopt this suggestion,
however, and pointed out that it was necessary for me as an officer to
carry out the duties which had been assigned to me.
The experiments, however, were interrupted for a period of 2 weeks,
during which Professor Gebhardt told me he had discussed the matter in
Berlin and had been instructed to carry on the experiments, using Polish
female prisoners who had been sentenced to death. In addition, he
instructed me to speed up the experiments since the Reich Physician, Dr.
Grawitz, intended to go to Ravensbrueck soon to test the results of the
experiments. Accordingly, I went to Ravensbrueck and operated on the
female prisoners.
Since the infections which resulted from the first four series of
experiments were not typical of gangrenous battlefield infections, we
communicated with the Hygiene Institute of the Waffen SS to determine
what steps could be taken more nearly to simulate infections caused by
battle. As a result of this correspondence and a conference at
Hohenlychen presided over by Professor Gebhardt, it was decided to add
tiny fragments of wood shavings to the bacterial cultures, which would
simulate the crust of dirt customarily found in battlefield wounds.
As a result of this conference, three series of operations were
performed, each involving 10 persons, one using the bacterial culture
and fragments of wood, the second using bacterial culture and fragments
of glass, and the third using the culture plus glass and wood.
About two weeks after these new series were begun, Dr. Grawitz visited
Ravensbrueck. Professor Gebhardt introduced him to me and explained to
him the general nature of the work. Professor Gebhardt then left, and I
explained to Dr. Grawitz the details of the operations and their
results. Dr. Grawitz, before I could complete my report on the
procedures used and the results obtained, brusquely interrupted me and
observed that the conditions under which the experiments were performed
did not sufficiently resemble conditions prevailing at the front. He
asked me literally, “How many deaths have there been?” and when I
reported that there had not been any, he stated that that confirmed his
assumption that the experiments had not been carried out in accordance
with his directions.
He said that the operations were mere flea bites and that since the
purpose of the work was to determine the effectiveness of sulfanilamide
on bullet wounds it would be necessary to inflict actual bullet wounds
on the patients. He ordered that the next series of experiments to be
undertaken should be in accordance with these directions. That same
evening, I discussed these orders of Dr. Grawitz with Professor Gebhardt
and we both agreed that it was impossible to carry them out, but that a
procedure would be adopted which would more nearly simulate battlefield
conditions without actually shooting the patients.
The normal result of all bullet wounds was a shattering of tissue, which
did not exist in the initial experiments. As a result of the injury, the
normal flow of blood through the muscle is cut off. The muscle is
nourished by the flow of blood from either end. When this circulation is
interrupted, the affected area becomes a fertile field for the growth of
bacteria; the normal reaction of the tissue against the bacteria is not
possible without circulation.
This interruption of circulation usual in battle casualties could be
simulated by tying off the blood vessels at either end of the muscle.
Two series of operations, each involving 10 persons, were begun
following this procedure. In the first of these, the same bacterial
cultures were used as were developed in the third and fourth series, but
the glass and wood were omitted. In the other series, streptococci and
staphylococci cultures were used. In the series using the gangrenous
culture a severe infection in the area of the incision resulted within
24 hours.
Eight patients out of ten became sick from the gangrenous infection.
Cases which showed symptoms of an unspecific or specific inflammation
were operated on in accordance with the doctrine and manner of septic
surgery. The Lexer doctrine formed the basis of the procedure. The
technique is that an incision in the area of the gangrene is made, from
healthy tissue to healthy tissue on either side. The wound and fascian
corners were laid open, the gangrenous blisters swabbed, and a solution
of H_{2}O_{2} (hydrogen peroxide) was poured over them. The inflamed
extremity was immobilized in a cast. With most patients it was possible
to improve the gangrenous condition of the entire infected area in this
manner.
In the series in which banal cultures of streptococci and staphylococci
were used, the severe resultant infection with accompanying increase in
temperature and swelling did not occur until 72 hours later. Four
patients showed a more serious picture of the disease. In the case of
these patients, the normal professional technique of orthodox medicine
was followed as outlined above, and the inflamed swelling split. Due to
the slight virulence of the bacteria it was possible in the case of all
patients except one to prevent the threatened deadly development of the
disease.
The incisions were made on the lower part of the leg only in all series
to make an amputation possible. It was not made on the upper thigh
because then no area for amputation would remain. However, in this
series the inflammation was so rapid that there was no remedy and no
amputations were made.
Since after the tying up of the circulation of the muscles, a very
severe course of infection was to be expected, 5 grams of sulfanilamide
were given intravenously in the amount of 1 gram each, beginning 1 hour
after the operation. After the wound was laid open to expose all its
corners, sulfanilamide was shaken into the entire area and the area was
drained by thick rubber tubes.
The infection normally reached an acute stage over a period of 3 weeks,
during which time I changed the bandages daily. After the period of 3
weeks the condition was normally that of a simple wound which was
dressed by the camp physicians rather than by me.
The procedure prescribed for the post-operative treatment of the
patients was to give them three times each day 1 cc. of morphine, and
when the dressings were changed, to induce an esthesia by the use of
evipan.
In all the series of experiments, except the first, sulfanilamide was
used after the gangrenous infection appeared. In each series two persons
were not given sulfanilamide as a control to determine its
effectiveness. When sulfanilamide and the bacteria cultures together
were introduced into the incision no inflammation resulted.
* * * * *
My behavior towards all patients was very considerate, and I was very
careful in the operations to follow standard professional procedure.
In May 1943, on the occasion of the Fourth Conference of the Consulting
Physicians of the Wehrmacht, a report was made by Professor Gebhardt and
myself as to these operations. This medical congress was called by
Professor Handloser, who occupied the position of Surgeon General of the
Armed Forces, and was attended by a large number of physicians, both
military and civilian.
In my lecture to the meeting I reported on the operations frankly, using
charts which demonstrated the technique used, the amount of
sulfanilamide administered, and the condition of the patients. This
lecture was the focal point of the conference. Professor Gebhardt spoke
about the fundamentals of the experiments, their performance and their
results, and then asked me to describe the technique. He began his
lecture with the following words: “I bear the full human, surgical, and
political responsibility for these experiments.”
This lecture was followed by a discussion. No criticism was raised. I am
convinced that all the physicians present would have acted in the same
manner as I.
Subsequent to my repeated urgent requests, I went to the front as
surgeon immediately after this conference. Only after I was wounded did
I return as a patient to Hohenlychen. I never entered the Ravensbrueck
camp again. I protested vigorously against these experiments on human
beings, endeavored to prevent them, and to limit their extension after
they had been ordered. In order not to be forced to participate in these
experiments, I repeatedly volunteered for front-line service. Insofar as
it was in my power, I tried to dissuade Doctor Koller and Doctor
Reissmayer from performing these experiments. I declined habilitation at
the University of Berlin because I felt that it might result in my being
obliged to carry on additional experiments at Ravensbrueck. After I
succeeded in scientific discoveries of the highest practical importance,
that is, the solution of the cancer problem and its therapy, I did not
communicate this fact to Professor Gebhardt and did not publish this
work in order not to be ordered again to carry out experiments.