Subject: Experiments with aconitine nitrate projectiles
To the Criminological Institute [Stamp]
attn: Dr. Widmann
Berlin Criminological Institute
Department: Chemistry
received: 13 Sep 1944
Journal No. g 53/44
in charge:
In the presence of SS Sturmbannfuehrer Dr. Ding, Dr. Widmann, and the
undersigned, experiments with aconitine nitrate projectiles were
conducted on 11 September 1944 on 5 persons who had been condemned to
death. The projectiles in question were of a 7.65 mm. caliber, filled
with crystallized poison. The experimental subjects, in a lying
position, were each shot in the upper part of the left thigh. The thighs
of two of them were cleanly shot through. Even afterwards, no effect of
the poison was to be observed. These two experimental subjects were
therefore exempted.
The entrance of the projectile did not show any peculiarities. Evidently
the arteria femoralis of one of the subjects were injured. A slight
stream of blood issued from the wound. But the bleeding stopped after a
short time. The loss of blood was estimated as having been at the most ¾
of a liter, and consequently was on no account fatal.
The symptoms of the condemned three showed a surprising similarity. At
first no peculiarities appeared. After 20 to 25 minutes a motor
agitation and a slight ptyalism set in, but stopped again. After 40 to
45 minutes a stronger salivation set in. The poisoned persons swallowed
repeatedly, but later the flow of saliva became so strong that it could
not even be overcome by swallowing. Foamy saliva flowed from their
mouths. Then choking and vomiting set in.
After 58 minutes the pulse of two of them could no longer be felt. The
third had a pulse rate of 76. After 65 minutes his blood pressure was
90/60. The sounds were extremely low. A reduction of blood pressure was
evident.
During the first hour of the experiment the pupils did not show any
changes. After 78 minutes the pupils of all three showed a medium
dilation together with a retarded light reaction. Simultaneously,
maximum respiration with heavy breathing inhalations set in. This
subsided after a few minutes. The pupils contracted again and their
reaction improved. After 65 minutes the patellar and achilles tendon
reflexes of the poisoned subjects were negative. The abdominal reflexes
of two of them were also negative. The upper abdominal reflexes of the
third were still positive, while the lower were negative. After
approximately 90 minutes, one of the subjects again started breathing
heavily. This was accompanied by an increasing motor unrest. Then the
heavy breathing changed into a flat, accelerated respiration,
accompanied by extreme nausea. One of the poisoned persons tried in vain
to vomit. To do so he introduced four fingers of his hand up to the
knuckles into his throat, but nevertheless could not vomit. His face was
flushed.
The other two experimental subjects had already early shown a pale face.
The other symptoms were the same. The motor unrest increased so much
that the persons flung themselves up, and down, rolled their eyes and
made meaningless motions with their hands and arms. Finally the
agitation subsided, the pupils dilated to the maximum, and the condemned
lay motionless. Masseter spasms and urination were observed in one case.
Death occurred 121, 123, and 129 minutes after entry of the projectile.
_Summary._ The projectiles filled with approximately 38 mg. of aconitine
nitrate in solid form had, in spite of only insignificant injuries, a
deadly effect after two hours. Poisoning showed 20 to 25 minutes after
injury. The main reactions were salivation, alteration of the pupils,
negative tendon reflexes, motor unrest, and extreme nausea.
[Signature] MRUGOWSKY
SS Lecturer Oberfuehrer and Office Chief.
* * * * *
_Poison Projectile of a Russian 7.65 Caliber Pistol Cartridge_
(Perspective view, scale 10:1)
[Illustration]
The projectile is cut open and ¼ of the lead core (1 segment) is
removed. The lead seal at the bottom of the projectile is not shown in
this illustration. The section is clearly visible on the right half of
the jacket of the projectile.
Criminological Institute of the Security Police
Department: Chemistry
Journal No. g 15/44
_Russian 7.65 mm. Caliber Pistol Cartridge with Poison Projectile_
(Stamp on bottom of cartridge case: Geco)
[Illustration]
Criminological Institute of the Security Police
Department: Chemistry
EXTRACT FROM THE TESTIMONY OF PROSECUTION WITNESS DR.
EUGEN KOGON[70]
_DIRECT EXAMINATION_
* * * * *
MR. MCHANEY: Do you know anything about experiments with poisons in the
Buchenwald concentration camp?
WITNESS KOGON: I know of two such cases. The one case was about the turn
of the year 1943-44 or in the late fall of 1943, and the second case was
probably in the summer of 1944. In each case Russian prisoners of war
were used for these experiments. In the first case various preparations
of the so-called alkaloid series were put into noodle soup and
administered to 40 of these prisoners of war who were in Block 46. They,
of course, had no idea what was going on. Two of these prisoners became
so sick that they vomited, one was unconscious, the fourth showed no
symptoms at all. Thereupon, all four were strangled in the crematorium.
They were dissected and the contents of their stomachs and other effects
were determined. The experiment was ordered by the SS court, by the SS
investigating judge, Sturmbannfuehrer Dr. Morgen. It was carried out in
the presence of Dr. Ding, Dr. Morgen, Dr. Wehner, SS Hauptsturmfuehrer
and SS judges, and one of the three camp leaders, I do not know whether
it was SS Sturmbannfuehrer Schubert or SS leader Florstedt. The second
experiments—
Q. Witness, before continuing with the second experiment, I wonder if
you could tell the Tribunal the reason why this poison experiment which
you have just mentioned was carried out?
A. In the summer of 1943 the SS court in Berlin was trying the former
commander of Buchenwald and later commander of the Lublin concentration
camp in Poland, SS Standartenfuehrer Koch. The trial was reaching its
climax. The investigation had led to very serious charges against Koch.
Here I must mention that SS Obergruppenfuehrer Prince Waldeck, then head
of the SS main district [Oberabschnitt] Fulda-Werra, was personally
opposing Koch, and it was merely this personal antagonism of the two men
which had brought about the trial. A man by the name of Koehler, a
Hauptscharfuehrer in Buchenwald, was arrested by Dr. Morgen and kept in
custody in the Buchenwald concentration camp. This Hauptscharfuehrer
seemed to have testified against Koch. Two or three days later this
Hauptscharfuehrer Koehler was found dead in his cell. A few hours before
he had been quite healthy. He seemed to have taken strong poison. Dr.
Morgen contended that Dr. Hoven, together with the guard,
Hauptscharfuehrer Sommer, had killed Koehler. Koehler was dissected in
the dissecting room in the presence of a scientist from Jena and two of
my comrades. The head of the pathology section was also present. Drugs
of the alkaloid series were found in the stomach of the dead man. The
amount and the specific type was not known. In order to determine the
fatal dosage of poisons of this type, the SS court ordered an experiment
on four Russian prisoners of war. This is the experiment which I have
just described in Block 46. On 20 September 1943, Dr. Hoven was arrested
on Dr. Morgen’s orders and remained in the custody of the SS court until
the end of March 1945. I know the date exactly because on that Saturday
afternoon Dr. Hoven came to Block 50 on his motorcycle, asked me about
Dr. Ding-Schuler, who was not there, and went away again quite
depressed. Half an hour later I learned from the hospital, the
prisoners’ hospital, that Dr. Hoven expected to be arrested himself.
Q. In other words, Hoven was suspected by Morgen of having done away
with the witness against Koch, is that right?
A. Yes.
Q. Now, will you explain to the Tribunal about his second poison
experiment?
A. In the summer of 1944—I am not quite sure of the exact date—Dr.
Ding, who was already called Schuler, came from Berlin at the time and
told me that he had a very unpleasant task to perform. He said it was
extremely secret and a few hours later, without my having asked, he told
me details about it in his room.
I must point out that at this time there was really nothing at all
private or official, that Dr. Schuler would not have told me in order to
get my advice. He realized quite clearly that the cause of National
Socialism was lost. He was only looking for safety.
He said, “Kogon, can you see any way of getting me out of this affair? I
am supposed to test a poison here on Russian prisoners of war. I have to
report on it immediately. It is a direct order from Mrugowsky. I don’t
know how I can get out of it.”
He gave me the prescription, the chemical formula of this poison, and I
was to put this prescription in an envelope and seal it in his presence.
In my haste I was not able to read it. It had some code name. I put the
prescription in the envelope and only said to him, because we were
interrupted, “You know my point of view.” I must add here that in long
conversations at night I had tried to explain to him that his only way
out was to do as much as possible for the political prisoners, but that
in serious cases he must, as a human being, refuse to carry out orders
which violated the moral laws.
He laughed when I said that and replied, “I know your religious and
moral ideas. You know I don’t believe in anything. This way is out of
the question for me; all I can do is comply with the first suggestion
and collaborate with the political prisoners.”
In this poison case, he went in great haste and excitement to the camp
leader, Sturmbannfuehrer Schubert, whom he had informed beforehand by
telephone, and the commander, Oberfuehrer Pister, who also knew about it
and they all went—I don’t know whether the camp physician was also
present—at any rate, they went to the crematorium, not to Block 46. The
Russian prisoners of war, again, four of them, had been taken there into
the cellar with the 46 hooks on the walls on which the people were
strangled. These four Russians were given this poison. I do not know how
it was administered. As Ding-Schuler told me later, they died in a very
short time. Then they were dissected and cremated. Dr. Ding did not send
a written report on this matter to Berlin. He told me he had to report
on it to Mrugowsky orally. Ding was not only excited about this matter,
but afterwards he was also very secretive about it. He did not want me
to talk about it any more. From indications in his conversation I
learned that there was some connection with experiments in the
Sachsenhausen concentration camp near Oranienburg which Mrugowsky had
performed in Ding’s presence. Prisoners must have been shot there with
poisoned bullets, because Ding said that a Russian prisoner of war had
succeeded in getting hold of a knife and attacking Mrugowsky, but that
the prisoner had been immediately overpowered.
In any case, Ding did not want to have anything more to do with the
matter, even in my presence. A short time later the prescription and the
sealed envelope were burned by Ding in my presence. He held it over a
candle in my presence and burned it. I could not find out what the
contents were.
* * * * *
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[67] United States _vs._ Oswald Pohl, et al. See Vol. V.
[68] Final plea is recorded in mimeographed transcript, 17 July 1947,
pp. 11049-11074.
[69] United States _vs._ Oswald Pohl, et al. See Vol. V.
[70] Complete testimony is recorded in mimeographed transcript, 6, 7, 8
Jan 1947, pp. 1150-1300. See also testimony of defendant Mrugowsky, sec.
VIII G, vol. II.