The Experiments on Jews: Medical Ethics.
Modern society prides itself on our ability to save lives. Our medical knowledge and ability has grown leaps and bounds over the last six decades. These advances didn't come cheap. Thousands of Jews and political prisoners lost their limbs and lives in the hands of the German doctors. During the years of Hitler's reign, the Jews and others were used for a multitude of medical experiments. .
In the beginning, the German doctors developed an "euthanasia" program. This was designed to eliminate those who were deemed "unworthy of life," those with mental and physical disabilities. Eventually the experiments took on a new form. There is a vague pattern the experiments followed in order to benefit the military in various situations. Some includes high altitude and cold, they would benefit the aeronautical and naval combat units. The gas and phosphorous burns would be related to battlefield medical problems and air raids. The malaria, jaundice and typhus that the military came in contact with in the occupied territories. 1 The world has learned a lot from these experiments. We have learned how to treat hypothermia and malaria. .
There is one experiment with Malaria that took place on a political prisoner, Father Leo Miechalowski. In 1942 Father Leo was selected along with 29 others. They were led away from their normal work detail to the camp hospital. Not knowing why they were there, the inmates" numbers were recorded and they were sent to their barracks until further notice. Father Leo was called back 2-3 days later. He was infected with malaria by sticking his hand in the cage with many infected mosquitoes. Over the next week or so he was given various treatments for the malaria. .
The treatments were not pleasant. In Father Leo's testimony at the Nuremburg trials, he tells of one day, "All of a sudden my heart felt like it was going to be torn out.