30 Nov. 45
in the sense in which the defense of a person in full possession
of his mental faculties would be adequate.
May I add one word. I already mentioned that the defendant told
me that he would like to attend the proceedings, as he does not
consider himself unfit to plead, but that, in the opinion of the
Defense, is quite irrelevant. It is a question which the Tribunal
must examine, and in which the personal opinion of the defendant is
of no account.
With regard to the conclusion which the American prosecutor draws
from the defendant's refusal to undergo the narco-synthesis treatment
suggested by the doctors--that is not a question of truculence. He
refused it only because, as he assured me, he was afraid that the
intravenous injections at this particular moment might incapacitate
him in his weakened condition and make it impossible for him to
follow the proceedings; he wants, however, to attend the trial. He
refused also because, as I have already mentioned, he himself thinks
that he is sound and therefore says, "I do not need any
intravenous injections, I shall recover in the course of time."
The defendant also told me that he has an abhorrence of such
treatments. I know that to be true, because in the unhappy times of
the National Socialist regime, he was always in favor of natural
remedies. He even founded the Rudolf Hess Hospital in Dresden, which
uses natural and not medical remedies.
MR. JUSTICE JACKSON: May I make one observation, Your Honors?
THE PRESIDENT: Yes.
MR. JUSTICE JACKSON: The argument illustrates the selectivity of
the memory of which I spoke to you. Hess apparently can inform his
counsel about his attitude toward this particular matter during the
National Socialist regime. His counsel is able to tell us how he felt
about medical things during the National Socialist regime, but when
we ask him about anything in which he participated that might have a
criminal aspect, the memory becomes bad. I hope that the Court has
not overlooked the statement of the matters that he does well
recollect.
DR. VON ROHRSCHEIDT: May I make a correction?
THE PRESIDENT: It is unusual to hear counsel in a second reply,
but as Mr. Justice Jackson has spoken again we will hear what you
have to say.
DR. VON ROHRSCHEIDT: I merely want to say that I was
misunderstood It was not the defendant who told me that he always
favored natural remedies; I said that from my own knowledge. I said
it from my own experience to show that he has an