20 Dec. 45
water, the body temperature continued to
sink rapidly. I think that for this reason we can dispense with the
attempt to save intensely chilled subjects by means of animal warmth.
"Rewarming by animal warmth — animal bodies or women's
bodies — would be too slow."
Although Rascher was thus of the preliminary opinion that rewarming by
women's bodies would be too slow, means for conducting such experiments
were nevertheless placed at his disposal. I refer to our Document
1583-PS, a photostatic copy of a letter from Reichsführer SS
Himmler addressed to General Pohl, dated 16 November 1942. I offer it as
Exhibit Number USA-465. I shall read just the first two paragraphs of
that letter:
"Dear Pohl:
"The following struck me during my visit to Dachau on the 13th
of November 1942 regarding the experiments conducted there for the
saving of people whose lives are endangered through intense chilling
in ice, snow, or water, and who are to be saved by the employment of
every method or means:
"I had ordered that suitable women are to be set aside from the
concentration camp for these experiments for the warming of those who
were exposed. Four girls were set aside who were in the concentration
camp for loose morals and because as prostitutes they were a potential
source of infection."
I
think it is unnecessary for me to go on with the rest of the paragraph,
in which he expresses his dissatisfaction that a German prostitute
should be used for this purpose.
To insure the continuance of Rascher's experiments, Himmler arranged
for his transfer to the Waffen-SS. I offer in evidence a letter which
appears as our Document 1617-PS. It is a letter from Reichsführer
SS addressed to "Dear Comrade Milch" — General Field
Marshal Milch — dated November 1942. I offer it as Exhibit Number
USA-466. I will now read the first two paragraphs of that letter, our
Document 1617-PS. I quote:
"Dear Comrade Milch:
"You will recall that through SS General Wolff I particularly
recommended to you for your consideration the work of a certain SS Führer
Dr. Rascher, who is a physician of the supplementary reserve of the
Air Force.
"These researches which deal with the reaction of the human
organism at great heights, as well as with manifestations caused by
prolonged chilling of the human body in cold water, and similar
problems which are of vital importance to the Air Force, in
particular, can be performed by us