Dr. Theo Morell - genius or fraud?

[Nina van M.]

I am currently reading Ottmar Katz's docuentar biography about Hitler's personal doctor Theodor Morell, called "Hitlers Leibarzt". Has anybody read it? It is very contradictory to all things I've read about him so far...
Many nazi personalities from politicians (Hess, Goebbels, Speer, Himmler...) to generals (Guderian, von Kluge, von Kleist,...) and their families were his clients, not just Hitler. But yet many former SS-people were accusing dr.Morell for Hitler's physical and mental breakdown because of "controversial" medicines he gave to him. Morell wasn't really in good relationship with high SS ranked dr.Karl Brandt, neither with dr.Hanscarl von Hasselbach and other doctors and staff. Was this perhaps just a "conspiracy" against Hitler's doctor (they were pretty close; Hitler payed attention to him and trusted him)? This book I'm reading, claims to have a proof that medicines Morell gave were "innocent" and used by usual citizens too... Speer was one of those who had much to said over dr.Morell and "multiflor" pills, injections and so on...
What do you think? Was really dr.Morell's guilt for breakdown of 3rd Reich or is this just another "innocent" man being false accused?

Waiting for your opinion and sending greetings to all of you, von k.

PS: if anyone has a pic of Theo Morell to share with us, I'd be happy if it would be posted, because I'd like to see how this man looked like
Judging by remarks in book, he was pretty fat (somewhere like Göring) and was totally opposite of nazi-racial ideal...

[sylvieK4]

One photo of Morell:

From: http://www.humanitas-international.org/ ... bios_m.htm

[Nina van M.]

Thanks, Sylvie!

Well, check this out...
Speer, who was after the War accusing dr.Morell for Hitler's break-down, couldn't even spell the name of Mutaflor pills right (Speer wrote Multiflor) And he also wrote, that Morell propably started giving to Hitler "pervitine" in year 1936, although this drug wasn't even available at that time. But Speer thought all the time, that "his Führer" was filled with amphetamines, perscribed by... yes, you guessed - Theo Morell.

Regards, von k.

[Juha Hujanen]

Try to find Erich Kempka memoirs Ich habe Adolf Hitler Verbrannt.

It has a chapter of Kempkas's impressions of Morell ,including Morell's own description how he got so unpopular with other doctors.

Cheers/Juha

[Nina van M.]

Hey, Juha...

I don't know if I will be able to get this book you named, so... Would you tell me what wrote in Kempka's book - why was Morell so unpopular (in his own words as you said)? I am interested in it, so I'd be glad to read it. Please post just a little bit from that chapter, no need to write long romans, just the basic things.

Thanks, von k.

[R.M. Schultz]

David Irving's book on Morell’s diaries can be down-loaded for free at:
http://www.fpp.co.uk/books/Morell/index.html

[xcalibur]

Thanks, Sylvie!

Well, check this out...
Speer, who was after the War accusing dr.Morell for Hitler's break-down, couldn't even spell the name of Mutaflor pills right (Speer wrote Multiflor) And he also wrote, that Morell propably started giving to Hitler "pervitine" in year 1936, although this drug wasn't even available at that time. But Speer thought all the time, that "his Führer" was filled with amphetamines, perscribed by... yes, you guessed - Theo Morell.

Regards, von k.

As long as we're striving for accuracy in spelling the drug you referred to as "pervitine" is actually spelt "pervitin".

Speer was not the only person who believed that Morell was giving Hitler this amphetamine though Morell always denied such was the case.

[Nina van M.]

Xcalibur,
in "Hitlers Leibarzt" (book which I'm reading in Slovene language!) is actually written "Pervitin". But I deliberately added "-e", because I thought that would be the right English expression for this drug. So, this is my mistake in spelling, book was OK

And it wasn't me, who found out that Speer misspelled "Multiflor" instead of "Mutaflor" - just to let you know - I am not such expert in medicines, I was just reporting about what I read in the book.

Neither I said that Speer was the only one who had a lot to say over Morell, not at all. Maybe was this a "side-effect" of Speer's good friendship with dr.Karl Brandt, who was one of Morell's opponents?
Actually, Morell had more enemies than friends and his methods of treating Hitler were questionable to many people... But do you really think he had that much courage to do it? He wasn't treating just anybody outhere, he was Führer's doctor...

R.M.Schultz, thanks - but I really have some doubts about Irving being objective... But I haven't read his book on Morell yet, so I'll check it and see with my own eyes

Greeting, von k.

[xcalibur]

Xcalibur,
in "Hitlers Leibarzt" (book which I'm reading in Slovene language!) is actually written "pervitin". But I deliberately added "-e", because I thought that would be the right English expression for this drug. So, this is my mistake in spelling, book was OK

And it wasn't me, who found out that Speer misspelled "multiflor" instead of "mutaflor" - just to let you know - I am not such expert in medicines, I was just reporting about what I read in the book.

Neither I said that Speer was the only one who had a lot to say over Morell, not at all. Maybe was this a "side-effect" of Speer's good friendship with dr.Karl Brandt, who was one of Morell's opponents?
Actually, Morell had more enemies than friends and his methods of treating Hitler were questionable to many people... But do you really think he had that much courage to do it? He wasn't treating just anybody outhere, he was Führer's doctor...

R.M.Schultz, thanks - but I really have some doubts about Irving being objective... But I haven't read his book on Morell yet, so I'll check it and see with my own eyes

Greeting, von k.

von k.

Definitely read the Irving book as it does shed light on the feud between Morell and Brandt. It also reveals a great deal about the relationship between Hitler and Morell.

BTW, no critcism meant, just trying to be accurate

[Nina van M.]

Xcalibur, of course - I know you didn't mean to criticize me and I haven't even thought about it that way. If I'm wrong or misspelled something, just correct me and I'll know for the next time. So far I've learned many things in this forum and that's why I'm here
As it seems by your references, this book could be really interesting, so I won't miss it by no chance.

Salute from von k.

[R.M. Schultz]

R.M.Schultz, thanks - but I really have some doubts about Irving being objective... But I haven't read his book on Morell yet, so I'll check it and see with my own eyes.

Durand told me about the book when we were arguing about Hitler's monorchism. Morell says nothing about it, though he does mention giving the Führer chamomile enemas, so he would literally have been in a position to know. I only skimmed the book for references to monorchism and related issues, so I don't really have a feel for it's reliability

[Nina van M.]

About monochism:
According to this book "Hitlers Leibarzt", on 1st Octobre 1944 dr. Erwin Giesing medically examined Hitler from head to toes, so that includes his penis and testicles. And what was Giesing's comment on Hitler's testicles: "Saw noting". This notes got into American Secret Service hands in Novembre 1945. All the time dr.Hanscarl von Hasselbach claimed that Giesing lied about examination and that is "impossible", because Hitler never let him search his sexual organ although "Hasselbach and Hitler were in best relations at that time". So I guess this will remain an unsolved mystery
Morell never said a single word about Hitler's organ, although he really gave him enemas. And that is what I find somewhat weird...

I forgot to mention, that Ottmar Katz wrote this book after he spoke to Hermann Esser. Esser said that Katz "shouldn't believe every single word they say about Morell" and "that Morell was a good doctor who suffered a lot during his treating of such complicated patient".
Any opinions on Morell left?

Regards, von k.

[Juha Hujanen]

Here's short summary what Kempka have to say about Morell.


First he stated that he can't judge Morell's professionalism because he don't know medicine.Kempka says that he became unpopular with Hitler's close circle after Anschluss.He had no official statue,he was slow and helpless and he often was late.He was a great nuisance to Hitler's staff.

In Innsbruck Hitler got cold and Brand was unable to help him.Morell doctored Hitler with vitamin injections,by breathing steam and by oilbandages.When Hitler was healthy in the morning,Morell got job as personal Hitler's doctor.

Kempka says that Morell was as doctor friendly,pleasand and willing to help even junior ranks.Eventually he got very popular with junior officers and lower ranks.Morell used to say that he wasn't it for political influence but to practice medicine.Morell liked to eat finer foods and he was teased by that by others but didn't mind.He didn't smoke or drink and was no ladies man.

He used often vitamins.He gave them as injections and by pills.

While after the war in captivety with Kempka's,Morell was very depressed about rumors that he was nothing but a quack and he had poisoned Hitler.He kept to repeating that he hadn't give Hitler bigger doses of medicine that was nesseciary.Often he had just given vitamins or grape sugar.Of the rumors that he had tried to poison Hitler,Morell sayd that they started with following.

After the July attentant Hitler had ruptured eardrum.A ear specialist,a Heer Leutnant,checked Hitler's ear regularry.Once Leutnant discover a "Antigas" pills box on Hitler's table with text "3-4 pills after meal".
Morell had't ordered those pills and Hitler had been used them before he became Morell's patient.Hitler said that he taked them irregually when he had severe stomach pains.Leutnant took few of them with him and had them analysed and they contained strychnine.

When Brand hear of that,he used that against Morell.Brand asked the orderly Arndt how many did Hitler taked those pills daily?.Arndt replied that when nesseceary.Brandt pressured Arndt untill Arndt scared and said mayby he takes 20 of them daily.
Brandt contacted von Hasselbach and they calculated the amount of strychine and called to Himmler.Later Brandt personally accused Morell that he tried to poison Hitler and threaden with full investigation.
Morell tell that to Hitler but Hitler assured that it was his business what medicene he took.After he did leave bunker Himmler came and told that he was going to hang Morell for poisoning Fuhrer.But Hitler hear that and came to say that Morell was the only doctor that had threaded him right and
"what it goes with the pills,its my own business.You herr Himmler will not interfer to things that don't belong to you"


that's what Kempka wroted about Morell in short.

Cheers/Juha

[Nina van M.]

First of all I would like to say thanks Juha H. for your effort and answering my request. I've read it with great interest.

I must stress, that all the basic things you wrote were mentioned in Katz's book too... (about antigas pills, Himmler's threat, ...)

According to this book, Morell was treating Hitler long before "Anschluss"
in March 1938. Morell was Hitler's personal doctor since the May 1936 they've met in some villa in Munich, until 21st April 1945, when Hitler said "thanks" in his typical own way, screaming at Morell: "I don't need no doctor anymore!". This is what Morell got in the end from Hitler for all those endless nights without a sleep, patient listening and taking all of his patient's capriciousness.
When he and Brandt were sitting together in camp Oberursel in 1945, Morell said to him: "I wish I wouldn't exist at all".

Maybe Morell wasn't really good looking, neither was he representing "racial ideal" and he liked to eat a lot of food. Some ladies from UFA he treated (actresses), were very satisfied with him and they trusted him many personal problems. He wasn't an owner of any rank, so he was dressed in civil clothing and that's why many of high ranked doctors and close circle disliked him.
Was this just pure jealousy because he knew Hitler better than others?

Morell often used homeopathic approach to his patients (he treated body and soul) and used natural sources of treating instead of artificial, so he was even at greater risk to be hated by other doctors. I think his methods still wouldn't be approved today, because homeopathy and classical medicine still can't go hand in hand with each other...

Salute, von k.

[Roderick]

I'm not a specialist in medicine but I think the main point of a relation between a patient and a doctor is called confidence. And Herr Hitler had a lot of confidence in Dr. Morell's skills.
The Führer had many symptoms that point to advanced diseases including dizziness, stomachache, chest pain, encephalitis, neck pustules, a high heartbeat and a mental decline in last days of war.
So Dr. Theodor Morell had no alternatives unless to prescribe drugs for his patient Adolf Hitler.

Roderick