Nazi Medical Science

Discussions on every day life in the Weimar Republic, pre-anschluss Austria, Third Reich and the occupied territories. Hosted by Vikki.
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Eva
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Nazi Medical Science

#1

Post by Eva » 18 Aug 2002, 21:28

No, this is NOT a topic about human experimentation. This is a genuine question...
What was the level of know-how and advancement in medical technology in WWII-era Germany? Were blood transfusions in use at the time? Intraveinous fluids? Antibiotics/ Penicillin? Any knowledge you could impart would be appreciated.

EB

Ovidius
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Re: Nazi Medical Science

#2

Post by Ovidius » 18 Aug 2002, 21:59

Eva wrote:No, this is NOT a topic about human experimentation. This is a genuine question...
What was the level of know-how and advancement in medical technology in WWII-era Germany? Were blood transfusions in use at the time? Intraveinous fluids? Antibiotics/ Penicillin? Any knowledge you could impart would be appreciated.
Blood transfusions - they were in use since the 19th century, but they became widespread in all countries after the discovery of blood groups in early 20th century. The Waffen-SS had a tattoo indicating the blood group, for quick transfusions in field hospitals(it was supposed to be applied also to the Heer in the future).

Antibiotics/Penicillin - the Germans did not have Penicillin, which was a strictly-guarded secret of the Allies, but they had since 1935 sulfa drugs, which have similar antibiotic effects as "true" antibiotics, but in large quantities are very toxic.

~Regards,

Ovidius


Dan
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#3

Post by Dan » 18 Aug 2002, 22:12

Blood transfusions have an early history, as Ovidius says. Geese were actually used for awhile, as one of the blood groups is compatable with goose blood.

Very interesting topic, and I hope to learn more.

Ovidius, if you get a chance, I have a PM in your box

Thanks

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Scott Smith
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#4

Post by Scott Smith » 18 Aug 2002, 22:51

German medicine was very advanced. For example, the Germans invented most antibiotics, many like sulfa drugs still in use today. Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 in Great Britain, and it was rarely available during WWII by the Germans. The Americans developed a mass-production process for the war that made it cheap and common.

The Germans had lots of other ordinary medical procedures unknown to the Allies, and when they used these on captured POWs the accusation was often one of "human guinea pigs," unless and until the Allies adopted the same procedures. :oops:

One noticeable German failure was the adoption of DDT (invented in Switzerland shortly before the war). DDT was a reasonably safe and very effective insecticide adopted by the Americans and available when Germany was overrun, thus preventing widespread epidemics attendant to Germany's collapse. DDT is now banned because of harm to the environment, but it was revolutionary in terms of pest and disease-control in its time.

Malaria is the world's number one killer. Mosquito control with DDT prior to 1965. Even I remember the Mosquito Man...

Image

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Juha Hujanen
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#5

Post by Juha Hujanen » 21 Aug 2002, 18:08

Going nowhere fast :(

One German surgeon,who i belive was quite famous was professor Gerhard Kuntscher.He was knows as "nail professor",for his method of healing severe bone fractures.He was chief surgeon in warhospital 1/521 in Kemi in Finland between 43-44.It was said that he's methods were not known in allied countries until after the war when Finns published a study in English for his methods.

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Marcus
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#6

Post by Marcus » 21 Aug 2002, 18:44

The posts on the warcrimes aspect has been moved to a new thread in the Holocaust & Warcrimes section.

/Marcus

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Siegfried Wilhelm
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#7

Post by Siegfried Wilhelm » 21 Aug 2002, 19:47

Thanks. I was getting interested in this thread, which I know nothing about but often wondered, when it jumped the track. Thanks again.

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Siegfried Wilhelm
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#8

Post by Siegfried Wilhelm » 21 Aug 2002, 19:52

On blood groups; when was it that the RH factor became commonly known (in Germany)? I assume it was during the war because in early war I see no mention of it in Soldbucher etc. but late war it is recorded...or have I just seen my sample coincidently?

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Eva
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#9

Post by Eva » 21 Aug 2002, 23:08

Marcus,
You're a doll for fixing up the thread and creating a new one to further discuss the war crimes aspect. Thank you!


EB

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Phil V
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#10

Post by Phil V » 22 Aug 2002, 12:28

Eva wrote :
Marcus,
You're a doll for fixing up the thread and creating a new one to further discuss the war crimes aspect. Thank you!
Agreed.

This thread provided great interest for me but I switched off when certain people hijacked it with nonsense.

Hope it gets some informative posts as this subject is very interesting.

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Pearamedic
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Surgery 1930s

#11

Post by Pearamedic » 04 Oct 2008, 05:06

I've been doing research and haven't come across anything helpful so I am hoping someone here can help me. I've been trying to figure out what sort of general anaesthesia such as was it given to the patient in the form of a injection or by mask?

Its for a novel I'm writing and the chapter takes place in 1934. If someone could inform me if they know and/or tell me a good book or website about medicine in the 1930s I'd appreciate it.

Thanks for reading this.

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Re: Surgery 1930s

#12

Post by South » 04 Oct 2008, 08:24

Good morning Pearamedic,

http://www.ada.org/public/resources/his ... 20cent.asp

For a start, glance at the above link's 1905 entry re Alfred Einhorn and procain. This was not vapor delivered but will get you started. Google Einhorn's dental formulary to get into the surgical ones delivered as vapors by mask.

As an aside look at the picture of the US Army dentist, 1911. USN followed with their Dental Corps in 1912.

Warm regards,

Bob

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Christoph Awender
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Re: Surgery 1930s

#13

Post by Christoph Awender » 04 Oct 2008, 12:26

Hello Pearamedic

Judged by your nickname you are a paramedic colleague. Of course it depends on the type of operation, injury and overall status of the patient.
Let me kinow if you need more detailed info about the various medicaments and the use by german surgeons.

For longer operations only possibilities were Äther, Chloroform and Avertin for shorter operations Evipan, Eunarkon and Lachgas (laughing gas N2O)
Every anaesthesia was started with 0.01 Morphium and 0.0005 Atropinum sulfuricum.

\Christoph

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HaEn
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Re: Surgery 1930s

#14

Post by HaEn » 04 Oct 2008, 21:07

And don't forget the "Hollzhammer narcose" :D :D :P
Right on the dot Chris. in some cases if I remember it well, another pre-administered drug was "veronal" which made them sleepy and 'don't give a damn" 8-) :roll: During the war, when for some reason veronal got in short supp;y, sometimes " somnifera" was used ( a papaver extract)
Open for corrections. (because that was a Looooooong time ago) :( :oops:
"Verbandmeister" Dr.HN.

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Christoph Awender
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Re: Surgery 1930s

#15

Post by Christoph Awender » 04 Oct 2008, 21:25

Hello Haen...

Holzhammernarkose... yes forgot that one. My (wishfull thinking) method of choice at some special kind patients sometimes. :-)
Thanks for the additions from someone who was there. Didn´t know that somnifera (schlafmohn) was used in military service.

/christoph

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