Murderous medicine

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More than 1.5 million concentration camp prisoners succumbed to typhus, a preventable disease. Despite advancements in public health, German doctors, driven by racist ideology and a medieval understanding of the disease, weaponized it against Jews, Slavs, and gypsies. Jewish hospitals in ghettos were incinerated along with patients and staff if typhus was detected. In concentration camps, suspected cases faced execution in gas chambers or through intracardiac injections. Typhus vaccines were tested on prisoners deliberately infected with the disease, yet only a few doctors faced prosecution for their actions. Against overwhelming odds, Jewish health providers innovated to save lives, organizing healthcare and sanitary measures despite losing their resources. They had to conceal cases and falsify diagnoses to protect patients. This crucial study examines the International Red Cross's role in typhus epidemics during and after the World Wars and highlights the complicity of foreign companies in Nazi typhus research. The author emphasizes the need for ongoing monitoring and accountability for the medical profession, researchers, and pharmaceutical companies involved in biological warfare research.