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The Dachau Hypothermia Experiments

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Cold as Ice: Principles Behind the Dachau Experiments The main operating principles behind the Dachau hypothermia experiments hail back to the Nazi worldview. Due to how the Germans viewed Jewish citizens, there was no ethical issue concerning using these citizens in medical endeavors. In attempting to discover secret weapons to advance their own side, Nazi’s had no issue using enemy civilians as means to an end. They would rather put a prisoner to use than waste money supporting a life deemed worthless. A lack of ethics led to the Dachau hypothermia experiments having human test subjects. Dachau was the beginning of concentration camps. Dachau opened in 1933, as the first concentration camp. Although it first housed political prisoners, it soon housed Jewish citizens …show more content…

In modern scientific terms, the experiment would be deemed a failure. When looking back at the data, one is unable to verify its credibility. The results of an experiment are supposed to be able to be recreated in other labs if one follows the steps, but there are no concrete steps to follow throughout the whole procedure, and there is the ethical issue of using human test subjects. According to the data, Dr. Rascher believed he had figured out how long it takes a body to cool, and that the best re-warming method was a hot bath. Others have argued that neither of those assertions are true, however. The data that was gathered failed to yield a tangible result, as well. No new advancements were made to help save the lives of German soldiers. It is still interesting, though, to look at the background of the camp and the thought process that led to using prisoners in medical experimentation. One wonders if there would be as much objection to morally repugnant prisoners being allowed to suffer this fate, instead of innocent Jews. The Nazi, in his twisted mind, thought he had found the perfect solution to supplying experiments with

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