Nazi's Experiments

I believe that it is not up to only the individual, the medical community, politicians, victims, or survivors to decide the extent, if any, of the use of the Nazi medical experiments. All of the 'data' gathered should be reviewed by a committee made up of representatives of the educational community, the medical community, politicians, victims, and survivors to determine if they are medically worthy of use, acceptable for use based on moral/social considerations, and represent information that cannot and will not be attainable in an ethical society. If the committee cannot reach consensus on all three of the criteria above, the 'data' should not be used, ever, and should be destroyed. I do agree that there is a slight direction toward demeaning the victims, but I also feel that a majority of them would want the 'good', if there is any, to benefit humanity. Then at least the suffering was for something.

We condemn the experiments and the way their data were obtained. We identify ourselves with the horrific suffering inflicted on our dearest. We understand the methods were not up to medical ethics, but if any knowledge was obtained via the inhuman experiments that can alleviate the suffering of the sick or maimed, one should use it. This way the sacrifice of our beloved ones will not be in vain. We eternalize their martyrdom and pay homage to their courage and pain. They did not die in vain. Our love and compassion is with them forever!

Wouldn't it be sad if the life of one of the experimental subject's great-great-great-granddaughters could be saved if the data were considered? How sad that the Holocaust is allowed to continue to take a toll on the living.

I suspect there is no 'right' answer to this dilemma. The lives and suffering of the victims should not be wasted, but the absolutely evil torturers should not be honored by any recognition of their foul work.

Perhaps, in the case of hypothermia, doctors should move on from the Nazi data and carefully accumulate the records of hypothermia accident victims in a computer data file. Enough anecdotal evidence eventually becomes usable data, without subjecting people to torture. Today's computers should be able to sort out the variables in uncontrolled situations to some usable degree surely.

As for future torture being encouraged by use of the Nazi data, the medical associations of the world should get together and devise a universal class on medical ethics that would be taught in every medical school that exists. (Yes, I understand that's wishful thinking.)

One of the more difficult questions I have considered in my life is the one you pose. While I am sympathetic to the beliefs of the survivors that the data not be used, I believe that if there is any scientifically valuable data to be gathered from Nazi experiments, it should be used. However, from the information you present, it seems doubtful that any valuable data exists. I will leave it to current scientists to make that determination.

On the idea that using this data would make us as guilty as the Nazis who collected it, I must disagree. If asked if the experiments should be repeated, I would answer with an unequivecal No, as would anyone. No one is suggesting this, however. If the data are worth using, they may be of value to the living. There's nothing we can do for the victims now, beyond working to prevent similar genocides.

I wonder if this question was ever raised over Werner Von Braun? He helped to create one of the great weapons of mass destruction. How many Britons did V2's kill? The U.S. had no qualms about taking him out of Germany and putting him to work, and he eventually helped us get to the moon.

Thanks for the forum, and for one of the greatest programs on television. I've been a NOVA watcher for over 20 years now. Keep up the great work.

William Love

St. Petersburg, FL, USA

No sane person would condone the experiments that were inflicted on these poor, poor people. But, making these records public in order to 'prove' that the Holocaust did happen, that millions of innocent people did die, that millions more did suffer through this torture is imperative. I am 30 years old, and I have met people who say that the Holocaust never happened, that the Jews are lying! I believe in using this information to keep awareness of the Holocaust fresh in our minds so that it will never happen again. Your community may be next....

I am horrified after reading the details of the experiments. I wish such things were never done. But since some of the experiments may have generated usable data, I feel experts in corresponding fields should review the data and the process of the experiments and assess the overall validity and usefulness of the data.

It seems to me that using the data in some form recognizes and honors the contribution, albeit through forced sacrifice, of the victims. I believe to not use these data to further the good of mankind and hopefully reduce future suffering is to insure that the victims suffering and sacrifice was for naught.

If we can save one life in the present or future, then we should use the data from the past, left by the millions of people we could not save.

What happened in the past is history. In our free society there should be no restrictions on how historical information can or should be used. I'm confident the medical profession can sort out the true value of any useful medical information. It is wrong to negatively pre-judge the entire database without further understanding. How do we know there isn't useful information for mankind still hidden here?

I have always been totally repulsed by the Nazi atrocities and believe it is vital to continue to communicate what they did for future generations. Knowledge is the major hope of preventing evil like this in the future.

No thinking person would condone the experiments run by the Nazis. But supression of information of any kind is ugly as well. Would we abandon the teaching of horrific moments of history because of the suffering endured by the victims? No, and the use of medical information should be just as accessible as historical information. Should we choose to accept or ignore data based on whether it was obtained with or without victims? Forensics is a science dedicated to detecting causes of death or injury, and the body of knowledge is derived from past instances when people were killed, often intentionally. Should all of this knowledge be discarded