Random Horrifying Nazi Experiments Conducted On Humans (21 items)

(#10) Phosgene Gas Experiments

In an attempt to find an antidote to phosgene, a toxic gas used in battle during WWI, doctors exposed more than 50 prisoners to the gas at Fort Ney near Strasbourg, France. Phosgene gas causes irritation to the lungs.

Many of the prisoners, who were already weak and malnourished, suffered pulmonary edema due to the exposure, and four perished as a result of the experiments.
(#5) Seawater Desalinization Experiments

Of massive interest was how to make seawater safe to drink. If the Third Reich could leave soldiers away at sea for long periods of time without having to provide food and water, it would be one less thing to worry about.

At Dachau, a group of approximately 90 Romani subjects were forced to drink seawater and were deprived of food, causing great amounts of suffering and bodily harm.
(#2) Head Injury Experiment

In the autobiography Remember Us, survivor Martin Small recounted an experiment conducted in 1942. Small witnessed an SS security officer named Dr. Wichtmann perform an experiment on a boy who was approximately 11 or 12 years old.

The incident took place inside a building behind the officer's residence in occupied Poland. According to Small:

A boy was kept prisoner inside a room, tied to a chair. This boy was repeatedly struck on the head with a mechanical hammer every few seconds which reportedly caused the boy to become insane.
(#17) Noma Experiments

One of Dr. Mengele's pet projects was documenting the progression of Noma (a rapidly progressive, gangrenous infection of the mouth or face) in his inmates.

Rather than treat the patients with antibiotics, he took notes as he observed the spread of the disease until the victims passed.
(#8) The Jewish Skeleton Collection

In an attempt to create an anthropological display to showcase the alleged inferiority of the "Jewish race," Nazi scientist Ausgust Hirt sanctioned the torture and mutilation of nearly a hundred people. After the victims were exposed to toxic gases, each body was sent to the University of Strasbourg. He would have all organic material removed, leaving only the bones for the skeleton collection.

French soldiers later discovered the collection, which contained unprocessed remains that had their faces obscured to avoid identification.
(#9) The Hungarian Twins

Nightmare scientist Dr. Josef Mengele had a strange fascination with twins. When a pair of Hungarian brothers arrived at Auschwitz in 1943, they were exposed to extremely hot water conditions until they were ready to pass out. They then had all of their body hair removed. Each twin was given a 2-liter enema before receiving an intestinal examination with no anesthesia.

They endured further suffering until they were sent to a specialized laboratory and given a lethal injection. Their organs were sent to a research institute in Berlin.