by Norman Ohler
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* It was also cheap: the military average dose, Ranke calculated, came to four tablets per day, which at the pharmacist’s purchase price amounted to 16 pfennigs, while coffee worked out at about 50 pfennigs a night —“So these stimulants are more economical.”
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* Morell’s income was later increased to sixty thousand reichsmarks per annum. He also received tax favors for his business undertakings.
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* These are conservative estimates, because the official figures often refer to “units.” If these refer not to individual tablets but for example the well-known Pervitin tubes (each containing thirty tablets), then consumption was even higher. Also, the additional consumption of (higher-dosed) ampoules for injections cannot be reconstructed.
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* Natural alkaloids from the poppy plant are called opiates. So-called opioids are the synthetically produced derivatives based on them.
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† Things were quite different in Moscow, for example. Stalin had his own clinic at the Kremlin with the best specialists—who weren’t, of course, allowed to make any mistakes.
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* An alphabetical list giving the German names clearly demonstrates the madness of the treatment (the psychoactive, consciousness-changing drugs are italicized): Acidol-Pepsin, Antiphlogistine, Argentum nitricum, Belladonna Obstinol, Benerva forte, Betabion, Bismogenol, Brom-Nervacit, Brovaloton-Bad, Cafaspin, Calcium Sandoz, Calomel, Cantan, Cardiazol, Cardiazol-Ephedrin, Chineurin, Cocaine, Codein, Coramin, Cortiron, Digilanid Sandoz, Dolantin, Enterofagos, Enzynorm, Esdesan, Eubasin, Euflat, Eukodal, Eupaverin, Franzbranntwein, Gallestol, Glucose, Glyconomr, Gycovarin, Hammavit, Harmin, Homburg 680, Homoseran, Intelan, Jod-Jodkali-Glycerin, Kalzan, Karlsbader Sprudelsalz, Kissinger-Pills, Kösters Antigas-Pills, Leber Hamma, Leo-Pills, Lugolsche Lösung, Luizym, Luminal, Mitilax, Mutaflor, Nateina, Neo-Pycocyanase, Nitroglycerin, Obstinol, Omnadin, Optalidon, Orchikrin, Penicillin-Hamma, Perubalsam, Pervitin, Profundol, Progynon, Prostakrin, Prostophanta, Pyrenol, Quadro-Nox, Relaxol, Rizinus-Oil, Sango-Stop, Scophedal, Septojod, Spasmopurin, Strophantin, Strophantose, Suprarenin (Adrenalin), Sympatol, Targesin, Tempidorm-Suppositories, Testoviron, Thrombo-Vetren, Tibatin, Tonophosphan, Tonsillopan, Trocken-Koli-Hamma, Tussamag, Ultraseptyl, Vitamultin, Yatren.
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* “Any association with civilians is forbidden, as is staying in the houses of the local population.” It was widely suspected that these houses contained vermin that could transmit diseases. Warnings were issued about flies—dysentery!—bugs and lice—typhus!—and Ukrainian rats, as potential carriers of plague.
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* Stalin acted quite differently, more or less keeping out of military affairs after the defeat at Kharkov in May 1942 for which he was responsible, and gave a relatively free hand to his supreme command, the Stavka.
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* In the purchase contract from November 29, 1943, it says: “The property of the Jew Adolf Heikorn, his wife Wilma (birth name Goldschmied) and their children Friedrich Heikorn and Hedwig Heikorn has been confiscated on the orders of the Secret State Police [Gestapo]. The purchaser expressly declares that he is not a Jew, and that on his side of the legal acquisition no Jews, Jewish business, or associations of Jews are involved in any way.
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* When arresting him, the Americans found the sixty-three-year-old general and tank commander with his hands trembling. The drawers in his lodgings were filled with opiates and syringes.
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* According to other accounts, Hitler had merely slept in that morning, since in spite of the important events no one had dared to wake him.
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* Previously Georg Elser, who attempted to take Hitler’s life, was given high doses of Pervitin after his arrest to make him speak and reveal possible backers, without success.
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* When arrested by the Allies, Göring was carrying a suitcase that held 24,000 opioid tablets (mostly Eukodal), and taking twenty times the usual dose. In the Palace Hotel in Gondorf, Luxembourg, where he was interned, that amount was gradually reduced by the American guards and doctors.
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