Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department: Difference between revisions
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The '''Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department''' was a department of the [[Imperial Japanese Army]] from 1936 to the dissolution of the Army in 1945. While its public mission was to prevent the spread of disease and monitor water supply, the [[Kwantung Army]] also assigned their unit the covert mission of manufacturing [[biological weapons]],<ref>『在満兵備充実ニ関スル意見』(April 23, 1936), a document addressed by Kwantung Army chief of staff [[Seishirō Itagaki]] to army general [[Yoshijirō Umezu]]. 「其三、在満部隊ノ新設及増強改編」の項目第二十三には「関東軍防疫部の新設増強予定計画の如く昭和十一年度に於いて急性伝染病の防疫対策実施および流行する不明疾患其他特種の調査研究 ならびに細菌戦準備の為関東軍防疫部を新設す 又在満部隊の増加等に伴い昭和十三年度の以降其一部を拡充す関東軍防疫部の駐屯地は哈爾賓附近とす」</ref> and former members allege that at least one unit carried out [[human experimentation]]. |
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'''Special Research Units''' were covert medical experiment units of the ''[[Imperial Japanese Army]]'' which conducted [[biological warfare]] research and development through [[human experimentation]] during the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]] (1937 - 1945) and [[World War II]]. These units are responsible for some of the most notorious [[Japanese war crimes|war crimes carried out by Japanese personnel]]. Initially set up as a political and ideological section of the [[Kempeitai]] [[military police]] of pre-[[Pacific War]] [[Japan]], they were meant to counter the ideological or political influence of Japan's enemies, and to reinforce the ideology of military units. |
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==Organization== |
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In military campaigns, the Japanese army used biological weapons on Chinese soldiers and civilians. This employment was largely viewed as ineffective, due to inefficient delivery systems. However, information has surfaced in the last decade, which alleges a more active Japanese usage. For example, firsthand accounts testify the Japanese infected civilians through the distribution of plague-infested foodstuffs, such as dumplings and vegetables. There are also reports of contaminated water supplies. Such estimates report over 580,000 victims, largely due to plague and cholera outbreaks. In addition, repeated seasonal outbreaks after the conclusion of the war bring the death toll much higher. During [[Changde chemical weapon attack]] attacks, the Japanese also employed [[biological warfare]] by intentionally spreading [[cholera]], [[dysentery]], [[typhoid]], [[bubonic plague]], and [[anthrax]]. Other battles include [[Kaimingye germ weapon attack]]. |
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The department was organized under the following system: |
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* '''Unit 691''' was under control of the Kwantung Army. |
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** The central office of Unit 691 was [[Unit 731]]. |
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* [[Unit 1855]] ([[Beijing]]) was under control of the [[Japanese Northern China Area Army]]. |
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* [[Unit Ei 1644]] ([[Nanjing]]) was under control of the [[Japanese Central China Area Army]]. |
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Apparent sub-branches of these: |
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==Related activities== |
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*Running [[prisoner of war]] and forced labor and special camps (The Kempeitai apparently provided guards for several 'human experimentation' units which housed 'difficult' prisoners, including [[China|Chinese]], Russian, American and other nationalities as well as some [[Japanese people|Japanese]] criminals from the Japanese mainlands <ref>[http://www.aiipowmia.com/731/731caveat.html AII POW-MIA Unit 731] "BE OFFENEDED that the survivors of this nightmare, the Chinese people, American POWs, Russian and other nationalities, have received no reparations for their suffering, nor an apology or answers."</ref>. sent to [[Unit 100]] and [[Unit 731]]. |
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*Provision of [[Comfort women|"comfort" women]] (''jugun ianfu'') for the "comfort houses" (These were [[brothel]]s maintained by the IJA for the use of its troops. Originally Japanese volunteers were used but as these became rare or limited to the use of officers, many Chinese, Korean, Taiwanese, and some European women were kidnapped and placed in these facilities to be "used" by members of Japan's military. The Kempeitai also regulated the accommodation facilities of the brothels, checked the identities of their customers, and controlled the violence and drunkenness within.) |
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==The Units== |
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{{Weapons of mass destruction}} |
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[[Unit 731]] was the headquarters of many subsidiary units used by the [[Japan]]ese to research biological warfare; other units included |
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* [[Unit 100]] ([[Shenyang]]) |
* [[Unit 100]] ([[Shenyang]]) |
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* [[Unit 200]] ([[Manchuria]]) |
* [[Unit 200]] ([[Manchuria]]) |
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* [[Unit 731]] ([[Pingfang]]) |
* [[Unit 731]] ([[Pingfang]]) |
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* [[Unit 773]] ([[Songo, China|Songo]]) |
* [[Unit 773]] ([[Songo, China|Songo]]) |
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* [[Unit Ei 1644]] ([[Nanjing]]) |
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* [[Unit 1855]] ([[Nanjing]]) |
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==Equipment== |
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Each office was equipped with water purification facilities and trucks to transport water to where it was needed. The water filtration equipment was designed by [[Shirō Ishii]] of Unit 731.<ref>関亮 『軍医サンよもやま物語―軍医診療アラカルト』 光人社〈光人社NF文庫〉、1997年。</ref> |
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A special project code-named ''Maruta'' used human beings for experiments. Test subjects were gathered from the surrounding population and were sometimes referred to euphemistically as {{nihongo|"logs"|丸太|maruta}}.<ref name = depravity>{{cite news |title=Doctors of Depravity |publisher=Daily Mail |author=Christopher Hudson |date=2 March 2007 |url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=439776&in_page_id=1770}}</ref> This term originated as a joke on the part of the staff because the official cover story for the facility given to the local authorities was that it was a lumber mill.<ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=439776&in_page_id=1770 Doctors of Depravity | Mail Online<!--Bot-generated title-->]</ref> The test subjects were selected to give a wide cross section of the population, and included common criminals, captured bandits and anti-Japanese partisans, [[political prisoner]]s, and also people rounded up by the [[secret police]] for alleged "suspicious activities" and included infants, the elderly, and pregnant women. |
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===Vivisection=== |
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* Prisoners of war were subjected to [[vivisection]] without anesthesia.<ref name = depravity/><ref name = dissect>{{cite news |title=Dissect them alive: order not to be disobeyed |author=Richard Lloyd Parry |publisher=Times Online |date=February 25, 2007 |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article1438491.ece}}</ref> |
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* Vivisections were performed on prisoners after infecting them with various diseases. Scientists performed invasive surgery on prisoners, removing organs to study the effects of disease on the human body. These were conducted while the patients were alive because it was felt that the decomposition process would affect the results.<ref name = depravity/><ref> |
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[http://www.technologyartist.com/unit_731/ Interview with former Unit 731 member Nobuo Kamada] |
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</ref> The infected and vivisected prisoners included men, women, children, and infants.<ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE2D71630F934A25750C0A963958260&sec=health&spon=&pagewanted=print "Unmasking Horror"] Nicholas D. Kristof (March 17, 1995) New York Times. A special report.; Japan Confronting Gruesome War Atrocity</ref> |
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* Vivisections were also performed on pregnant women, sometimes impregnated by doctors, and the [[fetus]] removed.<ref>[http://www.nesa.org.uk/html/unlocking_a_deadly_secret.htm Unlocking a deadly secret] Photos of vivisection </ref> |
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* Prisoners had limbs [[amputation|amputated]] in order to study blood loss.<ref name = depravity/> |
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* Those limbs that were removed were sometimes re-attached to the opposite sides of the body.<ref name = depravity/> |
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* Some prisoners' [[Limb (anatomy)|limb]]s were frozen and amputated, while others had limbs frozen then thawed to study the effects of the resultant untreated [[gangrene]] and rotting. |
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* Some prisoners had their [[stomach]]s surgically removed and the [[esophagus]] reattached to the [[intestines]].<ref name = depravity/> |
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* Parts of the [[brain]], [[lungs]], [[liver]], etc. were removed from some prisoners.<ref name = depravity/><ref name = dissect/><ref>[http://www.ww2pacific.com/unit731.html Japan Admits Dissecting WW-II POWs] James Bauer. "Japanese Unit 731 Biological Warfare Unit" Viewed January 16, 2007</ref> |
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In 2007, Doctor Ken Yuasa testified to the ''Japan Times'' that "I was afraid during my first vivisection, but the second time around, it was much easier. By the third time, I was willing to do it." He believes at least 1,000 persons, including surgeons, were involved in vivisections over mainland China.<ref>''Vivisectionist recalls his day of reckoning'', http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20071024w1.html</ref> |
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===Weapons testing=== |
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* Human targets were used to test [[grenade]]s positioned at various distances and in different positions.<ref name = depravity/> |
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* [[Flame thrower]]s were tested on humans.<ref name = depravity/> |
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* Humans were tied to stakes and used as targets to test [[germ warfare|germ-releasing bombs]], [[chemical weapons]] and explosive [[bomb]]s.<ref name = depravity/> |
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===Germ warfare attacks=== |
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* Prisoners were injected with inoculations of disease, disguised as [[vaccine|vaccinations]], to study their effects.<ref name = depravity/> |
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* To study the effects of untreated [[venereal disease]]s, male and female prisoners were deliberately infected with [[syphilis]] and [[gonorrhea]], then studied. |
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* Prisoners were infested with [[flea]]s in order to acquire large quantities of disease-carrying fleas for the purposes of studying the viability of germ warfare. |
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* [[Bubonic Plague|Plague]] fleas, infected clothing, and infected supplies encased in bombs were dropped on various targets. The resulting [[cholera]], [[anthrax]], and plague were estimated to have killed around 200,000 Chinese civilians.<ref name = depravity/> |
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* [[Tularemia]] was tested on Chinese civilians.<ref>[http://ftp.cdc.gov/pub/epr/historyofbt/wmcc/07_tularemia_cc.wmv Video] adapted from "Biological Warfare & Terrorism: The Military and Public Health Response", [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]]. Retrieved October 21, 2007</ref> |
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* Unit 731 and its affiliated units (Unit 1644, Unit 100, et cetera) were actively involved not only in research and development, but also in experimental deployment of epidemic-creating biowarfare weapons in assaults against the Chinese populace (both civilian and military) throughout World War II. Plague-infested fleas, bred in the laboratories of Unit 731 and Unit 1644, were spread by low-flying airplanes upon Chinese cities, coastal [[Ningbo]] in 1940, and [[Changde]], [[Hunan]] Province, in 1941. This military aerial spraying killed thousands of people with [[bubonic plague]] epidemics.<ref>Barenblatt, Daniel. ''A Plague Upon Humanity: the Secret Genocide of Axis Japan's Germ Warfare Operation'', HarperCollins, 2004. ISBN 0-06-018625-9 |
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</ref> |
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===Other experiments=== |
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Prisoners were subjected to other experiments such as: |
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* being hung upside down to see how long it would take for them to choke to death.<ref name = depravity/> |
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* having air injected into their arteries to determine the time until the onset of [[embolism]].<ref name = depravity/> |
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* having horse [[urine]] injected into their kidneys.<ref name = depravity/> |
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* being deprived of food and water to determine the length of time until death. |
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* being placed into high-pressure chambers until death. |
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* being exposed to extreme temperatures and developed [[frostbite]] to determine how long humans could survive with such an affliction, and to determine the effects of rotting and gangrene on human flesh.<ref name = depravity/> |
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* having experiments performed upon prisoners to determine the relationship between temperature, burns, and human survival. |
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* being placed into [[centrifuges]] and spun until dead. |
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* having animal blood injected and the effects studied. |
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* being exposed to lethal doses of [[x-ray]] [[radiation]]. |
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* having various chemical weapons tested on prisoners inside gas chambers. |
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* being injected with sea water to determine if it could be a substitute for [[saline (medicine)|saline]]. |
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* being given a large amount of water to drink and the effect observed |
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==See also== |
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* [[Kempeitai Political Department and Epidemic Prevention Research Laboratory]] |
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*[[History of biological warfare]] |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{reflist}} |
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<references/> |
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* [http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/kempei/index.html U.S. Report on ''Kempei'' (1945)] |
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[[Category:Military units and formations of the Imperial Japanese Army]] |
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[[Category:Japanese human subject research]] |
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[[Category:Empire of Japan]] |
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[[Category:Biological warfare]] |
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[[Category:Bioethics]] |
Revision as of 10:48, 3 July 2012
The Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department was a department of the Imperial Japanese Army from 1936 to the dissolution of the Army in 1945. While its public mission was to prevent the spread of disease and monitor water supply, the Kwantung Army also assigned their unit the covert mission of manufacturing biological weapons,[1] and former members allege that at least one unit carried out human experimentation.
Organization
The department was organized under the following system:
- Unit 691 was under control of the Kwantung Army.
- The central office of Unit 691 was Unit 731.
- Unit 1855 (Beijing) was under control of the Japanese Northern China Area Army.
- Unit Ei 1644 (Nanjing) was under control of the Japanese Central China Area Army.
- Unit 8604 or Nami Unit (Guangzhou) was under control of the Japanese Southern China Area Army.
- Unit 9420 or Oka Unit (Singapore), under control of the Southern Expeditionary Army Group.
Apparent sub-branches of these:
- Unit 2646 or Unit 80 (Hailar)
- Unit 100 (Shenyang)
- Unit 200 (Manchuria)
- Unit 516 (Qiqihar)
- Unit 543 (Hailar)
- Unit 731 (Pingfang)
- Unit 773 (Songo)
Equipment
Each office was equipped with water purification facilities and trucks to transport water to where it was needed. The water filtration equipment was designed by Shirō Ishii of Unit 731.[2]
References
- ^ 『在満兵備充実ニ関スル意見』(April 23, 1936), a document addressed by Kwantung Army chief of staff Seishirō Itagaki to army general Yoshijirō Umezu. 「其三、在満部隊ノ新設及増強改編」の項目第二十三には「関東軍防疫部の新設増強予定計画の如く昭和十一年度に於いて急性伝染病の防疫対策実施および流行する不明疾患其他特種の調査研究 ならびに細菌戦準備の為関東軍防疫部を新設す 又在満部隊の増加等に伴い昭和十三年度の以降其一部を拡充す関東軍防疫部の駐屯地は哈爾賓附近とす」
- ^ 関亮 『軍医サンよもやま物語―軍医診療アラカルト』 光人社〈光人社NF文庫〉、1997年。