Biological Warfare of a Different Type.

Link to Eugene Lazowskis writing: 

https://dokumen.pub/private-war-memoirs-of-a-doctor-solder-1933-1944.html 

 

One of the big killers in war throughout history and pre-1940’s was not what you might expect. It was not the ever-increasing genius and lethality of the weapons of the enemy. It was disease. 

 1939 Dr Eugene Lazowski, a polish physician, had just finished medical school, and was a Lieutenant in his country’s military. The Germans had just conquered Poland with their Blitzkrieg invasion, and he was captured and placed in a POW camp. From which he promptly escaped. 

Simultaneously, Typhus was taking the lives of 750 people every day in Poland. The red cross was doing everything they could to help the victims and refugees of war. Dr Lazowski, now 26 years old, was hiding in plain sight working with the red cross in Rozwadow. Having escaped there with his little family, they were doing their best to help others and to survive themselves. 

The Jewish ghettos were well established, and though the need was great, the Nazi’s would not allow the Jews to receive medical care from outside the ghetto’s. Typhus was a common killer – along with many other diseases. 

If there was a breakout of typhus amongst Jews, the Nazis would shoot them on the spot, leave them lay, and then the home and belongings were burned. Conversely, there was no quick execution for the non-Jewish Poles. They were quarantined – until the disease ran its course, and they either survived or they didn’t. 

Noticing this difference in the Nazi’s treatment of victims of Typhus, Dr Lazowski and a college from school, Dr. Matulewicz, realized they might have an opportunity. And, maybe, they might save some lives. 

 Lazowski and Matulewicz had learned a little secret. One that was not well known in the medical community as a whole. They had found that by injecting individuals with a dead strain of typhus, they would then test positive for the disease. Though quite risky to attempt, they chose to use this knowledge to their advantage. 

Suddenly, 12 villages in the area were taken by the scourge of typhus (wink, wink), and one household or another had to be quarantined. 

https://www.lowellmilkencenter.org/programs/projects/view/the-weapon-of-intelligence/hero 

https://www.timesofisrael.com/how-a-faked-typhus-outbreak-spared-8000-poles-from-the-nazis/ 

NOTE: Eugene Lazowski story has been portrayed and promoted as a one about saving 8,000 Jews during the second world war. An article by Barbara Necek disputes this. Her research found that the story is true in that about 8000 people were saved, but there is no direct evidence that any of these were Jewish. 

https://k-larevue.com/en/investigation-on-a-fake-polish-just/

Transcript

You are listening to an ounce, season 6 episode 27, Biological Warfare of a Different Type. 

One of the big killers in war throughout history and pre-1940’s was not what you might expect. It was not the ever-increasing genius and lethality of the weapons of the enemy. It was disease. 

Plague, dysentery, tuberculosis, typhus, and other infections were amongst the big killers. The medical sciences had just not figured out some of the simple things we now understand. 

[Germ theory was a fringe idea, and the need for sanitary conditions, and proper waste disposal, having anything to do with the survival of the troops was scoffed at as preposterous. And for the Doctors and surgeons – the blood on their aprons and coats were a badge of honor to them. These were seldom – if ever - laundered.] 

Though it became obvious to most that some illnesses were contagious. How that illness could devastate and army it before its enemy could? Just wasn’t understood. 

But it was laughable to some that keeping things clean had any real benefit. Thus, for centuries, the reality of death from disease remained as much a part of a soldier's expectation, as was being wounded in battle. Death was everywhere. 

The Killer: Typhus 

Medical Science advanced, and during World War 2, the understanding of how death could come from illness was better understood, and greatly feared, by German soldiers. Many of those who had survived the 1st world war had witnessed the decimation of their brothers-in-arms by plague and typhus, at often as by bombs and bullets. Most would rather take a bullet. Typhus, for example, once contracted, would spread like wildfire for a few weeks before anyone even felt sick. And by then, the agony of this scourge of sickness was already destined to cause great suffering. With symptoms such as coughing, confusion, seizures, neurological impairment, and loss of kidney function... and death. 

As soon as there was any sign of Typhus, tents, bedding, and clothing were burned in an attempt to kill the fleas that infected the soldiers. Soldiers were isolated and watched for symptoms. And many suffered and died never having engaged in battle. During World War 1 Typhus had decimated entire units of the German military. But, the disease had not been seen for 25 or more years – so now, the younger German troops had no immunity to it – and the veterans greatly feared it. 

For this reason, any time someone was reported to have Typhus, trepidation was ignited in ever soldier, and they would do most anything they had to, to avoid exposure. 

The Typhus Savior? 

1939 Dr Eugene Lazowski, a polish physician, had just finished medical school, and was a Lieutenant in his country’s military. The Germans had just conquered Poland with their Blitzkrieg invasion, and he was captured and placed in a POW camp. From which he promptly escaped. 

Simultaneously, Typhus was taking the lives of 750 people every day in Poland. The red cross was doing everything they could to help the victims and refugees of war. Dr Lazowski, now 26 years old, was hiding in plain sight working with the red cross in Rozwadow. Having escaped there with his little family, they were doing their best to help others and to survive themselves. 

The Jewish ghettos were well established, and though the need was great, the Nazi’s would not allow the Jews to receive medical care from outside the ghetto’s. Typhus was a common killer – along with many other diseases. 

[If there was a breakout of typhus amongst Jews, the Nazis’s would shoot on the spot, leave them lay, and then the home and belongings were burned. Conversely, there was no quick execution for the non-Jewish Poles. They were quarantined – until the disease ran its course, and they either survived or they didn’t.] 

Noticing this difference in the Nazi’s treatment of victims of Typhus, Dr Lazowski and a college from school, Dr. Matulewicz, realized they might have an opportunity. And, maybe, they might save some lives. 

A Sudden Outbreak of Typhus 

Lazowski and Matulewicz had learned a little secret. One that was not well known in the medical community as a whole. They had found that by injecting individuals with a dead strain of typhus, they would then test positive for the disease. Though quite risky to attempt, they chose to use this knowledge to their advantage. 

Suddenly, 12 villages in the area were taken by the scourge of typhus, and one household or another had to be quarantined. Using the Dead Virus trick – Eugen Lazowski was able to keep the Nazi’s out of these twelve villages. Which included a mix of ethnic pole’s and Jews as well. The villagers were coached on how to look sick in the right ways at the right time, just in case one of the Nazi’s was brave enough to go and see for himself.   Quarantine 

The Germans did send soldiers looking for detailed reports concerning the ongoing spate of typhus in these villages. The soldiers, afraid of the disease, were happy to be wined and dined– and heavily liquored up -  by the doctors. Then, the next day they were then given a report from the doctors, and sent back to their superiors, in many cases never having set foot in the villages. 

By 1944, the Nazis were starting to catch on – they knew something was up in those 12 villages. And, just in case something went wrong, Dr. always carried his cyanide pills… to give him an escape if needed. 

Then, the allied forces were advancing quickly, and the war in Poland was effectively over. The Germans had fled Poland – and no longer cared about how they were apparently being lied to, about Rozwadow. 

The efforts of Dr. Lazowski saved the people of 12 villages from being used as slaves, or being sent to concentration camps, and tortured, or killed. 

Dr. Lazowski continued to live in Poland in silence about his activities during the war. The politics of the time caused him to fear he would be punished or executed, for his subterfuge. So, he said nothing. 

In 1958 Eugene Lazowski was able to emigrate with his family to Chicago. It was then he finally felt safe enough to share his story. His activities were detailed in a memoir titled ‘Private War: Memoirs of a Doctor Soldier, 1933-1944’. You might want to read it – but it is written like a medical textbook. We’ll put a link in the description. 

 [So – what does an obscure story about a polish Doctor in WW2 have to do with anything? 

Well, there truly are many little Once Sized Nuggets of Wisdom to be found in this heroic story. But might I suggest, for now, we focus on just this one.] 

It can be difficult to go against the grain with the powers that be, and the flow of a society. In this day, it seems pretty probable that if you express the wrong opinion, you will quickly pay the price for your honesty. 

There are many whose grip on status, power, and prestige are - apparently - easily threatened by something as simple as n politely offered opposing opinion. And, these will enthusiastically react and retaliate, especially when their favorite cause of the moment threatened by common sense. Never trust the integrity of such people. You could try to explain or clarify – but sometimes all you can do is hunker down and wait for the assault to pass. You do not have to be a martyr. 

So, here’s An Ounce: 

There may be a price to pay for the right of being honest with yourself, and doing the right thing. But if you surrender that right, are you still free? 

And, that’s it. An Ounce, submitted for your consideration.