ITEM No. 24 
FILE No. XXII—8 
COPY No. 
HYGIENISCHE INSTITUT DES RUHRGEBIETS 
GELSENKIRCHEN 
COMBINED INTELLIGENCE OBJECTIVES 
SUB-COMMITTEE HYGIENISCHES INSTITUT DES RUHRGEBIETS 
GELSENKIRCHEN 
Reported by 
CHARLES L. MCCARTHY 
Commander, M.C., U.S.N.R. 
CIOS Black List Item 24 
Medical 
COMBINED INTELLIGENCE OBJECTIVES SUB-COMMITTEE 
G~2 Division, SHAEF (Rear) APO 413 TABLE OF CONTENTS 
Subject. Page No. 
I. Organisation 3 
II. Functions and Activities of the Institute 4 
• 
III. of general health conditions 
obtained in an interview with Dr. Heine, 
the Director. 5 
Appendix I. Diphtheria Culture Medium 7 
Personnel of Team. 
Francis J. Curtis, U.S. Civilian. 
Fennlmore E. Davis, Major. M.C., 
R. Cannon Eley, Commander, M.C. USNH 
Chas. L. McCarthy, Commander, M.C., USNR 
M.F. Fogler, Ph.D., U.S.Civilian. 
JosephE. Smadel, M.C., AUS Lt. Colonel 
Hamilton Southworth, Lt. Colonel, U.S.P.H.S. 
E.H. Volwller, PH.D., U.S. Civilian, (Team Leader) HYOtENSCHES INSTTTDT DCS RDHRGEBTETS 
I. ORGANIZATION OF THE HYGIEN1SCHES INSTITUT 
The target was Tl sited 19 April 194-5 by CIOS Team No 110. 
This laboratory mas said to be the largest of its type in 
Germany, serving a population of about 16,500,000 persons and 
covering an area from Aachen to Mlnden and, from north to 
south, from Halten to Siegen. Its functions are similar 
in many respects to those of a state public health laboratory 
in the United States. It is, however, a private institution 
supported by contributions or assessments from cities, labor 
unions, industrial plants and similar units of society at the 
rate of 15 Reichmarks per 1000 persons per year. 
The institute mas housed in a modern five story brisk 
and stone building approximately 120 x 60 feet. In addition, 
there mas a two story animal house 25 X 16 feet. The 
laboratories were damaged by bombing on 7 November 1944. 
After this date, all investigative work stopped and most of 
the diagnostic laboratory procedures which required the use 
of animals mas discontinued because of inability to secure 
fodder for them. Further extensive damage mas done by 
bombing on 19 March 1945 following which all work ceased. 
When visited about two-thirdsof the laboratory buildings 
mere completely useless. In addition, the adjacent animal 
house mas completely ruined except for its cellar. Efforts 
were in progress to make a portion of the remaining one-third 
of tha laboratory usable. This mas progressing satisfactorily 
and Dr, Heine, Its director, believed the institute would be 
able lo perform some of its former functions, l.e., bacterial 
analysis of mater, general bacteriology and serology by 
25 April 1945 when water and electric current would again 
become available. 
The staff formerly consisted of 45 full time employees 
of whom 12 were specially trained physicians. Hours of 
work for this group numbered 42 per week as dictated by labor 
unions* There were also 75 student assistants who were being 
trained as laboratory technicians and who worked about 12 
hours daily. Only two trained physicians are available at 
present. II. FUNCTIONS AND ACTIVITIES 
One of the main functions of this institute was to 
determine the potability of the water supply of the entire 
Ruhr area. This consisted of the usual types of bacterial 
and chemical analyses which were ordinarily performed about 
once every two weeks. In addition, a group of 7 persons 
was constantly engaged in the collection of samples of water 
for. examination by the institute. Each of the larger water 
works was visited every week while the smaller installations 
were visited monthly. Most of the drinking water in the 
Ruhr is obtained from deep wells. The*raw water has a 
low bacterial count, less than ten organisms per cc. and no 
coliform organisms. It generally receives no treatment 
other them chlorination. Chlorine was formerly obtained 
from Leverkusen but this supply ceased some tine ago and 
chlorine was Drought up from the middle Germany. The present 
supply is euiequate only for about one week. The popul- 
ation has been advised to boil all drinking water until 
further notice. The annual number of bacterial analyses 
of water was usually in the neighborhood of 18,000. 
The bacteriological techniques which were employed 
appeared to be the same as those in Allied countries. A 
modified tellurite medium designated as "Corrected Clauberg 
III, Medium," seemed highly satisfactory in the cultural 
diagnosis of diphtheria. A copy of the formula is given 
in Appendix 1. 
Prior to the war, the incidence of sero-posltive 
syphilis was about 3 percent in the Ruhr population. 
Since the war it has gradually risen until it is now 
about 12 percent. The Wassemann, Sachs-Me ini eke and the 
Kahn reactions were routine tests. No penicillin was 
available and syphilis was treated with arsenicals and 
bismuth. 
The usual slide, culture and animal inoculation studies 
were done in the diagnosis of tuberculosis. 
It was stated that this Institute made over 8,000,000 
stool examinations for hookworm in the last five years. 
This disease was practically unknown in Germany until a 
large number of miners were brought into Germany after 
having worked on the Gotthard Tunnel. Last year, 1,800 new 
cases were reported in the Ruhr area. Examination of 4 >000,000 industrial workers in the Ruhr 
showed 42.8 percent to be infected with some form of epider- 
momycosis involving especially the feet and hands* However, 
only 2 percent of the total number which were found to be 
infected were classified as serious enough to cause the pat* 
ients to stop work. An ointment called "Dermaphytln Salbe" 
containing multiple trichophytin substances (extract) was 
used with no apparent benefit. The best results were obtained 
fro*, the use of astringent lotions and from teaching the 
patient the proper care of the feet. 
Associated with the Hyglenisches Institut is a pathol- 
ogical institution called Pathologisches und Gewerbepath- 
ologisches Institut, Gelsenkirchen. This has not been in 
operation since the bombing 7 November 1944 when it was 
completely destroyed. The principal work in this institute 
was devoted to routine autopsy work for the city of Gelsenk- 
irchen (108,000 persons) and research studies in industrial 
diseases of miners. Its director was Prof. Dr. G. Gerstel. 
in. AN INTERVIEW WITH DR. HEINE 
Several hours were spent with the Director, Dr. Heine 
who was in charge of all laboratory work except that devoted 
to pathology* The latter was under the direction of Prof. 
Dr. Gerstel at the Pathologisches Institut and was mentioned 
in the proceeding paragraph. Dr. Heine was about 40 years 
old and although he spoke no English he was most cooperative. 
He has done extensive investigative work on tuberculosis, 
hookworm and ringworm disease. Hookworm, which was formerly 
a fairly common industrial disease among miners and iron 
workers, is now relatively uncommon. This decrease in 
the Incidence of this disease was attributed to the adoption 
of the "dry”process instead of the "Wet" process for 
controlling dust in mines. Dr. Heine gave the impression of 
being a sound Investigator, a competent laboratory nan and 
a physician genuinely interested in the health of the people. 
The following information on Infectious disease was 
obtained from Dr. Heine: The most common infectious diseases 
were diphtheria, scarlet fever and tuberculosis. A list 
of the infectious diseases from one district in the Ruhr 
consisting of about 4>500,000 people for the week of 21 
January to 27 January 1945 was as follows: 
5 Diphtheria 
Scarlet Ihooping 
Typhoid 
Typhus 
Cough 
T.B. 
JBtor 
—Tglfil 
Cases 250 
223 
27 
331 
3 
2 
Deaths 28 
1 
2 
3? 
0 
1 
The increase in the rate of tuberculosis in the entire population 
of the Ruhr has been only about 12 percent during the past two years. 
Sone increase occurred among the Gernans but the principal increase 
was among foreign workers. 
Typhus fever has not been common in this area. There were 
two cases reported in the week of January 21 to 27 and there was 
one suspected case in the hospital at Gelsenkirchen at the time of 
this investigation. Laboratory diagnosis was limited to the Weil* 
Felix Test. During May 19UK there was an outbreak of typhus ferer 
at Mftlheim, whidh occurred anong and was limited to the foreign 
workers. There were 500 cases and 139 deaths. APPENDIX I 
Korrigiarter Clauberg III - Nihrbodan* 
Nach Harrman 
A* Grundgemisch: 
230 ccm Aqua dest* (steril) 
100 ccm Kindersarum 
170 ccm defibriniertes Rinderblut 
25 ccm Blutglycerin (bestehend aus 2 Teilen Blut und 
1 Tell Glycerin; muss mindestens 
6 Wocben alt sein* 
B. 
420 ccm 3 % Agar-Agar, ph 7,0 
15 g Traubenzucker 
direkt dam )12,5 ccm CystinlBsung (1 %ig) 
flftssigon Agar) 1,5 ccm NatrlumacetatlBsung (50 %ig) 
zusetzen )80 ccm TelluriBsung (1 $ig), helss 
iBsenl 
ph-Wert messenl 
8,0 - 8,1 
60 ccm WasserblaulBsung (2 %±g) 
(Wasserblau 6 B extra P*, 
# Standard Clauberg, Dr* 
Grflbler & Co* Leipzig)* 
Das Grundgemlach A und LBsung B 1/2 Stund© ins Wasser- 
bad, dann zusammengiossen und mlschen, pH-Wert bestim- 
men* 
pH-Wert 7,6 -7,7* 
Herstellung der CystinlBsun 
1 gr wassarfreie Soda wlrd in 10 ccm Aqua dest* kochend 
gelBst, dann wlrd 1 gr Cystln in dl© LBsung gesch&ctet* 
Nachdem sich das Cystin gelBst hat, wlrd dieses Gemisch 
mit Aqua dest* auf 100 ccm aufgefftllt* 
NatriumacetatlSaung* 
50 gr Natriumacetat , , 
50 com Aqua dest. beiss l8s«n