Statements Concerning Goshima

Statement of Ishisawa (21 May -2 June 1947) In May 1947 Haruzo Takada came to Ishisawa's home to tell him of something stolen from the depart­ment, at the time told him that Goshima, (Gifu-ken) Kaneo Kida (Nagasaki), assistants to Hirako and Reichiro Makino, Ishisawa's assistant, should know about the operations because they were around the department at the time.

Statement of Ryu                  Ryu worked in lab in 1945 with Shiro Goshima.

2-3 days after Hirako told Ryu that American PWs were to be operated on, about 1400, Ryu heard footsteps in the hall and went to investigate. There was a Japanese soldier standing guard at a door leading to a cloak room. About 30 minutes before this, Ryu had seen a group of doctors and 2-3 nurses walking down the hall in the direction of the autopsy training room. Ryu believes that Goshima was with him when he saw this.

After watching lung operation, Ryu returned to his lab; believes Goshima was still there. Ryu only said to Goshima, "There is an operation going on.” Ryu noticed a large bottle of Meullers solution on the table which Goshima had made up from materials which Sakai, Hirako's assistant, had brought in at noon. Shortly after Ryu got back to the lab, Goshima told Ryu that Hirako had said that Ryu should help him inject the Meullers solu­tion. Neither Ryu or Goshima had ever used it before.

Goshima told Ryu that Hirako had told him to take out the Prisoner's brain if he died from the operation.

At about 1700, Ryu heard the doctors leaving, and a few minutes later Goshi­ma left the lab taking surgery knives, scissors, a saw, and injection equip­ment with him. Ryu followed a few seconds later. Tanaka, Makino and Goshima were at the table where the body of the Prisoner was lying.

Goshima and Ryu were getting the equipment feady for the injection of Meullers Solution. Goshima took no specimens (Makino and Tanaka were tak­ing specimens at this time) from the chest or abdominal walls. Goshima made an incision on the dead Prisoner^ neck, exposing the veins. They could not locate the artery, so they asked Tanaka, and he showed them where it was. Ryu tied the artery below where Ryu was going to inject the solu­tion and then Ryu cut the artery and inserted the glass tube to the artery. Goshima held the container of Meullers Solution and it was injected into the artery. Goshima then tied the artery and removed the glass tube. Ryu believes Makino and Tanaka had left after Goshima and Ryu started to inject the solution. 

Ryu left after the injection, at 1800, went home. Goshima had told Ryu that because it takes quite a while for the brain to become firm, he was going to remove the entire head and remove the brain later— hence the surgical knives. About 2 weeks later Ryu saw a brain in Meullers Solution on a table in the lab he shared with Goshima, who then told him that it was the brain from the American Prisoner.

When Goshima and Ryu injected the Meullers Solution Ryu noticed an empty coffin with the lid off. There was but one dead body, and that was on the dissecting table.