Statements Concerning Miki

MIKI, AKIYE

Statement of Miki  [Marginal Note: 4-12 June 47]

21 years, now a nurse at Mitsui Kogyosho Hospital. Enrolled in KIU nurse school, learned nursing at Ishiyama Surgery from April 1944 to March 1946, and, on completing 4 year coarse (??) went to present hos­pital. The first year went from department to department to receive basic instruction; 2nd year assigned to Ishiyama Surgery and became a graduate student nurse in March 1944 and stayed two years as a gradu­ate nurse at Ishiyama Surgery, where duties in 2nd year to sterilize instruments.and change dirty gauze from operated patient, and after she became graduate nurse she helped pass operating instruments and changed dirty gauze during operation. She helped Shizuko Suyama, who was assistant nurse to head nurse Tsutsui, by being responsible for 5-6 student nurses, teaching them in nurses courses. Also responsible for the operating room in Ishiyama Surgery.

Was present when ISHIYAMA and other professors performed 3 operations on Allied Prisoners of War.

Nurse hierarchy at Ishiyama surgery:

head nurse - TSUTSUI

assistant - Shizuko SUYAMA

charge of 1st floor patients - Shigeno Tomita

charge of 2nd floor patients - Kimie Teshima

charge of 3rd floor patients - Fusae Nakamura

charge of dietetics - Sumako Manabe

charge of operating room - Akiye MIKI

TSUTSUI as head nurse was in charge of the office, worked directly under Ishiyama, made the rounds through the hospital with him, would tell the other nurses what to do during operations which were performed by Ishiyama, and occasionally she would actually assist herself. SUYAMA would take over when Tsutsui was busy; assembled the 5 assistants under her each AM, gave them their special duties and supervised them; took charge of incoming patients, helped Ishiyama when he examined them.

Miki, when an operation was to be performed, would get out necessary instruments, having 3 nurses and 3 student nurses under her. Would have one sterilize the instruments, another thread needles, one clean operating room. Each had a student to help. Sometimes more than one operation a day. Miki in general saw that everything in operating room ready. During operation she passed instruments to doctors. Other nurses helped doctors get ready and did whatever was necessary.

Ishiyama, HIRAO, TORISU and doctors in charge of their own patients did most of the operating. Ishiyama usually performed the most serious operations.' ISHIYAMA during working hours very strict, off duty very nice.

In May 1945. about 0900-1000, TSUTSUI caine to Miki and told her to have certain instruments prepared for an operation. At that time, Miki,

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busy with an operation, went back to prepare instruments about 1130. There were instruments for one operation. About 1330-1400 TSUTSUI and several others came up to get the instruments. TSUTSUI told Miki to have instruments put on a cart to be taken to the autopsy room; they were instruments for an abdominal operation. At that time TSUTSUI told Miki that she was supposed to help in the operation.

Miki went to the Autopsy room with TSUTSUI, Drs. TASHIRO & NOGAWA, and Nurses SUYAMA and MANABE. Doesn’t know whether or not KUBO was there. Other professors also went along. Nurse Takayama helped with the in­struments but Miki doesn’t recall whether she went to the Autopsy Build­ing.

The instruments were brought by elevator from 3rd floor of Ishiyama Surgery to the 1st floor. Some people were getting other things necessary. Miki helped feet bandages, sheets, and other operating materials. Various personnel went separately when ready. Miki helped push the car, which was left in front of autopsy building, 3 people carried sheets, gauze, and instruments.

ISHIYAMA only person present when Miki entered, autopsy room. There were two operating tables straight in line. Miki went out to get when was left on cart, came back and began getting instruments ready. Shortly after Komori, Seriba, and possibly TORISU came in. ISHIYAMA stood there during this time waiting.

30 minutes later, a soldier brought in an American Prisoner of War. Until this time Miki did not know that an American was to be operated on, was surprised, wanted to leave. SUYAMA, MANABE, and Miki began talking about leaving because they thought something was wrong. ISHIYAMA cane over, said everything was all right, that they should stay and help.

The Prisoner was led in by hand, was able to walk, Miki was so fright­ened she didn’t notice his condition, to see whether he was drugged. He was laid on the operating'table; soldier then left. The Prisoner was strapped to a bale; believes someone gave him anaesthetic. He was blindfolded

Group around operating table:

SUYAMA  0       0  MANABE

HIRAO     0        0  MIKI

KOMORI  0        0  ISHIYAMA

                      0 unknown   0 army officer

TSUTSUI also there. TASHIRO, NOGAWA, and SENBA may have been present and possibly others.

MIKI

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It looked to Miki like a plain liver operation, but it was very strange to have the operation performed in autopsy room with an army Officer present. ISHIYAMA did the surgical work. The liver was removed. KOMORI and HIRAO assisted Ishiyama. Incision was then sewed up. After operation 3 nurses, including Miki, washed instruments. The Prisoner was still on the table when Miki left. Instruments were taken back to the cart and returned to Ishiyama surgery— the other two nurses were with MIKI. Some of the doctors helped return the instruments. 

During the operation Miki passed instruments to Ishiyama. KOMORI was looking at the liver after the operation. TSUTSUI was helping to remove the operating gowns, Ishiyama was washing his hands, the nurses were washing instruments.

In this operation, first half of the liver was removed, then the other half. This the first time Miki ever saw all of liver removed. A patient cannot live long after the liver is removed. Miki could not understand this; decided during the operation that it must be an experimental one.

MANABE, SUYAMA and Miki talked about the operation the same day, were scared because of locale of operation and because it was on a foreigner. While they were getting the instruments ready, someone said the Prisoner had died. They had a feeling it was an experimental operation.

Afterwards TSUTSUI came up to Ishiyama Surgery operating room and told MANABE, SUYAMA, and Miki that she knew they didn’t like to be involved, but that they sould just listen to Ishiyama and not to worry. Miki heard that after one operation (not sure whether after first) that Prisoner put in coffin next day. He was rather short for an American. When brought in he was wearing a shirt and trousers.

The operation took about l£ hours. The army Officer was going when operation was over.

The 2nd operation was about 4-5 days later. In morning SUYAMA told Miki to get instruments ready for an operation, asked if TSUTSUI had talked to her about it. TSUTSUI then came in, told Miki there was to be a lung operation, that Miki should get a special instrument of Ishiyama's in the instrument room. TSUTSUI didn’t say it was to be on a Prisoner, but Miki thought it would be' because usually notices posted on bulletin board when operation to be performed, none this time. TSUTSUI told SUYAMA and Miki they would help, told Miki to tell MANABE, and that it would be in autopsy room. SUYAMA And Miki didn’t want to go if on a Prisoner, but felt superiors had to be obeyed.

SUYAMA, MANABE, and Miki pushed cart from Ishiyama Surgery to Anatomy Building in the PM, brought instruments over as before; cart let out­side, instruments taken from cart into autopsy room. ,

There were 2-3 professors in autopsy room. About 20 minutes after in­struments brought in and 10 minutes after being laid out, 4 Japanese

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soldiers brought in two blindfolded Americans, left. Same Officer came in with them as before. One Prisoner large, in good condition, appeared drugged. The other of average size. Someone in room said drug had not worked on him. Believes large soldier had red hair, wound in shoulder, but only slightly wounded. Prisoners walked in, guided by soldiers.

Large American put on operating table first. (See arrangement of room on attached chart) Ishiyama did lung surgery, KOMORI assisted. The Prisoner that KOMORI was to operate on put on operating table. Miki believes HIRAO was there and TORISU was looking at operation over Ishi­yama's shoulder. ISHIYAMA cut on one side of body, removed 2-3 ribs, removed one entire lung. The artery to the lung was tied off b'efore the lung was removed; the entire incision sewed again. 10 minutes later ISHIYAMA reopened incision, untied the cords that tied off the artery that had been cut, Miki passed the tools and thread to ISHIYAMA when he resutured wound, with help of SUYAMA. Miki then washed hands, believes American still alive, but he must have died in a very short time from loss of blood.

Miki doesn’t know why ISHIYAMA reopened incision and untied artery cord. The surgery had been good— only reason she can give is that he wanted to kill Prisoners, since he could not live if artery untied. As a nurse, Miki doesn’t feel operation necessary, only reason to perform experimen­tal surgery. Operation normal except that whole lung was taken out, ar­tery untied.

This the first time sea-water was used as a blood substitute when Miki present. SENBA had been working on sea water experiments. Miki heard ISHIYAMA tell SENBA to use sea water on this man, just before lung taken out. The injection was made in the large vein of the arm; about 1000 cc’s given. The patient had at that point lost more blood.than usually lost in operation. Ishiyama turned and said something about the injections— perhaps to the army Officer.

On same day, after Ishiyama started suturing the first time, KOMORI left, went to other table where 2nd Prisoner had been placed. After Ishiyama finished on 1st Prisoner, he watched Komori. TSUTSUI told Miki to assist Ishiyama.

Miki believes TORISU assisted KOMORI on this operation, but doesn’t re­call who else assisted or just watched. By the time Miki got there, ISHIYAMA had taken over, was holding patient’s heart. There was an incision from just below the place where the ribs join to the navel. Then Miki heard ISHIYAMA say that he wanted to see how soon a heart wound would have to be sewed up to keep a man from bleeding to death. Miki believes KOMORI had finished his experiment at this time. Miki handed instruments to ISHIYAMA, knew he had made a cut in the heart, which didn’t bleed too much, Prisoners seemed alright, ISHIYAMA sewed up cut immediately, washed his hands, Miki went over to gather up instru­ments from first operation, did not look at Prisoner, but thinks he must have been dead.

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KOMORI then reopened wound of first Prisoner, took out some blood, used glass cup to scoop it out. Later Miki saw he had more blood in the bottle believes he must have taken it from 2nd Prisoner. Nurses then gathered up intruments, washed them; TSUTSUI helped doctors remove gowns. Army Officer then gone. 2-3 people came in, went to body of first Prisoner, made incision in neck. Thinks they were either students or from autopsy department. When Miki turned around, she saw that the head of the Pri­soner had been cut off, was by the body on the table, Miki didn’t see any of the professors around. There were 2 coffins in the room that had been placed there before the operations were over. The bodies were on the table when Miki left. Believes that something had been extracted from neck of head cut off. Believes operations experimental. If a regular operation, whole lung would not have been removed. Miki then returned to 1st surgery.

About 7 days later, either TSUTSUI or SUYAMA Told Miki just before dinner that she should prepare instruments for a brain operation, to bring in­struments to autopsy room about 1330-1430. SUYAMA, MANABE, YAYAMA and Miki tood instruments down on cart as before. Operating table set up. ISHIYAMA, KOMORI, TORISU, AND HIRAO came in, then an American and 2 soldiers. Believes American blindfolded, half carried. An army Officer came in; had been here before, about 37-40 years old, no glasses.

Prisoner put on operating table; Officer and doctors had a talk. 15 minutes later began.. Doesn’t believe sea water injection used. ISHIYAMA performed operation, doesn’t recall assistance. An incision was made in scalp and cut in circular form about 10 centimeters across. One side was left attached to scalp. Hair there cut short, but not shaved. Flap pulled back, hole drilled in skull. The instrument used to drain off blood from operation area not there, so ISHIYAMA stopped operation and sewed scalp flap in place. (This instrument a large one, run by motor. There was a smaller one there, but bleeding was too profuse, although they tried to use it) After scalp sewed up, the nurses washed the instruments, left immediately. Doesn't know whether Prisoner still alive.

Miki decided to refuse to go to any more operations, but was not called.

Miki doesn't recall HIRAKO present, or bringing in brain.

Miki had to sign a contract to spend 1 year as student, 1 year as student nurse, 2 years as graduate nurse in hospital. She was a graduate nurse at time of operations. Could only leave before 4 year term if sickness; otherwise might have to pay back fees, which 2 years as graduate nurse cancelled.

Prisoners were not wounded or sick; operations bad, unnecessary. Is not certain whether Prisoner whose lung was removed had wound in shoulder. He was covered with a sheet with a slit on right side. 2-3 ribs were cut out. Nothing wrong with lung.

In brain operation, saw no wound on Prisoners head. Unlike usual situa­tions, doctors did not talk it over with nurses. They cut open scalp, but stopped before getting to brain, so he probably wasn’t too sick.

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Does not recall SENBA at liver or brain operations; was present at lung operation. SUYAMA, whose rank next to that of TSUTSUI, did little of actual work, helped doctors get ready, did not pass instru­ments in 3rd operation, wore no gown. MANABE passed instruments to Miki at liver operation, lung operation, 3rd operation. YAYAMA not at 1st operation, at 2nd,

Either HIRAO or TORISU stood next to Ishiyama at 1st (liver) operation, helped by putting in retractors, clamps, using gauze to keep incision and operation area free of bloody helped Ishiyama in general. Both HIRAO and TORISU were present at lung operation, not certain which helped Ishiyama, but one or other helped as at liver operation. One or other also helped Komori probably, Same as to 3rd operation. One of two drilled hole in skull.

An operating lamp was used at operations; NOGAWA may have held it at the lung operation.

The room was dirty; not recommended for an operation, but instruments clean. However, Ishiyama Surgery is very clean and modern; while this room dirty. Tables that are used for autopsy were used in the opera­tions, not as good because too low and not adjustable; no pads.

Statement of Takayama (28 May 1947) Akie Miki was one of Takayama's superiors, a nurse. Doesn't know of any connexion that She had with the operations.