Statements Concerning Ishiyama

Statement of Nogawa (2-25 June 1947) About 1500 on the day of the first opera­tion Nogawa went by himself to the Autopsy Section, where there were present: Ishiyama, Komori, and Sato, standing near the rear wall on the left side of the room, and nearer to the hall and also on the left side of the room were Hirao, Torisu, Senba, and head nurse Tsutsui.

After PW had been placed on dissecting table, Komori went to a position on the left side of the Prisoner; Ishiyama took a position on the Prisoner's right next to these 2 men(?) and at the Prisoner's feet were Torisu and Hirao.

Ishiyama injected a drug in several spots to effect local anaesthesia.

Ishiyama then made an incision in the Prisoner's chest which started at the Prisoner's right breast and extended in a curve down the Prisoner's right side for about 6 M. .......

When the lung was nearly removed, Ishiyama and Komori became excited because the vein or the artery to this section of the lung began to bleed badly. Komori asked Senba, "Isn't the pulse rate bad?" Senba replied that it was.

Ishiyama then ordered Senba to inject a colorless fluid into the Prisoner's arm, said, "Begin the injection into the artery," which Senba did, injecting about 800 cc of the fluid into the Prisoner. Senba then said that the pulse rate had improved greatly. Ishiyama turned to Sato and said, "What was just injected was sea-water properly diluted and filtered." The pleura was then put back in place, the ribs replaced, and the gauze placed over the incision.

The next day Nogawa heard from either Hirao or Torisu that Sato had cautioned Ishiyama to keep these operations quiet.

Torisu and Hirao helped at this first lung operation, holding the clamps which held open the incision with one hand. With the other, they handed gauze to Komori and Ishiyama and also some instruments to them, but the nurses mostly handled the instruments, these being Miki and Tsutsui.

2nd operation.- about the middle of May 1945 - Nogawa went about his work treat­ing patients in the Surgical Clinic, about 1330 or 1400 wanted to see either Torisu or Hirao, and a woman visitor at the hospital said she saw them walking in the direction of the autopsy room.

20-30 minutes later, Nogawa went to the Autopsy Section room where the first operation had been held. The operations had not begun. Present were Ishiyama, Torisu, Hirao, perhaps Tsutsui, Morimoto, Mori.

Entering the room this time he recalls seeing 2 dissecting tables with a PW on each. At the right table on the right hand side of the Prisoner near his stomach was Ishiyama; Komori was on the Prisoner's left and near the head. Near the instrument table stood either Manabe or Miki.

Ishiyama and Komori were proceeding to perform a liver operation on the Pri­soner; the incision had been made and retracted from just below the ribs down to the navel. Torisu and Hirao were holding the clamps which retracted the

Ishiyama

Statement of Nogawa Cont'd .... the skin around the incision. Ishiyama was cutting off the left side of the liver.

Shortly after Komori left the first Prisoner,(liverch operation), Ishiyama finished up and followed to the 2nd Prisoner; with him went whoever was left— Torisu or Hirao. Komori was in charge of this operation.

While the instruments were being assembled, Komori said to Ishiyama that he was going to put some poisonous medicine in this blood and make a poison for bedbugs. Nogawa noticed a tray which contained the extracted left side of the liver and some blood on the floor in the middle of the room. Ishiyama nodded. Nogawa then left.

27 May 1945 there was a meeting of the Fukuoka Surgical Assembly, at which meeting Ishiyama made the statement, following Tomoda's lecture on his experiments with AA, that AA is comparatively difficult to extract, while sea water is plentiful and should be used.

About 1300, 5 June, either Hirao or Tsutsui stated that there was to be another (the 3rd) operation in the Autopsy Section classroom. About 1400-1430 Tsutsui told Nogawa that he was to go over behind the autopsy section and watch for the arrival of the Prisoners. Nogawa supposes that Hirao or Ishiyama told her to tell him.

Ishiyama and Hirako stood near the building entrance.(waiting for arrival of PWs) Nogawa heard Ishiyama say to Hirako a couple of times, "Haven't they come yet?" About 1500 a truck with the PWs arrived. Ishiyama and Hirako who had gone back into the building previous to this came outside again. Nogawa followed them out near the truck. Ishiyama and the army doctor, Komori, were talking.

Nogawa stood near the rear entrance to the Austopsy Section for a few minutes, then went into the Autopsy class room where the operations were held via the rear entrance. One Prisoner was already covered with an operation sheet. In the room were Ishiyama, Hirako, Komori, Mori, Hirao, Morimoto, Senba, Tsutsui and 2-3 other nurses, including, perhaps, Miki.

Soon after the operation on the first prisoner had been finished (region below the chest), Ishiyama told Mori to perform a stomach operation on the PW who was lying on the table on the left. Nogawa left the room, relaxed out on the grass behind the Autopsy Section.

40-50 minutes later Nogawa reentered. Ishiyama was performing a heart operation on a PW at the right hand tahle. Ishiyama was standing on the Prisoner's right, Komori on his left.

When the heart was reached, Ishiyama went around to the left hand side of the Prisoner, took, the heart in the palm of his left hand and with a scalpel he cut about a one inch incision in the heart, then inserted a pointed instrument into the incision and started to poke around. He then sewed up the incision with thread. He then put the heart back in place and watched for a few minutes to see whether blood was going to flow from it or not. 2-3 minutes after the

Ishiyama

Statement of Nogawa Cont'd. ...heart operations were completed, the Prisoner died. "I guess he died as a result of the operation." Nogawa thinks either Ishiyama or Komori said the Prisoner died.

Nogawa believes one Prisoner was operated on the first time, two the 2nd time, three the 3rd time, which is the last he saw. After returning to the Univer­sity on 20 June after being married, Nogawa heard that there had been another series of operations from Tashiro, who told him that there seemed to have been a brain operation on a PW during his absence, that Ishiyama said that the brain operation had been a failure because there was no aspirator available. Nogawa believes one or two were operated on the 4th time.

Nogawa doesn't believes Ishiyama was correcting any ailment of the heart by his actions during the heart operations. Nogawa believes he could have been working on the correction of an ailment of the heart valves when he poked around with a pointed instrument in the incision he made.

The first Surgery Clinic operating rooms were not being used during these opera­tions — Ishiyama would attend almost all operations conducted at his clinic. Nogawa presumes these operations had some connection with the War Department since Ishiyama was a war department Temporary Civilian.

Statement of Suyama (20 July - 1 August 1947) These operations took place in May 1945, were from 3 days to a week apart. After the 1st operation, Sato told Ishiyama that they were B-29 crew members who had raided Japan.

After Suyama went back to the Ishiyama Surgery after the first operation, Ishiyama said that the man he had operated on was an American B-29 flyer, thanks Suyama for helping at the operation that afternoon.

Someone else (other than nurses)probably one of the doctors — Suyama believes it was Senba, brought a portable operating lamp, some sort of fluid, a stand, and possibly an aspirator, which is a machine used to such the blood away from an infection. At that time a lot of equipment was being moved, and Ishiyama said that the operation would be difficult without that machine.

After Miki and Suyama started to arrange the room, Ishiyama then came in the room with Torisu, Hirao, Mori, Senba, Nogawa and Komori. Ishiyama told the doctors how he wanted the tables arranged.

Ishiyama told Senba to give some anesthetic to the Prisoner when he was brought in, and Senba then prepared his anesthetics. Komori told Ishiyama that the Prisoner had already been drugged, but when the Prisoner was brought in, it did not appear to Suyama that he was drugged.

Ishiyama, Komori, Hirao, and Torisu and Mori came in and scrubbed their hands, put on operating gowns. A few minutes later, 2 soldiers brought the Prisoner in on a stretcher.

Ishiyama told Suyama to shave the chest of the Prisoner, which Suyama did, wash­ed his chest with soap and water and put something, probably alcohol, on it, then put some iodine, took a sterilized canvas sheet and placed it over the

Ishiyama

Statement of Suyama Cont'd, .... Prisoner from his neck to his legs.

Miki passed instruments to Ishiyama, and Ishiyama did the main part of the operating, with Komori as his main assistant, being directly across the table from Ishiyama.

Ishiyama made an incision about 6-7 inches in the right side of the chest, just to the right of the breast bone. He cut out pieces of at least 3 ribs, each piece being about 3 ” long. He used an instrument that snapped them off, did not use a saw.

After the ribs had been cut, there was quite a bit of bleeding, and Ishiyama had some of his assistants, probably Mori, Torisu, and Hirao use gauze to soak up the blood.

Ishiyama talked to Sato during the operation, telling him what was being done,

Ishiyama gave the orders to Senba to inject the sea water (1st operation). Senba could inject the camphor without orders, but Ishiyama would have to give orders for a large injection like that since he was in charge of the operation.

After Ishiyama finished putting in the stitches, he wiped the blood from the Prisoner's chest and Ishiyama then washed it with Lysol or some other disin­fectant. However, the blood continued to come out.

Immediately after Ishiyama had sewed the incision, he took off his gown and started washing his hands. The nurses were washing instruments. Komori talked to Ishiyama, then went over to the Prisoner and started to scoop blood, put it in a glass jar, and Suyama imagines that he took it home with him. Ishiyama, not Komori cut the stitches and Komori took out the blood. Miki saw this.

During the operation, Ishiyama told either Mori or Torisu to look closely since he (either Mori or Torisu) was leaving for the south soon and would have to perform some operations like that. Mori had been recommended to go to a hospital in Kagoshima, and Ishiyama had an interest in Mori, so Suyama believes this was probably Mori rather than Torisu.

When they returned (to Surgery Clinic) Miki said she would clean the instru­ments, Ishiyama called Suyama to ask if his bath was ready, mentioned that the Prisoner had been a B-29 flyer, asked Suyama if she had been afraid.

2nd series - Miki, Suyama, and Manabe took the instruments to dissecting room. Senba was setting up his stand and jar with liquid in it by the win­dow so it would not be in the way. Miki and Suyama went back to the front of the anatomy building to bring in the rest of the equipment; on return, Ishiyama, Tsutsui, Hirao, Mori, Torisu, and Senba were in the room, doesn't know whether Nogawa was there yet.

Ishiyama performed the brain operation, assisted by either Torisu or Morimoto. Miki passed the instruments to Ishiyama and his assistants.

Ishiyama

Statement of Suyama Cont'd ..... Ishiyama, Komori, Mori, Torisu, Morimoto and Hirao scrubbed for the operation.

Ishiyama told Suyama to shave his (PWs) head, cut the hair short, then shaved the area where Ishiyama said the operation was to be performed— doesn't recall whether this was front or side, believes on the side, with the Prisoner facing down.

Ishiyama placed a cloth over the Prisoner's head, and it had an opening in it just over the operating area. Ishiyama cut a flap in the scalp 8-10 centimeters wide. When the flap was pulled back, the membrane underneath was scraped away. Either Torisu or Morimoto was his chief assistant. Torisu or Morimoto and Ishiyama drilled holes in the skull. Ishiyama, Torisu and Morimoto used a syringe and shot some sort of disinfectant on the drill when it was taken out to remove the bone dust— did this several times. Ishiyama then took the Gigli saw and inserted it under the skull, sawed the skull and changed blades several times.

When the skull was cut, Ishiyama removed the skull section that had been sawed, and he put it on some gauze and placed it on the instrument table.

Suyama went to Surgery Clinic for some thread during operation, was gone 15-20 minutes. On Suyama's return, the brain operation was still being performed, but Suyama went to the 2nd table and helped Manabe. Suyama looked over and saw Ishiyama with a needle and thread in his hand, thinks he was about to sew the scalp back.

3rd series of operations: After nurses had taken supplies to dissecting room, Ishiyama, Mori, Hirao, Morimoto, Tsutsui, and possibly Nogawa and Torisu then came in. Ishiyama told the doctors how to arrange the room.

Ishiyama and Komori were the chief surgeons. Liver operation- Ishiyama made the incision. Komori, his main assistant, helped in making the incision, held the clamps that stretched the flesh so that the incision could be made properly.

When the first operation was completed, Ishiyama told someone to place the Pri­ soner on the other table and bring in the 3rd Prisoner.

2nd operation - 3rd series - Ishiyama performed this operation, Komori was his assistant. (Stomach and Heart Operation). At the beginning of this operation, Suyama was busy cleaning up and straightening things, so she did not see the incision being made. By the time Suyama had done this, the incision had been made. At about that time Ishiyama said someone would have to start on the other Prisoner.

When Hirao and Komori completed the 2nd operation, the one being performed by Ishiyama, Mori, and Morimoto took their places. Ishiyama*s operation was com­pleted just about the time that Komori and Hirao were thru. Komori and Hirao came back to the first operating table. Someone said something about cutting the heart. Suyama could not see what kind of operation had been performed by Ishiyama, but he made the incision larger toward the heart. Suyama could not see the Prisoner's stomach in the abdomen, so Suyama thinks the operation had been on the stomach. However, she did not see the stomach anyplace.

Ishiyama

Statement of Suyama Cont'd. .....Suyama is not sure whether Komori or Ishiyama made the incision (in heart). The same person who made it sewed the incision up— this was done almost as soon as the cut had been made.

Suyama, Miki, Manabe, Yayama, Komori, Ishiyama, Hirao, and the person with the watch, watched the heart incision.

About 1800 Suyama saw Ishiyama and Komori in Ishiyama Surgery laughing and talking together. Komori had a pan in his hands with a liver in it.

4th series - Suyama remembers seeing the 2 Prisoners. A special instrument was used, belonging to Ishiyama for cutting ribs— for lung operations. Suyama be­lieves the same people were present at this operation. (Ishiyama, Torisu, Hirao, Mori, Senba, Nogawa, Komori, Tashiro, Lin, Sha, Tei, Sato, Morimoto ??)

Statement of Tanaka (23 May 1947) 1000-1100, on about 20 April 1945, Tanaka was standing outside his office door when Hirako came from his office toward the operating room, stopped, said, "Professor Ishiyama, at the request of the army, is going to perform an operation on a Prisoner taken from a B-29 plane. If he performs this operation at the Surgical Clinic Operating Room, many people will see it and that would not be appropriate; so he has asked permission to use the Autopsy Training Room for the operation. Since he has asked, I gave him permis­sion to use the room. Ishiyama first was promised the use of the Pathology Dis­secting room. Please see that you don't talk to the people outside about this. The operation will take place at about 1400."

About 23-24 April 1430, Tanaka heard several people walk past the door of his office going toward the Autopsy Training Room. 10-20 minutes later, Tanaka went to Autopsy Training Room. Present there were Ishiyama, Komori, Hirao, Mori, and about 5 doctors from probably the Surgery Section, the head nurse, 3 regular nurses, and Makino.

Ishiyama was performing the operation. Directly across from him was Komori. Ishiyama, Hirao, Komori, and Mori wore operating robes and caps, doesn't believe they wore gloves, not sure as to masks. A doctor on inquiry told Tanaka that the lung was being removed. An incision had been made in the chest; Ishiyama had his hands inside the opening, was tying up the blood vessels. Ishiyama did the actual cutting while Komori, acting as 1st assistant, stopped the flow of the blood vessels.

Ishiyama then ordered sea water, using a German term, be injected. 2 Surgery Section doctors started to inject a colorless fluid from the irrigator into the Prisoner's left arm. The doctor recording the pulse spoke to Ishiyama in a small voice on finishing. Ishiyama then turned to the Lt. Col, said, "What was just injected into the patient's arm is sea water properly diluted. Since Ringer Solution is difficult to get at this time, we used this as a substitute solution, and it is effective."

2nd series - Tanaka went to the Autopsy Training Room about 1600. The Prisoner was lying on his back on the far table, feet to hall entrance. Ishiyama was on the Prisoner's left side.

Ishiyama

Statement of Tanaka Cont’d. During liver operation in 2nd series - Makino and Tanaka both went to the dissecting room to look on a few minutes. As Tanaka entered he heard Komori say loudly, ’’Kocher,” a German word for the instrument used to stop the bleeding of large blood vessels. A nurse, seemingly excited, handed it to him. Ishiyama had his finger on the spot from which the blood was flowing, and blood was squirting out from around his finger, said to Komori, ’’Here it is,” and Komori applied the ’’kocher”.

When the situation was brought under control, Ishiyama said to the Lt. Col., ”As you can plainly see, a great deal of blood is lost during a liver operation. This makes the operation very difficult, but it is not at all an impossible operation.” The Lt. Gol. nodded.

Ishiyama was trying to remove part of the Prisoner’s liver. They were having a great deal of trouble because each time they would cut a little in the liver a new flow of blood would start. Ishiyama and Komori then attempted to stop the flow. Torisu was still passing instruments to Komori and Ishiyama; the head nurse (Tsutsui?) was looking on.

In March or April 1946 Ishizawa called Tanaka to his office regarding the opera­tions. ....... Ishizawa stated that Ishiyama and his junior doctors were telling many people about these operation^, and because of this the rumors have spread.

17-18 July 1945 Tanaka was called to SCAP LS, went to the University 22 July 1946, told Ishizawa about his experiences at LS. Yoshisada Nakajima then came in and Tanaka told him. Nakajima said at that time, ”Before Komori came and asked Ishiyama to permit him to perform the operations at the University he had asked permission at many hospitals, including the Sada Hospital. Being refused at these places, Komori finally requested the use of the University facilities from Ishiyama.”

Tanaka was hospitalized 6 August 1946, and one day Nakajima visited him, asked him to originate an appeal to the effect that the younger doctors of the surgery section had been forced by Ishiyama to participate in the operations and were guiltless.