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Statement of Morimoto (22 August 1947) Morimoto worked in Ishiyama Surgical Clinic and was an assistant to Ishiyama in operating. Ishiyama was experimenting on brain surgery, epilepsy, gall stones, acute lung collapse at the time Morimoto was with the clinic. In early June 1945 (3rd series ?) Morimoto was present at experimental operations in Autopsy Room. Ishiyama, Komori and Morimoto scrubbed in preparation for the operation. Persons operating or assisting on 1st PW: Ishiyama, Komori, Miki, Morimoto. Ishiyama made an incision from just below the ribs to the umbilicus, about 15 centimeters long. Komori and Ishiyama then applied hemostats to check the bleeding. Morimoto wiped off the excess bleeding with gauze so that the operating area would stay clean. Ishiyama then cut the peritoneum, applied a retractor to keep the incision open, cut the lobus sinistra of the liver, and in so doing injured the vene portae of the liver, which meant that the PW was doomed. Since that was fatal, Ishiyama stopped the operation— his objective had been to remove half of a liver without injuring the vene portae. Ishiyama did not attempt to sew the vene portae to check the bleeding, but sewed the peritoneum and then the abdominal wall, the PW dying just about the time that the abdominal incision had been sutured. This operation lasted about 30 minutes. Ishiyama did not attempt to save his life by sewing the vene portae or to check the bleeding. He was practicing new methods of operating on the liver. The operation was not necessary— Morimoto saw nothing wrong with the liver. The liver is operated on where there is cancer and metastose of stomach cancer in lobus sinistra, provided the lobus dexter is in a healthy condition. Since Ishiyama was considered a famous surgeon at KIU, no one else tried to do anything for the PW when he finished. Morimoto then began preparing for the 2nd PW, He, Ishiyama and Komori washed their hands. Another PW was brought in, placed on a table, and Ishiyama, Komori, Miki, and Morimoto began the operation. The operation was to be per formed on the lung. The area in which the operation was to be performed was not made sterile by shaving the hair and applying antiseptic. Ishiyama made an incision on the chest vertically about 20 centimeters; Komori and Ishiyama checked the bleeding by applying hemostats. Morimoto wiped blood with gauze. Miki passed the instruments to Ishiyama when requested. Ishiyama then suggested that he would use the Kocher method to operate on the lung. Ishiyama cut the ribs to get to the lung, abdominal wall was then retracted. Ishiyama spoke to two Japanese Officers (staff), one of whom was Sato. Morimoto believes one lung was cut out. It is Morimoto's opinion that the PW was too weak and undernourished to undergo such an operation, that he died of mediastinal collapse due to Ishiyama cutting the pleural cavity of the lung which, when exposed to air, caused the collapse of the lung. Persons attending these operations: Ishiyama, Komori, Torisu, Hirao, Mori, Senba, Tsutsui, Nogawa, Tashiro and Miki. Brain, lung and stomach operations were performed on the PWs. Ishiyama Statement of Morimoto Cont'd . Morimoto's opinion that since Komori had received his medical education in the Ishiyama clinic, he was friendly to him, and since Komori was a medical Officer in the Japanese army he would have knowledge of the fate of the PWs who were interned at the prison camp in Fukuoka. This was the first time that Ishiyama conducted experiments on humans. Morimoto doesn’t believe that Hyakutake knew anything out the experimental operations because he never received any reports from Ishiyama concerning the experimental operations on PWs since Ishiyama did not conduct these operations on an official basis, wherein reports would be sent to the KIU president. Morimoto knows of no reports made on these operations. Morimoto feels that the experimental operations performed on the PWs were of beneficial aid toward the advancement of medical science at KIU since Ishiyama was trying new methods to operate on various organs of the human body. After the surrender Sato went to KIU to speak to Ishiyama, who was not in his room, so Sato went to see Torisu, who was also absent, then came to Morimoto, told him to tell Ishiyama that WAH had devised a plan and had made a report to 'Tokyo stating that the PWs that had been sent to the University for experimental operations were sent to Hiroshima and died there |