Statements Concerning Senba

Statement of Ishiyama (6 August 1947) Report was taken from the files of

1st Surgery Clinic- on 2 July, which listed following research:

6. Studies of the blood. (1940 - 31 August 1945) Blood clotting, stored blood, blood substitutes. Ishiyama, Semba listed.

Statement of Hirao (13 July 1946) Drs. Senba and Kubo also worked with Ishiyama on his experiments. They also heard that the Japanese navy used this blood substitute, but were not sure, so experiments were conducted by Ishiyama at the University to develop it. During the first part of the ex­periments, it was used on guinea pigs and like animals, Later Hirao heard that Senba used it on himself, to determine the effects.

Statement of Yakumaru (18 Aug 1947) 1st series - 1st PW - Liver operation. Either Torisu or Senba helped Komori tie the liver veins, after half of the liver had been resected.

At this time there were in the autopsy room: Ishiyama, Komori, Sato, Yaku­maru, Senba, Torisu, Mori, Hirao, Hirako and a few others.

2nd Prisoner - Senba didn’t do anything, just watched.

Statement of Hirao (28 Aug ? Sept 1947) Senba was a special research student financed by the Education Department, sometimes aided in the treatment of patients, though he was usually in.the lab.

On 17 May 1945 - Hirao was told about noon by Ishiyama that there would be some operations conducted on captured B-29 crew members at the autopsy sec­tion, that he should prepare for them and to inform Kubo, Mori, Senba, Nogawa and Tashiro, that Nogawa and Tashiro should prepare the heavier instruments, such as the lamp and tables at the Autopsy Section for the operations. After being told to do so by Ishiyama at 1330, Hirao went to the Autopsy section classroom where the operations were to be held with Mori and Torisu and perhaps Nogawa and Tashiro, or perhaps the latter 2 went over previously and arranged the dissection tables. Hirao helped connect the lamp, and then Torisu Mori and Hirao went out behind the autopsy section to await the arrival of the Prisoners. Senba may have arrived by this time and waited with them behind the autopsy section.

1st series - 1st prisoner - Ishiyama stood to the right of the flyer's chest; Miki handed him instruments. Across was Komori, Hirao to his left, Mori to Hirao's left, Torisu on the left of Ishiyama, Senba, Tashiro and Nogawa near the Prisoner's head, one of them taking his pulse.

While Ishiyama and Komori were tying off the blood vessels in the 1st opera­tion, Ishiyama asked Senba, who was taking the pulse, about the pulse rate, and he replied that it was weak getting worse, and they told him to inject sea water solution into the vein of the flyer, which Senba did, injecting about 200 ccs of the sea water solution from an irrigator.

Statement of Hirao Cont'd...... 2nd series - Mori, Senba, Kubo and per­haps Tashiro and Nogawa and Hirao went behind* the section to await the Prisoners.

Komori performed a stomach resection, prisoner becoming very weak, Ishiyama came over to massage the heart. Ishiyama and Senba, Hirao thinks, started to inject sea water into the Prisoner’s left arm, and Ishiyama made an incision in the heart area.

3rd series - At 1330 Hirao went to the Autopsy Training Room where Mori, Tashiro, Kubo, Senba and Hirao prepared a dissecting table, placed at the far end of the room parallel with the length and slightly to the right of the middle.

4th series - ? June, about 1300 Ishiyama told Hirao to prepare for operations on Prisoners on the breast and abdomen, that since Torisu would not be able to come and Mori had left, he should tell Morimoto to assist. Hirao in­structed Senba, Tashiro, Morimoto and Kubo, prepared the instruments at 1320, went to the autopsy training room abour 1400 with Morimoto, Senba, Tashiro and Kubo, each carrying some of the instruments, accompanied by Ishiyama.

After doctors scrubbed, Ishiyama then instructed Senba to use a PW in a test of sea water blood substitute, to record the normal blood pressure of the Prisoner, then allow the Prisoner to loose some blood, then by injection of sea water attempt to get the blood pressure back to normal. Ishiyama wished to try this since Tomoda had stated that alginic acid was successful in maintaining normal blood pressure. Senba answered that those tests had been made on rabbits and such facts already established, that the sea water substitute would bring the blood pressure up for a short while, but that it would soon go down again. Nevertheless Ishiyama told him to go ahead with it, told Hirao to help.

Perhaps Takayama or Manabe helped Seriba and Hirao. Even at that time Senba was complaining that the operation was unnecessary; Hirao agreed. After Ishiyama made the incision in the leg artery, Komori released the clamp and 100 cc of blood was allowed to drain into the graduate.

Senba was taking the Prisoner's blood pressure and preparing to inject the sea water substitute. Senba had placed another table to the left of the Prisoner's shoulder and on this table he rested the Prisoner's arm, taking the blood pressure and occasionally making injections. Hirao believes Kubo stood near Senba and took the notes or held the irrigator containing the sea water.

At this times 3-4 persons from the Autopsy section, including Tanaka, came in and watched Senba, Kubo and Hirao. About 500 cc of blood was removed, in portions of about 50 cc each, which suddenly the appearance of the Prisoner became bad. Senba injected uabanin, a heart remedy, and the Prisoner seemed to improve for a while and even when the clamp was removed from the artery, no blood came out. The Prisoner died very shortly after this. This opera­tion took about 1 1/2 hours.

Statement of Hirao Cont'd..... When Senba and Hirao finished, they washed their hands, collected the instruments, at which time they heard that the body of the Prisoner they had worked on was going to be preserved.

Everything Senba and Hirao did was already known through detailed experi­ments with rabbits. Too, this Prisoner was in a weakened condition, had an overdoes of anesthetic, so the conditions were abnormal. His death was doubtless the result of loss of blood plus an overdose of anesthetic.

About 16-17 August Ishiyama called Hirao in, said a terrible thing had happened that everyone who knew about the operations on PWs would have to be told to keep quiet, and that any evidence in the form of written records or notes would have to be destroyed, that he would speak to Hirako about this— evidently speaking of his histology specimens. Hirao passed this information on to Tsutsui and Senba.

Hirao left the University in late April 1946, seldom returned, did hear that Torisu, Senba and Kubo were investigated by the CIC and Ishiyama was called in by the CIC as to his sea-water experiments.

Statement of Mori (3 Sept and ? Sept 1947) 1st series - The 1st Prisoner died; the most important factor was bleeding. He was given an injection of 300-400 ccs of sea later by Senba. 2nd Prisoner - Ishiyama, Komori, Torisu, Hirao, Senba and Mori participated in this operation.

Statement of Torisu (29 Aug - 5 Sept 1947) Senba was conducting experi­ments on sea water.

Torisu never experimented on live humans during his own research, but Ishi­yama, Mori, Komori, Morimoto, Senba, Hirao and Torisu used live humans in their experiments.

1st series - Senba brought a bottle of sea water solution with him, to the autopsy room. Present: Ishiyama, Mori, Hirao, Senba, Tsutsui, Komori, Sato, and either Miki or Manabe.

During the operation Senba took the pulse and respiration and injected about 200-300 ccs Of sea water in the vein, administered camphor to promote the heart activity. This operation lasted about an hour and 15 minutes.

2nd prisoner - During the operation Senba took the pulse and respiration and applied sea water.

Still present when Torisu left autopsy room: Ishiyama, Hirao, Komori, Senba, Tsutsui, Hirako, Tanaka, Sato, Sha, either Miki or Manabe, and 2-3 other doctors.

2nd series of operations - operations in progress when Torisu went to the autopsy room. Komori, Ishiyama, Senba, Hirako and perhaps either Suyama or Miki were watching this operation by Mori with Hirao as his assistant.

2nd prisoner - resection of left lobe of liver. Seriba, Who was taking the pulse and respiration, said the pulse could not be felt after Ishiyama had

Statement of Torisu Cont'd........ cut the portal vein in the liver. Torisu then assisted Senba in a 2nd injection of sea water, but they could inject now more because the Prisoner's vein had collapsed and the PW died.

Torisu then returned to his office, leaving Hirao, Ishiyama, Mori, Senba, Tsutsui, Miki and Suyama or Manabe in the autopsy room.

3rd series - Hirao told Torisu that one PW was given a brain operation, that Ishiyama, Mori, Senba and Hirao attended, that the PW died.

Statement of Morimoto (ATIS translation) In early June Hirao told Morimoto he must help at an operation that afternoon since short of help. No one was there when Morimoto arrived, he left, went back 30 minutes later; per­sonnel were there. Doesn't know when Ishiyama, Hirao and Semba arrived. They all began preparations by lining up 3 tables near the window.

Statement of Tsutsui (27 Aug - ? 1947) After prisoners arrived (1st series) Komori, a staff officer, another officer, Mori, Torisu, Hirao, and possibly Morimoto and Senba came in.

Tsutsui doesn't recall Senba being present at the 1st operation.

Senba was present at all the operations, was primarily concerned with sea water injection as a blood substitute.

4th series - leg artery operation - Ishiyama, Hirao, Mori, Senba, Komori, Sato, Tsutsui and Miki or Suyama were there.

Senba put a stand and a bottle of liquid near the table without about 1000 ccs in the bottle of sea water.

As the blood flowed out (leg artery) Senba injected the sea water into the Prisoner’s arm. The other doctors watched.

About 500 ccs of the fluid was injected in the Prisoner’s arm; there were about 300-400 ccs of blood in the pan on the floor; about 10-15 minutes after the artery was cut the Prisoner died; doesn't believe the artery was sewed.

Statement of Hirao (14 Jul 1946) 2nd series - stomach resection - In the operation in which Hirao participated, Komori was the chief surgeon, Mori and Hirao assistants. One young doctor administered ether, the other (Senba?) salt water solution.

Statement of Ishiyama (13 July 1946, not executed) Doctors at the PW opera­tions: Mori - at 1st series; Koga - no; Nogawa - no; Senba - at 1st series.

Statement of Tashiro. Jiro (9 Oct - 24 Oct 1947) On a May evening, the 1st Surgery Clinic doctors had a sake party, which included Ishiyama, Torisu, Mori, Hirao, and possibly Morimoto as the ranking doctors and Tashiro, Nogawa, Senba, and possibly, Kubo and Tomoki Tashiro as the younger doctors. Tashiro heard either Ishiyama or Torisu say that there were to be some operations soon,

Statement of Tashiro. Jiro Cont'd...... that someone would bring the patients to the University, believes that they were said to be pilots.

1st series - Present: Ishiyama, Torisu, Hirao, Morimoto, Nogawa, Tomoki Tashiro, Semba, Kubo, Mori,-Miki, Suyama, Tsutsui, and, Tashiro believes, Manabe. Tashiro believes Ishiyama, Torisu, Hirao, Senba, Nogawa, Komori, and Sato were present at both operations, is not sure as to the others as to which operations. 

Several days after 1st operation - Ishiyama, Torisu, Tsutsui were present; (at this operation) believes Semba and Hirao were also there.

Semba, after the operations, told Tashiro he had injected sea water into a Prisoner, that he' took blood out of a Prisoner and injected sea water as a substitute for Ringer's solution.

In Sept, or Oct. 1945, Tashiro returned to the University, heard a Nishi Nippon reporter had asked first Surgery as to any unusual operations, was told there were none, but the doctors were worried, decided on experiments, that autopsy room was used because of anger of Japanese if they knew 1st Surgery was used, that it would be said that the Prisoners needed medical treatment, that one had a wound in his chest. After a meeting of the 1st Surgery doctors, Torisu announced for Ishiyama that Ishiyama had said that - he would be responsible for the operations. Tashiro heard these things from either Semba or Kubo.

Statement of Hirao (20 October 1947)

4th series - leg artery - Actually Semba performed this operation. Ishiyama instructed Senba, with Hirao assisting to perform the experiment to test the efficiency of sea water; they were standing near dissecting table on far right side of room from hallway. They then walked over to Hirao at the wash basin, and Ishiyama told Hirao he would assist Senba. Hirao then asked Senba if he didn't have all the facts necessary from lab experiments on rabbits; Senba said experiments would nevertheless be carried out.

In the meantime.a nurse or younger doctor shaved rht right thigh of the flyers, and Hirao then sterilized the right side with tincture of iodine and alcohol. An operating sheet was then placed over the Prisoner. Senba then came over, said he didn't want to do this type of operation; Hirao agreed. Ishiyama said "Hurry up and start the operation." Senba then exposed the femoral artery, and Ishiyama and Komori, who had come'over with Ishiyama, left. Senba did everything that Hirao previously described Ishiyama as doing except that he did not Cut the artery.

Senba made a 1/2 slit in the artery, inserted the glass tube, tied a string around the artery over the tube, released the clamp, allowed 100 ccs of blood to drain. Before and during this time Kubo took the blood pressure and pulse count. Hirao believes Tashiro prepared the container of sea water blood substitute while the 100 ccs drained. Senba then went to the left arm of the flyer, would inject the blood substitute as Hirao would drain 50 ccs from the leg at a time. Kubo continued to take the blood pressure and count, and he or Senba took written notes on the pressure and pulse.

Statement of Hirao Cont’d. ..... The artery ripped apart just below the slit when the operation was almost completed, due to clamping and releasing the upper clamp. Shortly after the Prisoner’s condition became bad. By this time they had drained 500 ccs, and the blood would not drain any more. His condition became bad because of the general situation, the result of an over­dose of anesthetic, the draining, of the blood, and the fact that sea water would not keep the blood pressure up to normal. Ordinarily 500 ccs blood drainage should not have had such a bad effect on the person.

Statement of Kubo (8 Oct 1947) Torisu and Semba were Kubo's immediate superiors, usually attended operations at which Ishiyama operated on gall stone, stomach ulcer and stomach cancer and other types.

1st series - When Kubo arrived, Ishiyama, Torisu, Hirao, Semba and others were there.

Statement of Nogawa (21-25 Sept 1947) 1st series - Present were Ishiyama, Torisu, Hirao, Tsutsui, Semba, Komori and some nurses.

Semba and Tsutsui also helped administer ether to the 2nd Prisoner (stomach operation). 

Statement of Mori (6 Nov 1947) About 10 May, before the 1st PW operations, there was a farewell party for Mori, Hino and Nishimura in the doctors mess hall at 1st Surgery, starting-about 1700, ending about 1830. Some people got drunk. Present were Ishiyama, Torisu, Mukai, Jiro Tashiro, Hirao, Nogawa, Semba, Hino, Nishimura, Mori, and probably Tomoki Tgshiro, Kubo, Morimoto and Shiozu, but he is not certain.

Statement of Hirao (6 November 1947) At the farewell party for Mori and Hino, Ishiyama told them about Komori bringing Prisoners and that "atemi" would be performed. Ishiyama acted as if he were making a joke. Present at this party were Mori, Hino, Torisu, Semba, Tomoki Tashiro, and perhaps Kubo, Nogawa, and Jiro Tashiro.