Secret Diaries of Hitler's Doctor

by David Irving

German doctor known for acting as Adolf Hitler's personal physician. Morell was well known in Germany for his unconventional treatments. He assisted Hitler daily in virtually everything he did for several years, and was beside Hitler until the last stages of the Battle of Berlin.

Genres: History, World War II, Nonfiction, Germany, Politics, Medical, Autobiography

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

David John Cawdell Irving is an English author who has written on the military and political history of World War II, especially Nazi Germany. He was found to be a Holocaust denier in a UK court in 2000 as a result of a failed libel case.

Irving's works include The Destruction of Dresden (1963), Hitler's War (1977), Churchill's War (1987) and Goebbels: Mastermind of the Third Reich (1996). In his works, he argued that Adolf Hitler did not know of the extermination of Jews, or, if he did, he opposed it. Though Irving's negationist claims and views of German war crimes in World War II (and Hitler's responsibility for them) were never taken seriously by mainstream historians, he was once recognised for his knowledge of Nazi Germany and his ability to unearth new historical documents, which he held closely but stated were fully supportive of his conclusions. His 1964 book The Mare's Nest about Germany's V-weapons campaign of 1944-45 was praised for its deep research but criticised for minimising Nazi slave labour programmes.

By the late 1980s, Irving had placed himself outside the mainstream of the study of history, and had begun to turn from "'soft-core' to 'hard-core' Holocaust denial", possibly influenced by the 1988 trial of Holocaust denier Ernst Zündel. That trial, and his reading of the pseudoscientific Leuchter report, led him to openly espouse Holocaust denial, specifically denying that Jews were murdered by gassing at the Auschwitz concentration camp.

Irving's reputation as a historian was further discredited in 2000, when, in the course of an unsuccessful libel case he filed against the American historian Deborah Lipstadt and Penguin Books, High Court Judge Charles Gray determined in his ruling that Irving willfully misrepresented historical evidence to promote Holocaust denial and whitewash the Nazis, a view shared by many prominent historians. The English court found that Irving was an active Holocaust denier, antisemite and racist, who "for his own ideological reasons persistently and deliberately misrepresented and manipulated historical evidence". In addition, the court found that Irving's books had distorted the history of Hitler's role in the Holocaust to depict Hitler in a favourable light.

Reviews

[Bernie Weisz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by Bernie Weisz Historian June 8, 2010 Pembroke Pines, Florida e mail: BernWei1@aol.com Title of Review: "Satan's" Doctor" David Irving's book, ""The Secret Dairies of Hitler's Doctor" was written in 1983 by David Irving. This is the story of a fat, balding and sloppy doctor named Theodor Morell, Adolf Hitler's personal physician. No doubt a meglomaniac, Morell catered to all of Hitler's medical needs and jealously guarded this title against all rival doctors vying to be Hitler's number one personal physician, particularly Karl Brandt you might want to read Ulf Schmidt's book entitled "Karl Brandt: The Nazi Doctor: Medicine and Power in the Third Reich" and Felix Kersten book called "The Kersten Memoirs 1940 - 1945" to gain additional perspective. With a tremendous ego, Morell actually designed his own dashing uniform with a gold buckle sewn in by his wife so that he could feel part of the Fuhrer's jealous coterie. Nevertheless, Brandt and Kersten mocked him and intrigued against him. Morell was accused of munching "like a pig at a trough" and having no friends was the price of being Hitler's favorite doctor. There is another book that fits nicely into this research written by John H. Waller. Called "The Devil's Doctor: Felix Kersten and the Secret Plot to Turn Himmler Against Hitler" this biography tells the story from Morell's start, whereupon as a licensed medical practitioner with only a dabbler's knowledge in other disciplines, that was enough to satisfiy Hitler to take him on. In 1936, when he arrived at Hitler's Berghof villa to begin serving as his personal physician, Morell was already used to treating the wealthy and famous of Germany. In the next eight years, at Hitler's behest, he would continue to do so. Other notable patients were Prince Phillip of Hesse, Benito Mussolini, Japan's Ambassabor Oshima (who presented him with a Samurai helmet) and even Neville Chamberlain (for flu, in 1938). Irving presents an interesting format of writing this book. He interweaves Morell's diaries and correspondence that were discovered shortly prior to publication of this book with the impressions of Hitler's stenographers, valets, housekeepers, and various other doctors. The reader of this rare book is treated to a careful description of Adolf Hitler's mental and physical health that details the pattern of decline that bizarrely parallels that of the Nazi war machine. My only criticism of this book is that the reader is bored with endless notations of Morrell's meticulous record keeping and detailing of the daily injections of vitamins, glucose, and one or several of the 77 different medicines he administered to Hitler between 1941 to 1945. However, the reader is treated to a wealth of information previously unknown. In Morell's diaries we find proof that Hitler was weakened by dysentery for weeks at the height of the Battle for Russia in the summer of 1941, and again bedridden with hepatitis shortly before the Battle of the Buldge in 1944. We learn too that he was oppressed by the knowledge that he had a heart ailment-rapid progressive coronary sclerosis, which might at any moment write finis to all his schemes for Germany. In commenting about Morell's relationship with Hitler, Irving wrote: "It remains a matter for some wonderment that Hitler should have allowed this obese, middle-aged doctor to dose him with the extraordinary volume and variety of medicines that he did. Hitler's staff were in despair. His perennial housekeeper, Frau Anni Winter, explained: "Once Morell started on him, all sorts of medicines began popping up on Hitler's table. As their number and potency increased at the same rate as the dietary regulations multiplied, the restrictions on certain foods were intensified and his overall food intake declined. It began around the winter of 1937-38 with one little medicine bottle. Over the next seven years there were enough to fill an attache case. Morell administered tablets and dragees, uppers and downers, leeches and bacilli, hot compresses and cold poultices and literally thousands of injections-liters of mysterious fluids that were squirted into his grateful but gullible Fuhrer each year, so often that even Morell sometimes could not find anywhere to slide the needle into his chief's scarred veins". Irving further details that although his fingernails might not have always have been clean or his needles sterile (the reader must brace himself, as the pictures of Morell in this book show how sloppy and gruesome of a man he appeared!), Morell succeeded where others failed. Morell had pills, potions, lotions, injections and the right words for his Fuhrer's every symptom, condition and complaint. Morell went to what he called "limits of the permissible", and Hitler approved. As a response to his doubters, Morell retorted "What else matters? I give him what he needs." Hitler's reward to Morell was a gigantic villa, and his admitted obsession, money. Another interesting study one might want to read is Doctor Leonard L Heston's "The Medical Casebook of Adolf Hitler: His Illnesses, Doctors and Amphetamine Abuse." There is a very interesting passage in this book that truly gives insight as to how abnormal Adolf Hitler truly was. Morell remarked: "From Hitler's psychopathic constitution and the associated conviction that he always knew better, there developed a marked neuropathic disorder. His intense contemplation of his own bodily functions, and particularly his preoccupation with his gastrointestinal and digestive tracts, were only a token of this. Others were the frequency with which he took his own pulse when I gave him a checkup, and then asked me to confirm it; and his ever-present fear of an imminent death. In the fall of 1944 he repeatedly said that he had only two to three years to live. Of course, he was convinced that he would by then not only have attained final victory but have given the German people such leadership and have consolidated their position so enormously that "others will be able to take up where I leave off". Other significant tokens were his addiction to medication like sleeping pills, all manner of indigestion tablets, injectible amphetimines ("Pervitin"), injectible narcotic pain killers ("Eukodal"-now called "Dilaudid"), bacterial compounds and general purpose "fortifier pills" and injections. Did Morell think Hitler was an addict? Morell noted: "Not that Hitler was your common drug addict: but his neuropathic constitution led to his finding certain drugs, like the strychnine and atrophine contained in the anti-gas pills, and the cocaine in the sinus treatments I gave him particularly pleasurable, and there was a clear indication toward becoming a habitual user of such medicines". It is also interesting to note in Morell's records the multiple documentation of anabolic steroid injections he gave Hitler (in particular, the drug "Testoviron"). Was Hitler's vision of "world conquest and domination" influenced because he was on "the juice"? For the effects of anabolic steroids on the human pwersonality, please read anthony robert's "Anabolic Steroids: Ultimate Research Guide." Morell also remarked: "It might be important to know whether or not massive hormone doses were having an effect on Hitler's physique in the sense of supressing female stigmata". In other words, was Hitler trying to supress a feminine personality and disposition? You might find a detailed examination of this in Ron Rosenbaum's book "Explaining Hitler: The Search for the Origins of His Evil." It is interesting to note in Pierre Galante's book "Operation Valkyrie", Galante's remarks about General Adof Heusinger's impressions of Dr. Morell. Galante wrote that Hitler stated "After you reach 50, you shouldn't ignore your doctor's advice. In my own case, if I didn't have Dr. Morell, would I still be alive?" Galante also informs us the following: "Palmists and astrologers had predicted that Hitler would enjoy a brilliantly successful career that would be interrupted prematurely, which he took to mean that he would meet with an early death. This became an obsession with him, and long before the war he had forbidden the practice of "divination" in Germany; crystal gazers and card readers who persisted in plying their trades were packed off to the concentration camps, along with the communists, intellectuals, homosexuals, and Jews. As for Dr. Morell, General Heusinger (Gen Adolf Heusinger was the operations chief of the German General Staff from 1940-1944) recalled that one day when he complained that he had been feeling tired and worn out, the Fuhrer sent for his miracle doctor immediately. Morell took Heusinger into a bathroom, produced a syringe, and gave Heusinger a shot in the buttocks. "I immediately felt like my blood was boiling. My head was on fire. For several hours, in fact, I felt particularly energetic, but this was followed by a bout of depression that lasted for several days. I took care never to say anything more about my health in front of Hitler, but I had realized how much harm this regime of almost daily injections had done him." Irving takes the reader alongside both Hitler and Morell from the early days of the war, i.e. the invasion of Poland, France, the "Phony War", the "Battle of Britain", "Barbarossa", all the way to the last days of Hitler rudely discharging Morell ungratefully in the bunker in Berlin right before his suicide. Aside from the medical boredom of Hitler's "drugalog", there is a tremendous historical lesson to be gleaned from this book, unavailable prior to this. For the serious student of Adolf Hitler and World War II, this is a "must read", indispensible book! Well worth it!

[Recato · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well depending on whether you can believe David Irving's editing of Dr. Morell's diaries or not, this book gives another perspective to what could have been.

If Adolf Hitler was not pumped full of drugs and was experimented on, he could have been as sane as I am sitting here, making clear decisions that could have change history as we know it.

Alot of technical stuff. But also some stuff I did not know.

[Ashley Roeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Secret Diaries of Hitler's Doctor by David Irving is a fascinating, disturbing, and deeply revealing exploration of Adolf Hitler’s physical and mental state during the latter years of his reign. Based on the personal notes of Dr. Theodor Morell, Hitler’s personal physician, this book provides a unique lens into the Fuhrer’s declining health and his dependency on a dizzying array of medications.

I used this book extensively as part of my bachelor’s thesis, where I argued that Hitler’s rampant drug use significantly impaired his decision-making during critical military campaigns. Irving presents a wealth of evidence from Morell’s diaries, detailing the staggering number of substances Hitler consumed—ranging from vitamins and glucose injections to methamphetamine and opiates. These revelations paint a picture of a leader whose reliance on his doctor’s concoctions made him erratic, paranoid, and incapable of sound strategic judgment.

The book doesn’t shy away from the darker implications of Morell’s role either. While the doctor may have been loyal to Hitler, his treatments undoubtedly exacerbated the dictator’s physical and psychological deterioration. The interplay between Hitler’s deteriorating body and mind, coupled with the pressures of war, is both chilling and tragic.

Irving’s writing is detailed and analytical, though it does require a critical eye given the controversies surrounding his work. Regardless, The Secret Diaries of Hitler's Doctor offers an indispensable resource for understanding how drug dependency influenced one of history’s most infamous figures. For anyone interested in the intersection of history, medicine, and leadership, this book is both compelling and unsettling.

[Iñaki Tofiño · Rating 4 out of 5]

Those Nazis were absolutely insane, in many senses, including their medical procedures.
Apparently Hitler was a bit of a hypochondriac and suffered many conditions and he found in Morell his perfect match.
Interesting insight into the guts of the Nazi regime, from a medical / human point of view.

[Uday Bhardwaj · Rating 2 out of 5]

fuck you David Irving, holocaust denying piece of shit. no real interpretative portion to this, just sorta taking Morell at his word, its basically a poorly written anthology. that being said, I have to admit this is excellent work in procuring these primary sources which were invaluable to me for a certain project. it is very hard to separate Morell from Irving here, so I'm just gonna subtract one star for Irving's abject writing, one for the lack of any real point to the book, and one for the fascist tax, leaving me with 2.

the image of Hitler being injected with vitamins and bull testicles while doing meth did inspire much mirth though.

[Katia M. Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a fascinating read. Puts an interesting perspective on things. Makes me wonder how history would have played out if the Doctor prescribed and enforced a will balanced diet, exercise and meditation rather than stuffing Hitler full of toxic pills and injections.

[Kent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting details about Hitler. I was unaware of his poor health. He had treatments from his personal physician that affected his battle plans and the outcome of military operations. He was doped up quite often via numerous drugs. He was pure evil that thankfully.....did not succeed!!

[✨Bean's Books✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very dry list of facts generated by medical reports. Very boring read.

[Krystal Leonardo von Seyfried · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty insightful book on Morell's and Hitler's relationship, as well as Morell's relationship with other high ranking Nazis in Hitler's inner circle. (They didn't really like him...)
So far, I haven't found any other books talking about Hitler's health problems in as much detail as this one. The book primarily focuses on the years 1941-44, the years in which Hitler's health deteriorates.

Hitler becomes weak due to a lack of exercise and fresh air and he turns to this fat, balding quack for help. It's really surprising to see what exactly Morell gave Hitler. (There's a comprehensive list of the drugs in the back of the book.) You'd almost think he wanted to fuck his health up even more. He administered to Hitler so many injections that his arm was full of little needle scars and at one point he had to stop since there was no more space left on his arm. Hitler's inner circle nicknamed him "Der Reichsspritzenmeister," which roughly translates to "The injection master of the German Reich."

I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in Hitler's personal health problems. This book definitely has a wealth of information on that. Even to people who may not like history, this book is still really interesting. Who the heck isn't interested in Hitler's shitty health?

tl;dr (too long; didn't read)
- book is extremely insightful on both morell and hitler
- you'd really be surprised at all the drugs morell administered to hitler
- book is eerily detailed about hitler's personal health problems
- book focuses 41-44, when hitler's health really starts to deteriorate