Reviews and Resources:The Fantastic Laboratory of Dr. Weigl

Abstract

At the time of World War II, the vaccine against epidemic typhus that was most trusted by the Germans was the one developed by a Polish microbiologist, Rudolf Weigl. This vaccine was only available in his laboratory in Lwow. It was made by infecting body lice with the typhus rickettsiae, waiting a week for them to develop, and collecting the infected gut. This material was phenol treated and made into the vaccine. To accomplish this, Weigl needed a colony of healthy lice, which he bred using human volunteers as feeders. The Germans placed such priority of this endeavor that they left not only the outspoken Weigl to his work, but even sheltered the louse-feeding volunteers, which included scientists and other intellectuals, some of whom were Jewish. Moreover, the lab sent full-strength vaccine preparations to the underground and to some ghettos while diluting out those provided to the Germans.