Journal of Historical Review: Leuchter Apologia, Footnotes
The author would like to express special thanks to a retired Standard Oil
research chemist who wishes to remain anonymous, and to Dr. William
Lindsey. Their knowledge and expertise were very helpful. Any mistakes or
errors in this article are, of course, the sole responsibility of the
author.
1.
2. Shelly Shapiro, editor, Truth Prevails: Demolishing Holocaust Denial: The End of "The Leuchter Report" (New York: Beate Klarsfeld Foundation and Holocaust Survivors & Friends, 1990). Distributed by: Holocaust Survivors & Friends in Pursuit of Justice, 800 New Loudon Rd., #400, Latham, NY 12110. Pressac's two articles are "The Deficiencies and Inconsistencies of 'The Leuchter Report'," (pp. 31-60), and "Additional Notes: Leuchter's Videotape: Witness to a Fraud" (pp. 61-73).
Hereafter, all page numbers cited in the main text of this article refer to Truth Prevails. For a good review of Pressac's contribution to this book, see the May-June 1991 issue of Remarks, available for $3 postpaid from Jack Wikoff, P.O. Box 234, Aurora, N.Y., 13026.
3. Robert C. Weast, ed., Handbook of Chemistry and Physics: A Ready- Reference Book of Chemical and Physical Data, 57th edition. (Cleveland: CRC Press, 1976), p. B-144. Hereafter, this book will be cited as Handbook of Chemistry and Physics.
4. Institute of Forensic Research (Krakow, Poland), "An Official Polish Report on the Auschwitz 'Gas Chambers,'" The Journal of Historical Review, Summer 1991 (Vol. 11, No. 2), pp. 207-216.
5. "Sodium Cyanide: Properties, Uses, Storage and Handling," p. 7. This Du Pont company information sheet is reprinted in facsimile in The Leuchter Report (London: 1989), pp. 33-38. See p. 37.
6. Leuchter letter to Alpha Analytical of March 9, 1988. Reprinted in facsimile as an appendix in The Leuchter Report (London), p. 31.
7. Fred Leuchter, "The Leuchter Report: The How and the Why," The Journal of Historical Review, Summer 1989 (Vol. 9, No. 2), p. 137.
8. The Leuchter Report (London), p. 15.
9. Leuchter letter of March 9, 1988 to Alpha Analytical. Reprinted as an appendix in The Leuchter Report, p. 31.
10. The term "cyanate content" is a mistake. Leuchter wanted to know the CYANIDE content, not CYANATE content. The two are different.
11. Institute of Forensic Research (Krakow, Poland), "An Official Polish Report on the Auschwitz 'Gas Chambers,'" The Journal of Historical Review, Summer 1991 (Vol. 11, No. 2), pp. 212-213.
12. See the videotape of Leuchter's lecture in the videotape recording, "Highlights of the 9th IHR conference" (Feb. 1989). Available from the Institute for Historical Review, Videotape V-048.
13. Videotape "Fred Leuchter in Poland" (VT-003). Available from David Clark, P.O. Box 726, Decatur, Ala., 35602. This videotape, produced under the name of
Samisdat (Toronto), does not show the entire visit.14. See David Irving's foreword to the London (Focal Point) edition (1989) of The Leuchter Report, p. 6.
15. See footnote 11.
16. F. Leuchter, The Leuchter Report, p. 21. See also: Robert Lenski, The Holocaust on Trial: The Case of Ernst Zundel (Decatur, Ala.: Reporter Press, 1990), p. 394. Hereafter, this book is cited as The Holocaust on Trial.
17. The Leuchter Report, p. 15.
18. Institute of Forensic Research (Krakow, Poland), "An Official Polish Report on the Auschwitz 'Gas Chambers'," The Journal of Historical Review, Summer 1991, pp. 213-214.
19. Jean-Claude Pressac, Auschwitz: Technique and Operation of the Gas Chambers (New York: Beate Klarsfeld Foundation, 1989), p. 59. Hereafter cited as: Pressac, Auschwitz (1989).
20. The Leuchter Report, pp. 21-22.
21. Robert Lenski, The Holocaust on Trial: The Case of Ernst Zundel (1990), pp. 395-396.
22. Linus Pauling, General Chemistry (New York: Dover Publications, 1988), p. 706.
23. Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 57th ed., p. B-120.
24. See footnote 11.
25. Fred Leuchter, "The Leuchter Report: The How and Why," The Journal of Historical Review, Summer 1989 (Vol. 9, No. 2), pp. 138-139.
26. Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 57th ed., p. B-144.
27. The scientific name of Prussian blue is ferric ferrocyanide. The elemental potassium which Pressac says is part of the compound is actually an impurity. See: Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, 3rd ed., Vol. 13, p. 769.
28. See the compiled data from Alpha Analytical Laboratories given as an appendix to The Leuchter Report, p. 21. See also Dr. Roth's statements in: R. Lenski, The Holocaust on Trial, p. 394.
29. R. Lenski, The Holocaust on Trial, p. 395.
30. "Zyklon B for Pest Control," Degesch company booklet, p. 5. This entire booklet is reprinted in facsimile as an appendix in The Leuchter Report (London, 1989), pp. 49-62. See p. 51.
Back to IHR article
31. J.-C. Pressac, Auschwitz (1989), pp. 208, 215, 284-285. Leuchter
also observed that the "gas chambers" were cool and damp. See The
Leuchter Report, pp. 13, 16, 17. See also R. Lenski, The Holocaust
on Trial, p. 375. Filip Muller, an alleged "operator of the gas
chamber," claimed: "Normally the concrete floors in the gas chamber as
well as in the changing room were damp." See: F. Muller, Eyewitness
Auschwitz: Three Years in the Gas Chambers (New York: Stein and Day,
1979), pp. 82-83. 32. "Hydrogen Cyanide: Storage and Handling," Du Pont company information
sheet (1983), p. 2. This sheet is reprinted as an appendix in The
Leuchter Report, (London), pp. 39-44. See p. 41.
33. Linus Pauling, General Chemistry (1988), p. 690.
34. P.W. Atkins, General Chemistry (New York: Scientific American, 1989), p. 780.
35. Linus Pauling, General Chemistry (1988), p. 691.
36. L. Pauling, General Chemistry (1988), p. 692.
37. James Brady, General Chemistry: Principles and Structure, 5th ed. (New York: John Wily, 1990), p. 704. Dr. Brady also notes: "It is interesting that exactly the same compound is formed if a solution containing Fe^2+ [iron (II) ion] is added to a solution containing Fe(CN)6^3- ion [ferricyanide ion]." The Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, 3rd ed., Vol. 13, p. 769, provides clarification. It lists the following reactions.
excess Fe^3+ + K2[Fe(CN)6] --> insoluble Prussian blue
excess Fe^2+ + K3[Fe(CN)6] --> insoluble Turnbull's blue
They point out that insoluble Prussian blue and insoluble Turnbull's blue are the same substances. See also James E. Huheey, 3rd ed., Inorganic Chemistry: Principles of Structure and Reactivity (New York: Harper and Row, 1983), p. 522. The following are the chemical equations used to describe the formation of ferric ferrocyanide, or Prussian blue.
1) Fe^2+ + 6CN- ---> [Fe(CN)6]^4- Ferrous ion, cyanide ion ferrocyanide ion iron (II) ion
2) 3 [Fe(CN)6]^4- + 4Fe^3+ ---> Fe4[Fe(CN)6]3
ferrocyanide ferric ion Prussian blue
Sources: Linus Pauling, General Chemistry (1988), pp. 673, 691-692; P.W. Atkins, General Chemistry (1989), p. 780; James E. Brady, General Chemistry (1990), p. 704; James E. Huheey, 3rd ed., Inorganic Chemistry: Principles of Structure and Reactivity (New York: Harper and Row, 1983), pp. 521-522; William Nebergall, Frederic Schmidt, Henry Holtzclaw, College Chemistry with Qualitative Analysis, 5th ed., (Lexington, Mass: D.C. Heath, 1976), p. 909; William Brown, Elizabeth Rogers, General, Organic, and Biochemistry, 3rd ed., (Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 1987), pp. 561A-561B.
38. See footnote 30.
39. See footnotes 33, 34 and 35.
40. See footnote 36 and 37.
41. R. Lenski, The Holocaust on Trial, p. 396.
42. Pressac's theory is further undermined by the observation of Degesch company chemists: "Hydrocyanic acid dissolves very readily in water. Compared with liquid hydrocyanic acid, the gas is chemically very indifferent, and even in highly concentrated form under prolonged exposure it does not show a tendency to react with other substances." From: "Zyklon for pest control" Degesch company booklet, p. 5. Published in facsimile as appendix to The Leuchter Report (London), p. 51. This statement suggests prolonged exposure of the gas with the walls is not what would cause the formation of large emounts of Prussian blue. The gas becomes reactive when it dissolves in water or condenses to liquid.
43. Information provided by the Dupont and Degesch companies, published as appendices in The Leuchter Report (London, 1989), pp. 41, 51.; Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, pp. B-117, F-135.
44. J.-C. Pressac, Auschwitz (1989), pp. 131-132, 183, 223, 224, 264, 284-285, 289, 375, 379, 392; Fred Leuchter, The Leuchter Report, pp. 13, 16, 17; Robert Lenski, The Holocaust on Trial, pp. 367, 375, 377.
45. Note also: J.-C. Pressac, Auschwitz (1989), pp. 16, 183, 223, 224, 284-285, 289, 355-376, 384-386, 489.
46. F. Leuchter, The Leuchter Report, pp. 13, 16, 17. Nowhere in Auschwitz (1989) does Pressac show the "gas chambers" had any internal heating devices to prevent condensation.
47. Nuremberg document NI-9912. Published in English translation as an appendix to The Leuchter Report, (London), pp. 23-25, and in J.-C. Pressac, Auschwitz (1989), pp. 18-20. Original German-language text is published in: Udo Walendy, ed., Auschwitz im IG-Farben Prozess (Vlotho: Germany, 1981), pp. 66-72. Dr. Robert Faurisson was the first person to publish document NI-9912, and to stress the importance of both NI-9912 and NI-9098. Writing in the Paris daily, Le Monde (Jan. 16, 1979, p. 13), he stated: "The industrial documents [NI-9098 and NI-9912] establish that Zyklon B WAS NOT among those gasses which were described as 'ventilatable'; on the contrary, its manufacturers were obliged to admit that it was 'difficult to ventilate since it adheres to surfaces'." These two documents are referred to by Dr. Faurisson in his interview/essay, published in The Journal of Historical Review, Winter 1981, pp. 324, 356-357. See also Faurisson's essay in The Journal of Historical Review, Spring 1991, p. 39.
48. Lenski, The Holocaust on Trial, p. 377.
49. L. Pauling, General Chemistry, p. 288. HCN is soluble in water in all proportions. See Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 57th ed., p. B-117.
50. See footnote 31.
51. That the humidity in the air would "collect" the HCN and make it react with the iron in the walls is suggested by this statement of Degesch chemists: "In case of high relative humidity of air, it may happen that blank-polished surfaces of metal get tarnished, particularly in case of somewhat higher concentration of gas." See The Leuchter Report (London), p. 51.
52. "Zyklon For Pest Control," Degesch company booklet, p. 25. Reprinted as appendix in The Leuchter Report (London), p. 61.
53. The Leuchter Report, p. 13.
54. J.-C. Pressac, Auschwitz (1989), p. 59.
55. J.-C. Pressac, Auschwitz (1989), p. 53.
56. R. Lenski, The Holocaust on Trial, p. 366.
57. J.-C. Pressac, Auschwitz (1989), pp. 131, 159.
58. J.-C. Pressac, Auschwitz (1989), p. 131; R. Lenski, The Holocaust on Trial, p. 375. Sample 28 was taken from the washroom. It was never a part of the presumed gas chamber. To confirm this, compare Leuchter's diagram of Krema I (p. 28 of The Leuchter Report) with Pressac's diagram of the same in Auschwitz, p. 159.
59. J.-C. Pressac, Auschwitz (1989), p. 131.
60. Pressac evidently does not think the washroom or morgue/"gas chamber" was ever deloused with Zyklon B. However, sample 28 (from the washroom) contains a miniscule amount of cyanide residue. What accounts for this? Since Pressac admits the washroom was never used as a "gas chamber," the presence of cyanide in this specimen can only be due to the fact that it was treated at least once with Zyklon B during delousing/disinfestation. See footnote 58. Pressac himself suggests that virtually every building in Auschwitz-Birkenau was deloused with Zyklon-B at one time or another. See: J.-C. Pressac, Auschwitz (1989), pp. 188, 201.
61. J.-C. Pressac, Auschwitz (1989), p. 132.
62. J.-C. Pressac, Auschwitz (1989), pp. 131-132.
63. J.-C. Pressac, Auschwitz (1989), p. 132.
64. 12 g/m^3 (grams per cubic meter) is the concentration of the HCN allegedly used in a homicidal gassing. 5g/m^3 was the concentration used in a disinfestation. See J.-C. Pressac, Auschwitz (1989), p. 16.
65. R. Lenksi, The Holocaust on Trial, p. 375. Pressac claims that one or two extractor fans may have been installed in the ceiling. Even if this were true, much HCN would have still remained behind after the ventilation phase of an alleged gassing. See J.-C. Pressac, Auschwitz, (1989), p. 132.
66. Enrique Aynat, "Neither Trace Nor Proof," The Journal of Historical Review, Summer 1991 (Vol. 11, No. 2), pp. 182-183.
67. J.-C. Pressac, Auschwitz, pp. 183, 264.
68. The Leuchter Report, pp. 21-22.
69. Introduction by R. Faurisson to The Leuchter Report (London), p. 7.
70. "Typhus," by Herbert Kondo, in: Grolier Universal Encyclopedia, 1966 edition.
71. See footnote 47.
72. The Leuchter Report, p. 12.
73. "Hydrogen Cyanide: Storage and Handling," Du Pont company information sheet, pp. 1, 8. This sheet is reprinted as an appendix in The Leuchter Report (London), pp. 39-44. See pp. 40, 44.
74. Kirk, R.E. and Othmer, D.F., Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, Third Edition, 7, p. 316.
75. The Leuchter Report, pp. 16, 17.
76. R. Lenski, The Holocaust on Trial, p. 367.
77. See footnote 47. Specifically, see The Leuchter Report (London), p. 23.
78. "An Official Polish Report on the Auschwitz 'Gas Chambers'," The Journal of Historical Review, Summer 1991 (Vol. 11, No. 2), p. 211.
79. R. Lenski, The Holocaust on Trial, pp. 395-397.
80. J.-C. Pressac, Auschwitz (1989), p. 59.
81. Audiotape, "Hoffman Interviews Provan," Summer 1991. Available from Wiswell Ruffin House, P.O. Box 236, Dresden, NY 14441.
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