After the First World War, people in Eastern Europe were routinely deloused
to prevent the spread of typhus. Displaced people expected to be subjected to
this at borders. So when typhus later became stigmatised as a Jewish disease,
the Nazis already had a tool for persecution in the form of sanitary policing.
In Epidemics and Genocide in Eastern Europe, 1890-1945, Paul Weindling
suggests that it was just the excuse they needed to lure their victims into the
gas chambers. Published by Oxford University Press, £55, ISBN 0198206917.
To continue reading, today with our introductory offers
Advertisement
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
We've found a mysterious substance on Titan and Pluto
2
Faecal transplant makes the brains of old mice act young again
3
A quantum state that lasts forever may finally be within our grasp
4
The secrets to keeping your brain sharp in old age
5
What really happened when ancient humans migrated out of Africa
6
Has the answer to life's origins been hiding in our cells all along?
7
The social media ban is an experiment – here’s how it will be studied
8
Sperm have been made magnetic to allow IVF inside the body
9
Our brains have their first thoughts surprisingly early in life
10
Remarkable fossils rewrite the story of how animals conquered the land
