Medical manual of chemical warfare, 1943 / War Office.

  • Great Britain. War Office.
Date:
1943
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Medical manual of chemical warfare, 1943 / War Office. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    4/100 (page 4)
    CHAPTER I GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF WAR GASES 1. Definition of ‘‘ gas ’’ in chemical warfare. -In chemical warfare the term “ gas’ is applied to any substance, whether . - solid, liquid, or vapour, which is used for its poisonous, irritant, blistering, burning or corrosive effects. Gases may be liberated in the air as vapour or smoke ; or may be brought into contact, in liquid or solid form, with personnel, material, or ground. 2. The use of gas in the Great War. Chemical warfare in the modern sense was first introduced by the Germans in April, 1915, on the Western Front, chlorine gas being used by them in successive attacks until May of the same year, when tear gases also were used. These attacks found the Allies not only unprepared but also inexperienced in the effects of chlorine. Casualties v were very heavy, and means of protection had to be improvised at once. The first official respirator (a cotton pad soaked in hyposulphite of soda, glycerine and sodium carbonate) was issued in May, 1915, and after that date defence, on the whole, kept ahead of attack—so much so that the use of phosgene gas by the Germans in December, 1915, found the Allies relatively well pro- tected against its effects. With a view to overcoming this protection the Germans introduced the arsenicals (or “‘ nasal irritants ’’) and mustard gas. The former were intended to penetrate the box respirator which was then in use by the Allies, while the latter, having a very faint smell and causing no immediate irritation, might be expected to. take effect before the need for putting on the respirator was realized. Comparative failure attended the use of the arsenicals; mustard gas, on the other hand, was highly successful, for, in addition to its insidious- ness, it could attack all parts of the body not protected by the gas mask and it had the great offensive value of persistency. 3. Probable changes in the use of gas. In view of the efficiency of the modern respirator, the ease with which it can be adjusted, and the knowledge of chemical warfare instilled into troops in their anti-gas training, it is probable that the old wartime lethal agents, such as chlorine or phosgene, will be less extensively used in future against armies in the field. Mustard gas, however, lends itself to novel methods of distribution. In the Great War most of the mustard casualties were caused by vapour rising from ground contaminated by shells; but aeroplanes can now spray the gas directly over troops in the open or drop it in bombs over areas that are to be denied the enemy. By means of bombs on aerodromes, dockyards and dumps, it is possible to contaminate aircraft, stores, food and ammunition so that they become dangerous to handle. Other powerful vesicants, including lewisite, may also be employed.