saying that their throats are closing and they know they will choke."
British Gas Casualties:1914-1918 Deaths Non-Fatal
Chlorine 1,976164,457Mustard Gas4,08616,526
Background: Phosgene gas (military designation CG) is a toxic inhalant that
directly damages the lungs. Sir Humphrey Davey, a British chemist, first
synthesized it in 1812. Although phosgene has not been deployed as a
chemical weapon since 1918, its continued use in common industrial
processes, such as dye or plastic manufacturing, makes it a potential
industrial hazard today. Phosgene exposure also can occur in fires associated
with organochlorine compounds (eg, vinyl chloride), the use of carbon
tetrachloride fire extinguishers, and during arc welding procedures.
Phosgene gas has the appearance of a white cloud and the characteristic
odor of newly mown hay. Odor alone is insufficient for the detection of
phosgene exposure, since toxic exposures may occur at concentrations
below the olfactory threshold. Although phosgene is one of the most volatile
chemical warfare agents, its density is greater than air, and it tends to
accumulate in low areas.
The German Army first used chlorine gas cylinders in April 1915 against the
French Army at Ypres French soldiers reported seeing yellow-green clouds
drifting slowly towards the Allied trenches. They also noticed its distinctive
smell which was like a mixture of pineapple and pepper. At first the French
officers assumed that the German infantry were advancing behind a smoke
screen and orders were given to prepare for an armed attack. When the gas
arrived at the Allied front-trenches soldiers began to complain about pains in
the chests and a burning sensation in their throats.
Most soldiers now realised they were being gassed and many ran as fast as
they could away from the scene. An hour after the attack had started there
was a four-mile gap in the Allied line. As the German soldiers were concerned
about what the chlorine gas would do to them, they hesitated about moving
forward in large numbers. This delayed attack enabled Canadian and British
troops to retake the position before the Germans burst through the gap that
the chlorine gas had created.
Chlorine gas destroyed the respiratory organs of its victims and this led to a
slow death by asphyxiation. One nurse described the death of one soldier
who had been in the trenches during a chlorine gas attack. “He was sitting on
the bed, fighting for breath, his lips plum coloured. He was a magnificent
young Canadian past all hope in the asphyxia of chlorine. I shall never forget
the look in his eyes as he turned to me and gasped: I can’t die! Is it possible
that nothing can be done for me?” It was a horrible death, but as hard as
they tried, doctors were unable to find a way of successfully treating chlorine
gas poisoning.
It was important to have the right weather conditions before a gas attack
could be made. When the British Army launched a gas attack on 25th
September in 1915, the wind blew it back into the faces of the advancing
troops. This problem was solved in 1916 when gas shells were produced for
use with heavy artillery >. This increased the army's range of attack and
helped to protect their own troops when weather conditions were not
completely ideal.
After the first German chlorine gas attacks, Allied troops were supplied with
masks of cotton pads that had been soaked in urine. It was found that the
ammonia in the pad neutralized the chlorine. These pads were held over the
face until the soldiers could escape from the poisonous fumes. Other soldiers
preferred to use handkerchiefs, a sock, a flannel body-belt, dampened with a
solution of bicarbonate of soda, and tied across the mouth and nose until the
gas passed over. Soldiers found it difficult to fight like this and attempts were
made to develop a better means of protecting men against gas attacks. By
July 1915 soldiers were given efficient gas masks and anti-asphyxiation
respirators.
One disadvantage for the side that launched chlorine gas attacks was that it
made the victim cough and therefore limited his intake of the poison. Both
sides found that phosgene was more effective than chlorine. Only a small
amount was needed to make it impossible for the soldier to keep fighting. It
also killed its victim within 48 hours of the attack. Advancing armies also
used a mixture of chlorine and phosgene called 'white star'.
