Mustard+Gas


 * Mustard Gas**

By Wyatt Andersen

Before the actual creation and usage of mustard gas on the battlefield, many nineteenth century scientists experimented with the substance, combining sulphur dichloride and ethylene to produce a substance that, once inhaled, tasted, or touched, would cause irritation to the human body. In 1886 Victor Meyer, a chemist once mentored by the 'cocaine doctor' Albert Neimann, created the first actual mustard gas substance. The chemical combinations and reactions were further perfected by German scientists during the dawn of the twentieth century. Han Thacher Clark, an English chemist, while collaborating with German scientists, was exposed to a vial of the substance, leaving him hospitalized for several months with severe burns. The form of mustard gas he developed was destined to serve both sides during World War I.
 * History**


 * Use**

//World War I// -First effective usage of the substance during World War I. Gas was dispersed via cannisters and eventually developed into landmine form. -Allies first use the chemical weapon at Cambrai in November 1917. Following the capture of a German weapons stockpile, the Allies gain knowledge of this new weapon and develop their own form, which is used throughout WWI. -Eventually used as an 'area-deniable' weapon. Areas too contaminated by the gas are uninhabitable by soldiers and must be left abandoned or traced around so as to avoid chemical contamination. -Wide usage of gas masks during trench warfare. Although these aided breathing, gas still burns the skin and sticks to all equipment, eliminating many benefits provided by the masks.

//World War II// -Although banned by Geneva Protocol of 1925, chemical weapons are still part of many countries' stockpiles. American vessel bombed by Italian fighter planes bearing stockpile of mustard gas causes 83 deaths, all gas related. -Germany used gas against Poland and the Soviet Union along the Eastern Front. -During the Japanese invasion of China, mustard gas was used in several instances in order to disperse Chinese troops. -After the end of the war, Germanys stockpiles of chemical weapons were mostly dumped into the ocean. Following the illegalization of such weaponry, thousands of tons of mustard and nerve gas have been dumped into the oceans or buried underground. Both of these solutions can cause radical harm to the surrounding nature, and thus factories have been henceforth created in order to safely disposed of these dangerous weapons.

Out of all those struck by mustard gas, only one percent died due to the substance. Despite the small number of fatalities, mustard gas still proved to be the bane of many of those associated with trench warfare. Gas masks do little to protect against the substance, as it can stick to any exposed skin, and is highly infectious, spreading through contact. Areas of the body directly exposed to the substance will instantly begin to blister and burn, leaving horrendous scars and large, pus filled sores. Upon exposure, the eyes can be strongly affected, eyelids often swelling causing temporary blindness. Inhaling the gas can cause a flushing of the lungs, often leading to coughing and internal burns. Treatment may be long and arduous as the substance will stick to the skin and prove very difficult to remove. Stronger variations of the gas also have the ability to eat through simple cotton or wool garments. In most conflicts when this weapon was used, the victims would be scarcely prepared for such an attack.
 * Effects**