Poison Gases

The use of poisonous gas in World War 1 was a major military innovation. The chemical warfare was a major component of World War 1. Only 4% of combat deaths were due to gases. The most common gases were used in World War 1 are: chlorine gas, Tear gas, and the most dangerous of all Mustard gas. On 22nd, April, 1915 during the second battle of Ypres, Chlorine gas, also known as Berthelot, was first used as a weapon by the Germans. Chlorine gas has a distinctive smell a mixture of, pepper and pineapple. It also tasted metallic and stung the back of the throat and chest. Chlorine gas also reacts with water in the lungs to form hydrochloric acid. Hydrochloric acid is a strong acid which must be handled, safely because it is a highly corrosive and lethal solution. It was discovered by a German scientist. The problem of chlorine gas is that the wind conditions must be right temperature because if the wind is blowing in the wrong direction it could end up killing your own troops rather then your enemy. Chlorine gas destroyed the respiratory organs of its victims slow killing them. One of the nurses described a Canadian soldier after a chlorine gas attack. (\"He was sitting on the bed, fighting for breath, his lips plum colored. 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.’’) Tear gas was the second most effective gas used in World War 1. The first gas that was used in 1914 was called tear gas. This gas contained the chemical lachrymatory. The French put tear gas inside their grenades. The tear gas made the soldier’s eye continuously itchy causing poor vision and distraction (soldier were cousinly whipping or rubbing their eyes) the results of the gas...