One of the dangers of mustard gas is that it is almost sticky. This author believes that these psychological health effects are likely due to PTSD, but the fact remains that mustard gas caused this mental health issue in the first place. One study found that Iranians exposed to mustard gas in the Iran–Iraq War exhibited increased levels of hostility, depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsiveness, and manifestations of physical pain due to psychological issues up to 20 years after exposure. Research suggests that there may even be psychological effects from mustard gas exposure. They may also experience issues with nausea and vomiting due to mustard gas’s ability to impede DNA replication in the gut (it also does this in the bone marrow). In addition, the patient will have an increased risk of infection for the rest of their life, a higher risk of cancer, and a good chance of permanently losing all of their body hair. A smaller dose of mustard can produce similar results as the former large dose the next time the victim is exposed. For starters, they will be more sensitive to mustard gas in much the same manner as somebody who has a compromised immune system will be to the common cold. If the patient survives past days three and four, when most mustard victims die, they stand a relatively good chance of pulling through.Įven then, the patient will experience lifelong consequences from their exposure. ![]() By the time a patient begins to develop blisters, all a doctor can really do is watch and monitor vital signs. Depending on the dose received, temporary blindness could also set in.ĭespite over a hundred years of scientific advancements, we still haven’t figured out a way to keep mustard gas from killing people-a testament to the inherent dangers of chemical weapons. If the gas contacted the eyes, redness, increased tear production, and eye pain resulted. Typically, it took 2–24 hours (with a mean of 10–12 hours) for signs and symptoms to appear, so a soldier could potentially be exposed for hours, increasing the dosage, without having a clue. This itchiness progressed to pain within hours. In World War 1, the first sign of mustard gas exposure was redness and itchiness of the affected skin several hours after exposure. He later wrote of the attack, “My eyes were transformed into glowing coals, and the world had grown dark around me.”Īdolf Hitler What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Mustard Gas Exposure? Trapped on a hill south of Ypres on October 13 as the mustard poured in, he was later evacuated to a military hospital in the German province of Pomerania. One victim of this retaliatory mustard gas attack was a young German soldier whose job was to deliver messages among the trenches. Within three weeks after the christening of mustard gas on the battlefield, Allied casualties due to mustard gas were the equivalent of those from the entire year prior for all chemical weapons. A terrifying new weapon had entered the scene, and though they weren’t quite sure what it was, they knew it was no friend. The Allies knew what an incoming chlorine or phosgene attack looked and smelled like.īut now, as a thick smell of garlic permeated the air, they knew that this was something different. They had held their friends from boot camp in their arms as those friends asphyxiated from clouds of chlorine or phosgene gas. They knew this was a fight like nothing the world had ever seen. They knew they were in a war of chemical weapons. ![]() Mustard gas is heavier than air, so it quickly found its way into the hidden recesses of every nearby Allied trenches. ![]() Once the warhead made contact with the earth, the glass vial shattered, allowing the gas to evaporate and form a deadly cloud. Within the warheads of the artillery shells was a glass vial filled with liquified mustard gas. What Can I Do to Protect Myself from Mustard Gas? Is There a Cure for Mustard Gas Exposure? What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Mustard Gas Exposure? In this article, we will be covering the origins of mustard gas, its historical use, its deadly effects, and how to protect against it.įor more information regarding other chemical warfare agents, be sure to check out our Top Ten Deadliest Chemical Weapons article. He needed to develop a new chemical weapon that would cause harm even if its target were wearing a gas mask. Haber was a huge believer in chemical weapons' role in warfare, believing them to be much more humane than traditional artillery shells. ![]() He refused to attend a ceremony honoring his father after his death, and Hermann’s wife wrote of the event, “One has no right to celebrate a person dead, whom one would not tolerate alive today.”
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |