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.

    12/100 (page 12)
    All ordinary clothing is pervious to liquid mustard gas; but it 1s obvious that penetration will be much more rapid in the case of the single thin cotton garment of tropical and sub-tropical countries than with the multiple layers of woollen clothing worn in temperate climates. If the garments be damp or wet the rate of penetration of small drops of liquid mustard gas is somewhat hastened. 13. Protection against liquid mustard gas. In view of the penetrative properties of liquid mustard gas it is necessary, for bodily protection,.to adopt materials which are, as far as possible, impervious to the liquid. The choice of such materials is narrow, nor do they conduce to bodily comfort ; hence they must take the form of additional equipment for use when necessity arises. Thus the eyes may be safeguarded by the use of special eye shields or of a suitable respirator, while the skin can be protected by special garments, gloves and footwear. It may be necessary to remark here that no wearing material as yet dis- covered is completely impervious to mustard gas; penetration by the liquid, or by the vapour evolved therefrom, is only a question of time if no steps be taken to neutralize or remove the contaminant. Hence the term “ mustard proof’ in connection with protective garments 1s only a relative one, and merely means that protective clothing 1s more resistant than ordinary garments. Once they become contaminated these protective materials are a potential danger, both to the wearer and to his neighbours. Special care, therefore, should be taken not to spread contamination by wearing them in enclosed spaces such as dug-outs, living-rooms, or public conveyances, nor to continue wearing them after the necessity for doing so has disappeared. The cape, anti-gas, made of light oilskin fabric, gives useful protection against liquid blister gas, especially if the liquid is swabbed off at the first opportunity. Capes for stretcher-bearers have press-studs enabling them to chp the point of the cape between therr legs. Suits, anti-gas, light and heavy, are issued to special personnel and give. protection for shorter and longer periods respectively. 14. Dangers to be anticipated from mustard gas vapour. It has already been pointed out that this vapour can be harmful in con- centrations not readily noticed by the sense of smell; that the sense of smell! tends to become dulled ; and that the odour may be masked by smokes or high explosives. The cumulative effect of repeated small doses of the vapour is another * insidious danger. A lack of gas discipline, a natural impatience engendered by the prolonged wearing of a respirator, or dire necessity may influence men, exposed to mustard gas vapour, to remove their masks oecastonally. To produce systemic poisoning the vapour concentration must be high. But when it is realized that half an hour’s exposure to a concentration of one part of mustard gas vapour in one million parts of air is sufficient to incapacitate an unprotected man for-about two weeks through conjunctivitis, it will be seen that a very minute quantity of liquid mustard gas in a closed room may easily produce casualties. The degree of severity of mustard gas vapour casualties varies with the concentration and the period of exposure. The least severe case may show little conjunctivitis, with almost no erythema of the skin and only a slight hoarseness of the voice ; the most serious, on the other hand, may present a