Nerve Agents: A Case Study

In means of protecting the Germans against phosgene poisoning, some scientists examined the effect it had on subjects’ lungs. Prisoners were also subjected to mustard gas to test possible antidotes for the poisoning. They found that besides local irritation to the skin, eyes, and upper respiratory tract, the lungs were the target organ of the phosgene gas. Even at low concentrations phosgene would destroy the enzymes in the lungs, causing fluid to build up and lead to death by drowning. The knowledge of this dangerous gas has led to the saving of lives of those who lived near the manufacturing plant.

In 1928 Dr. Alexander Fleming began to sort through a pile of petri dishes containing colonies of bacteria that causes boils, sore throats, and abscesses. As he sorted through the dishes he noticed something unusual on one dish. It was dotted with colonies, and one area had a blob of mold growing. The area of mold was later identified as a rare strain of Penicillium notatum, the mold had secreted something that inhibited bacterial growth. Fleming later uncovered that this mold was capable of killing a wide range of harmful bacteria such as streptococcus, meningococcus and the diphtheria bacillus, that had played humanities. Prior to the discovery of Penicillin, Sulfa drugs were used during World War II. These drugs were name as the “wonder drug”. Although they’re still used today, Sulfa drugs were used to cure bacterial infections such as UTIs and gonorrhea. The new found drug penicillin, would cure millions and replace the use of Sulfa drugs.

One of the new weapons used in WWI was poison gas. Poison gas was first used by the french in 1914, they used them to fight against the germans. After the french the germans started to study it and we the first to use it in a big scale. They used chlorine gas caused irritation and aggressive sneezing. There are many types of poisonous gas like chlorine gas, phosgene (causes violent coughing, choking and eventually death), and Mustard gas (nearly odorless chemical that causes internal and external blisters for hours). The total amount of casualties for poison gases are 1,240,853 people and total deaths are 91,198 people.

Due to their unfamiliarity, many allied troops had little protection against the newly introduced chemical weapon. For instance, the first protective devices against gasses was, “... nothing more than chemical-soaked pads to neutralize the gas.” As a result, many soldiers began to urine in their gauze pad, which actually worked to counteract the gas. However,

According to the Center for Disease Control, VX is one of the nerve agents, which are the most toxic of the known chemical warfare agents. It is tasteless and odorless. Exposure to VX can cause death in minutes. As little as one drop of VX on the skin can be fatal. Nerve agents are chemically similar to organophosphate pesticides and exert their effects by interfering with the normal function of the nervous system. (CDC 2015)

There are Three chemicals that make the bombs in WWII. One of the Chemicals are Tabun. Nazis forced prisoners to make tubun. Tabun is a chemical that messes with the nerve system. This chemical is also used stun grenades. The chemical was supposed to be a pesticide. Tubun was also used in gas chambers. Another gas used in bombs and in gas chamber is Zyklon B. Chlorine gas was a popular gas in WWI and in WWII. The gas was greenish yellow. It irritates the ears, lungs, nose, and throat. This gas kills its enemies by asphyxiation. This means it cuts off the air flow and chokes them.

The theme of The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York is: there are many ethical, social, and medical issues surrounding advancements in science. The following quote supports this theme because it demonstrates to social issues in the New York political system. The coroners were hand chosen by a city’s mayor; typically the mayors chose a political friend or ally to occupy the coroner’s office, rather than a medically trained individual. Thanks to shady, ill-informed, untrained, and occasionally drunk coroners, murderers continually walked free. In the subsequent case, the Mors murder case, the coroner’s misinformation resulted in a lack of evidence

At the beginning of World War I, the use of chemical weapons was still very much taboo. Not only did mankind have a universal aversion to the use of poison but there was also the 1899 Hague Convention Respecting the Laws and Customs of War on Land that prohibited "poison or poisoned weapons" as permissible in war (#Tucker, 2006).

Chemical warfare was starting to gain momentum during the First World War After using less than ideal equipment from the British against German forces, the United States needed to gain an edge for fighting into the future to increase their chances at mission success. The United States gained experience with chemical weapons from the First World War and after transitioning from World War I to World War II various improvements were made to enhance the capabilities of the Chemical Weapons Service. Colonel Lewis McBride was directly responsible for changing the Chemical Weapons Service and helped in securing America’s ideals; taking the United States into the future with new and improved chemical weapons technologies.

In the start of World War 1 gasses were considered inhumane and uncivilized. These three types of gasses show exactly why that was the thought all around the world on chemical weaponry. Lachrymator (tear gas) - caused temporary blindness and irritation to the victims’ nose and throat. A gas mask would give the troops relatively good protection from this type of gas. Sternutator (poisonous gas) - chlorine, phosgene. Chlorine gas combines with moisture so it attacks the soldiers’ eyes and lungs. Phosgene gas was used along with Chlorine gas; it would cause less coughing allowing more to be inhaled. Also the effects were delayed for a longer time than when Chlorine gas was present. Troops would most likely be affected up to 48 hours after their body was initially introduced to the chemical. These two where later mixed together. The Chlorine helped the vapor to spread wider and faster than Phosgene had before causing both gases to be deadlier then before. They were also introduced in

I was aware that there is not currently an antidote for mustard gas which is why the military harps so hard on donning and decontamination techniques. It seems like one of the more harsh types of weapons in the sense that it doesn’t kill quickly but rather maims its victims. It is nice to know that it is extremely difficult

There are many types of chemical agents that can be used for a variety of effects. Most are not meant to be lethal, but most chemicals at high concentrations can be lethal.

Though nerve agents can be can be extremely lethal, mustard gases can be an effective weapon and they are extremely lethal because it causes devastating wounds and painful deaths, fisherman in Sweden are dying after being exposed to 35-40-year-old mustard, and Saddam

The antibacterial effects of sulfanilamide were first observed in 1932, when German bacteriologist and pathologist Gerhard Domagk noted the effects of the red dye Prontosil on Streptococcus infections in mice. It was later proved by French researchers that the active agent of Prontosil was sulfanilamide, or para-aminobenzenesulfonamide, a product of the body’s metabolism of Prontosil. By the 1940s sulfanilamide was a widely used drug. During World War II white sulfanilamide powders became standard in first-aid kits for the treatment of open wounds, and sulfanilamide tablets were taken to fight intestinal infections. Though the medicine was relatively safe, allergic reactions such as skin rashes, fever, nausea, vomiting, and even mental confusion

When ingested, botulinum toxin works its’ way through the body and causes many difficulties. The Johns Hopkins working group on civilian biodefense has stated that this neurotoxin functions by affecting the central nervous system. When someone has contracted the botulism disease, it is necessary for them to use mechanical ventilation in order to breathe often for prolonged periods of time. Additionally, an article from the eLibrary Science database clarifies, “[Botulinum toxin] resists the acid and enzymes of the stomach by creating complexes with other bacterial proteins… The toxin is bound and internalized into the presynaptic nerve endings, preventing release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine” (Hawley). This article by H. Bradford Hawley warns that the binding