Omaha daily bee., 1916-04-20
An Antiseptdc
from the Sea
ny wooDs nuTcnINsoN, ". D.

n the dreadful poIson-gas OF modern
war comes from sea-watcr. 10 also does
IT'S antldotc There may possibly he traces
Of other gases combined with chlorine.
but the human yiyiseetlon test, the sym
toms Of rs victims as they gasp In agony
and fight for breath and finally die, cor
respond quito closely to tho poison tests
for chlorine and bromlne, and show no
discoyerable trace Of the effect OF any
other poison.
\ BESIDES, almost al other known poisons
would be extremely expensive 20 use In
the open air. and above all, the flendIsh
stuff must be cheap,
! Fortunately the same eager readiness
10 attack and unite with living sub
stances. which makes this chlorine gas
10 deadly supplies q protection against
I H. In that IL promptly combines with
\ other chemicals the moment II 10 brought
\ In contact with them, and forms an al
most harmless substance.
] by ono Of The many miracles Of chem.
istry the flercoIy burning and poisonous
gas. chlorine tho moment that II touches
simple alkai Ike ordinary soda, IL
converted at once into that harmless
article Of diet called from the name Of
its parents, the fierce gag and the bland
alkall Chloride Of sodium" or common
/ salt
No that by supplying the soldiers IN
\ the trenches exposed 70 poison gas with
masks or respirators stretching across
nose and mouth, saturated with O. solu-
tlon Of soda usually either hypogulphits
Of soda or the bi.borate OF soda, com.
monty known as borax, or washing pow
der, The fumes Of this d1adllest gas arc
promptly turned into common salt, like
Lots wife III tho Bible story
30 that, ~ Incredible as II may souni,
/ the only effect Of this deadly gas when
stopped BY the soda mask In 10 make the
| sheets OF linen or cotton taste eoty in.
stead OF soapy
but the soda must be- wet IN order -
work this transformation, M tho gas can
not combine with a dry substance. and
that IL the reason why II is necessary 10
keep these poison masks constantly
nolgtoncd with water
II IL fortunately possible 10 flll The
mesh Of their cloth with enough boraz
to last for several hours exposure or
even more, but water. Of course. viii
eyaporate quickly. Eternal vigilance in
the way of rcmolstoning or Of keeping
The masks al hand bathod in solutions
Of soda IL necessary for safety
Many pitiful tragedies were reported
from the front before this fact had been
realized BY Tie soldiers, men suddenly
Weakened 70 face the choking fumes
80 L.
and we're no more protection than ~
folded handkerchief against the poison
| gas. ny merclful offset Of nature, "
The gas Ia cheap, jts aptldotcs on the
poison rnaaks~aro even cheaper and moro
] accessible, 70 that there is reason 10
\ hope that rs future use viii prove as
useless an II IN vicious and cruel
But II would be very unfair 10 permit
the impression for moment that this
destructive use Of the sea-Kas was its
chief or even ono Of its important ap-
plicatlons.
on tho contrary. II IL one Of the small
est and last dlscoyercd-woud II could
\ hayo been overlooked entirely-and ieast
! significant, though spectacular enough.
Although these gases we're found too
poisonous and dangerous for general use
I when floating free In the air, II WAS
early discovered that when harnessed or
/ loosely combined with other substances
10 that they would be given or slowly
and In small amounts their poisonous
ness gave them high degree Of value
az dislnfectants and later as antlseptlca.
| Also, II was found that the prompt
ness and yclousnesa with which they
would attack living substances or tissues
expended themselves with special yigor
upon any colorlng matter which might
be present. 80 that faprica exposed to
them. either under water or in moist
atmosphere were quickly deprived OF
any color they possessed or. In other
words. bleached.
/ After various experiments. a comblna-
ton Of chlorine with soda or lime. was
found 10 work best for this purpose, and
hence there came into being tho now
well known bleaching powder. or chloride
Of lime
! by curious and consoling coincidence
! the very same war which saw the free
gas chlorine used 10 destroy human life
also saw tho invention. or rather adapta-
ton, OF ons Of the bleaching comblna-
/ lions Of chlorine and soda as an anti
septic dressing for the horribly ragged
and filthy wounds produced by shrapno
Those wounds were 80 enormous, 50
horribly pulpod and lacerated, and 20
blown and ground and full of germ-ladcn
nth from the soil torn up by tho shell,
that our former tried and trusted anti
soptics, cafhollc, hi-ehlorido. peroxide,
alcohol etc. were almost powereaa
against their huge and deeply-sown in
fcetlnns.
A new combination Of chlorine and soda,
Nlth enough horaele acid added 10 nou-
tralizo ia alkalnity, invented by pakin
and rafrCl vas found, however. 10 work
wonders. destroying offensive odors.
checking sunpuralian heating Infection
aud CLEANSING lhe horrible beg of Euppur,
alton and sansreue in week Or % into
clean healthy srauulatlns wound