Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-11-06
NEW POISON OF
GERMAN EATS
LUNG Innings
NEWEST AND MOST DANGEROUS WAS
CAUSE OF ENGLISH HAVING DIFF
FlCUlTY IN FINDING A C0UN-
TERACTiNG ACID.
BY Elmer lack Rose.
tFormerly an Ambulance Driver in Amcri
can Field Service.l

can Field Servicel
The Germans are using several forms Of
gas in their present attempts 10 overcome
the allies. The newest and most danger
Gus of these Il one that for some time
caused the ENGLISH. on whom il was first
used. great difficulty IN finding the proper
counteracilng acids to use In their masks
Fortunately. such an acid was discovered.
and now the allied soldiers If warned ot
the presence of the gas. can successfully
combat ii.
This particular gaS. which. 10 my
knowledge. has not aS Vet been named. Is
commonly shot over in large shells. which.
bursting. Saiuratc the ground with a color
less lanid. When thus exposed to the air,
chemical reaction takes place and an
absolutely colorlc~-. very heavy Gas j. re-
clascd. which j. not di~~ipatcd for several
hours. The only possible way by which the
nresence of the blight j. known j. q very
faint odor at onions and mustard.
When first nsed. some months AGO. the
English TonmieS were rather hard hit. ~
there Is no aDparcni effect for about six
hours. M which time a man so gaSscd be-
comes faint and complains of terrible panS
in hi chest followed shortly bv delirium
and death. The doctors official examina
iion of the strange malady showed that the
lining of the lungs j. completely eaten
away nv the horrible DESTROYER. Later. IL
was noticed that soldiers. who. provided
with proper masks. were not killed. suf-
fered greatly from having their skin peel
off. leaving great. raw blotcheS. wherever
thew were damp with pcr~piration.
II J. unnecessary 10 state that there i
no doubt that the Bochc viii shortly be
suffering from the effects of similar gas.
a. the- allies have learned tha; il j. neccs-
sarv 10 fight fire with fire
The most common and best known forms
of gas n present used on the western front
are the chlorine and prussc acid varie-
ties. both If which are plainly visible and
poSSeSs an individual odor. These gases
are very heavy. and viii remain in q valley
or trench for hour- at n time. Like wa
ter. they seek their own level and fin the
dug"ui- and ~ap~. from which they are dis
DerScd bv chemical ~prayers. thus being
completely neuiralizcd and rendered harm
less.
Chlorine gas Il hcavy. thick and brown
smells strongly of chlorine, and rolls about
IN velvety. undulaiing MASSES
The pru>~lc acid variety T. blue. and ha "
the sickly. sweet odor ~ peaches IN other
respects II resembles IT. chlorine brother.
Both Of these gases, IN sufficient qunn-
titles, are fatal, and many men die from
l.m aA Al - t..Iv,
produce the desired effect. Men slightly
gassed become dcathy sick at their ~tom-
ach~. feel heavy pressure on their chests.
and vnmii and cough until IL seems a. if
they must die. However. they do live. A.
though on some n has permanent effect.
ana the mere scent uf chlorine ar peaches
will immediately send them off into vio-
lent paroXysm~ of coughing and pain.
Chlorine and pru~-ic acid gases are de.
lfvcred IN three different ways. The first
and original method Is bv opening cvin-
der containing the stuff which with n
favorable wind, viii roll across '|No Mans
Land and INTO the enemy trenches This
idea has ~ drawbacks. such aS shifting
oi the wind. and ~ rapidly becoming obso-
| lcie.
| The two most used and safest manners
of delivering the gas, are by earoplanc
bomb, and ~ shells These bombs aud
shells are Of very thin steel and contain il
N condensed and compressed form Upon
reaching the ground they brcrk in pieces
and the gas wells forth in volumes. like
smoke from ~mudgc fire. soldier can
lalwisS tell when one "f the shells i com
lng over. as .eiug light they produce Il
peculiar. whI-thng noise. distinctly differ
cni from the ordinary explosive proiectlc
When ~ the trenches or directly behind
the line, soldiers always wear their gas
mask, ~ung over their shoulder in littl,
sacks provided for that purpose. Wher
gas i being shot over, the whole sector j.
warned and the men then wear the mask.
hung free from tape about the neck. a.
y, II u absolutely necessary to get them on IL
the shortest possible time unless a mar
wishes to take the great trip west.