Evening star., 1918-06-16

The brave soldiers who became VIC
Tins of these atrocious attacks are af-
fected in many ways. Different gases
troubles. he chlorine gas. which
turns brass buttons green and
steel bayonets black, causes extreme
irritation to the eyes. Some men are
made practically blind. The gas stings
and smarts SO intensely that those
whose eyes are least affected fnd 1t
most dimcult to take aim.
The skin Is badly discolored and In
countless instances turns dull purple.
The lips are parched and cracked. Some
soldiers cough violently and are very
soon splitting blood from sore mouths.
Others suffocate and succumb very
quickly. Still others may fall into stu
pors which vary in duration. and there
a stupor. but die in its clutches. The
lungs and throats are often seriously
injured, and. indeed. the injury inflicted
may be OF SO grave a nature that bron-
chitis or pneumonia may ensue. and in
these cases death sometimes follows
AS chemists claim that one part Of
chlorine gas in 1000 parts Of air will
cause instant death. one is naturally not
most infinitesimal touch of this gas
poisoning attacks the Innings of the
mouth, nose and throat and causes ex-
cessive pain to the strongest and most
stalwart Of men.
The uses and the results Of the chlorine
gas are probably better known than
those Of any other gas used in war.
Some are said to be most mysterious in
the way they affect victims. There is
one gas which was introduced by the
Germans at a fairly recent date in the
war. Soldiers suffering from an attack
of the new gas were said to be in the
grip Of a most enervating anemia: 9TH
ers who, presumably. inhaled a greater
Soldiers. many Of them. have been found
quite unconscious as a result Of bad
"rotten-egg gas attack. Upon being
rushed to the hospital they soon became
the focus for all eyes, so peculiarly were
they affected.
Take the case of one private: Con-
seriousness was regained quickly. but
the patient was forbidden to sit up.
remained fiat on his back The next
few hours he seemed to rest splen-
didly. and after a night in bed de-
clared himself we'll In the morning
and insisted on getting up. But all
joyousness left him once he was upon
his feet He staggered and swayed
dizzily, and before nurses or an at
tendant could fly to his assistance he
was dead.
There are gases that almost drive
splitting headaches. These symptoms
Of strange gas poisoning are in
variably followed by violent hemor-
rhages Very frequently the patients
sunerings are SO intense that he
prays death overtake him, and, more
often than the medical profession
likes. death does end the suffering for
all time.
Sneezing gas, whose technical name
is diphenyl- l-chloroarsin, is one of the
comparatively new gases. Besides a
general gas poisoning, the sneezing
gas is supposed to cause excessive
sneezing. In truth. its object is to
cause such active. abnormal and
violent sneezing as to dislocate the
gas mask. The real evil befalfs the
soldier who, because Of his sneeZing,
cannot keep his mask in place. The
insidious gas then is most damag-
ing. But IL the unfortunate can pos
sibly keep his mask securely fixed a
period of sneezing is about all he will
be called upon to suffer.
The mustard gas, which was first
heard of in 1917, has a queer odor.
more like garlic than like mustard.
The eyes, though slightly irritated at
first. do not smart and burn as they
do when exposed to many of the
other gases. But as the hours pass
the eye begin to sting and swell
alarmingly. The pain becomes almost
unendurable. The mustard gas Is
sprayed and wherever the spray
touches the skin a good-sfzed blister
forms. Where 1t touches the soldiers
uniform holes appear: