The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-14

like a shaving or dental cream and a
 special tube was required) The formula
 was perfected and the manufacture of
 the compound was begun, and in a very
 short time large quantity was ready . for shipment. Not only the quiet work of those experimental days vital help in defeating the enemy. but the mechanical feat of turning out thou sands upon thousands of tubes in few days was remarkable.
 Colgate & Go. wishing to keep nothing secret from the government that might 1 help them. turned over to them the for mula of the first anti -dmming prepara- tion. This was for the double purpose of facilitating improvements and posting the government of just what they were using. In the very beginning Colgate & Co. had suggested stick form for the com pound as being more practical and quick CT to manufacture. The research branch I of the war department became greatly interested in the work and able chemists | sought to procure even better com pound-One that would not fail even with careless application. Colgate & Co. CO., operated with them and an anti i-dimming g stick was soon decided upon. This stick was about two inches long and half an | inch thick, wrapped, except for one end in tinfoil, and packed with small piece
 
 | were turned out at the rate of 100000 a 1 day; involving much labor and skill. The method of applying the anti-dim- ] ming compound was simple. A small quantity was rubbed over the eyepieces, which were afterwards polished with the 1 flannel cloth. After this treatment the moisture instead of collecting in drops, spread over the glass in thin sheet
 which did not affect its transparency in :! the least
 As the effect of one application lasted | for days, one stick should have been enough for a lifetime. But unfortuntely the little tin box, which was sturdy and well made, presented to the doughboy aluring possibilities as holder for matches or cigarettes-and away went ! the stick It was necessary to have suf- | ficient sticks to replace any that were ' lost.
 The other substance, known as Sog- ! Paste, was used to combat the frightful mustard gas, which was used to exten- Il sively during the latter part of the war. N This gas, which strictly speaking was II not gas at all but volatile liquid not Y only effected the throat and lungs, but II where it penetrated the clothing, caused II serious burns-especially where the skin was damp from precipitation. The German drive to the Marne in 1918 was made largely with this gas. Shells were filled with it, which on exploding, often killed everything in the vicinity. As the gas mask protected only the face, something was needed to prevent the gas reaching the body. An important problem suddenly confronted the army, and the commander in chief cabled to Washington urging that something be found to counteract the effects of mus tard gas. and shipped abroad as soon as possible.
 Colgate & Co. were let in on the secret and were asked to experiment in an en- deavor to get a preparation that would protect the skin against the burning ac- tion of the gas. Haste was the first con- sideration and the first experiments were made with materials which were pro curable at once in large quantities. Vari-
 ous ointments were tried out on yolun- teers who allowed themselves to be ex- posed to the gas, first rubbing the oint- ment on the skin One of the ointments which was submitted was found to give |the needed protection and Colgate & Co. began it's manufacture with all haste. The Sag Paste was packed in special |large tin tubes, seven inches long and an
 inch and half in diameter and large Quantities were prepared and shipped in June--the month in which the need first
 became apparent.
 | Colgate & Co. continued the manufacture |of Sag Paste until the signing of the |armistice. An idea of the gigantic scale on which, this work was carried out
 which will also give hint of it's impor- tance war measure. can be gained
 from the fact that Colgate & Co. made
 hnd shipped hundreds of tons of Sag Paste and used several carloads of pure
 block tin in the manufacture of the tubes.
 Why the name Sag Faster The word
 gas spelled backwards,