The Washington times., 1924-11-21
POISON GAS
BENE FITS
CITED
Proves Boon IN cureof Whoop-
ing Cough Used in
Routing Criminals
BY LLOYD LEHRBAS,
international News Service.

international News Service.
Alleged death rays" which
can kill human beings and disable
machinery at great distances, and
newly discovered gases which are
claimed to have supernatural de-
structive power, making them a
menace to civilization, are scoffed
at in the annual report Of Briga-
der General Amos A, Fries, chief
Of the Chemical Warfare Service,
made public by the War Depart
nlent today.
Used to Cure Colds. 0
While throwing cold water on
sensational stories. Of the alleged
destructive powers Of such rays
ana gases, however. General Fries
recites numerous benefits to man
Kind which have been discovered
through experimentation with new
eases, including the curing of colds
and Who0ping cough, the develop
ment of gas masks, and plans for
the destruction Of the boil weevil.
which annually causes tremendous
losses to the cotton crops of the
United States.
Y. 8. Lays Behind.
General Fries points ont. hnw..
ever, that while the United States
was the first to, recognize fully the
potentialities of gases in war and
II peace, 1t is likely to be out.
stripped by other nations because
OF the lack OF money with which to
carry on experimental work.
Those who oppose any military
establishments and would leave the
nation defenseless, make use OF ex.
aggerated stories of the supposedly
supernatural powers of gas. Their
reasoning is, of course, falIacious.
~ gases had supernatural mower
every nation that would remain free
would have to be a. complete rnnster
OF such substances and methods Of
Using them, General Fries reports.
Along with supernatural Eases
goes the continual talk of dearh
rays, electrician currents. and the
ike, which will destroy life at
great distances. Practically all of
these ideas are just as foolishly
wrong as the supernatural gases.
SCOTS At Ray.
"All known rays and power obey
certain definite laws. Here ana
there advances are made in un-
Outstanding those laws and direct.
ing them, but It is believed proper
and safe to say that no real scien-
tist can yet forsee the day when
such control OF these substances
will, be possible that life and ma
chinery can be destroyed at any
thing but short distances - dis
tances too short for any consider
able use In war;
General Fries points out that o
great deal Of work Of the Chemical
Warfare Branch is in teaching the
nation the possibilities OF cherni.
Gals in peace-time uses.
During the, last six months"
General Fries reports, there has
been made known to the nation the
value of chlorine gas in treating
ordinary colds, bronchitis (acute
and chronic), whpoping cough and
other affections Of the nose. throat
and lungs. The success of that
treatment has been carefully dem.
onstrated in experiments covering q
year and d half by officers of the
Medical Corps working at Edgewood
Arsenal under the Chemical War.
fare Service.
Use Of Chlorine.
Perhaps no development in the
treatment Of diseases has spread
SO rapidly as the chlorine treat.
ment. Following its successful ap.
plication to the treatment Of human
beings it has been successful in in.
fluenza among horses and in the
same general type of disease among
dogs. All through the nation clinics
are being established for admins
tering chlorine.
Treatments Nm 5000 cases have
given conclusive proof, General Fries
asserts, that chlorine effects cures
in such nose, throat and lung dis.
eases. 1t is not a panAcea, he as,
serts; but wherever the chlorine can
reach the germs of the disease in suf.
ficient concentration it will kill them.
Curing WhOoping Cough.
'The most startling side Of this
work has been the cure of whoopinR
cough, General Fries reports.
Practically 100 per cent OF whoop.
Ing cough cases have been either
completely cured or the distressing
symptoms nearly all banislied. It
is a boon to childhood such as is not
found once In a generation.
Another war gas turned to peace
uses of the utmost Importance is q
tear gas-chloracetopheone. No hu.
man being has been found who will
stand up before heavy concentra.
ton of 1t. The one who feels It
strike his eyes will forget everything
but the desire to get away from 1T.
He may know that no injury win re.
suit. He may know that within an
hour Or less his eyes will be, cleared
and no Inconvenience suffered. Yet
the gas affects him powerfully.
RoutS Criminals. s
Used in policemen's clubs, In
bombs, grenades, In bank vaults, in
storehouses and even in. dwellings.