Evening star., 1948-03-17
Paralyzing War Gas
Now Used 10 Treat
Obstinate MaIadies
BY Thomas R. Henry
Ca, et~,H

ATLANTIC CITY, Mar. 11!-AI
war gas which might have paralyzed
armies has become q potent medi-
cine for three hitherto obstinate
naladies.
This was revealed yesterday by
scientists Of the Army Chemical
Center at Edgewood Arsenal, Md,
In reports presented before the
American Federation Of Biological
Societies meeting here.
The gas is di-isopropyl- -fiuoro-
phosphate. Although both Allies
and Germans abstained from
launching gas attacks during the
war, 1t now Is known that on each
side there was great deal of ex-
Fermentation with new chemical
agents-and means Of defense
against them-which would have
made the worst gases used in the
First World War seem relatively
innocuous.
Both sought something which
would attack directly the human
nervous system, bringing about pa
ralysis and very rapid strangulation
by knocking out the breathing CEN
ter In the base of the brain. This
particular gas first was discovered
In England early in the war. It was
passed over to the United States
Army for development and expert
rnentation went on both here and
in the United Kingdom throughout
the war. !
But when Allied scientific OBJ
servers crossed the Rhine in the
spring Of 1945 they found that the
enemy had developed two much
better nerve gasses-taboon and
sarin-whose basic action was the
same but which were quicker and
deadlier In their action. Both had
been accidental discoveries arising
from German work on insecticides.
Work was dropped on the British
gas and attention turned to devel-
oping further the two German
gasses for war purposes.
Meanwhile, the peculiar nerve
action of the so-called DIP suggest |
ed that it was at least worth q trial
al N644O S14CCdoCS dllQ bllC
was released to medical expert
menters. It's specific action is on
nerve functions. When a nerve i'm
pulse arrives at a synapse where
two nerve f1bers join, 1t releases a
substance known as acetyl chlorine
which forms q nerve bridge. AS
soon as the particular impulse
passes over, however, the acetyl
chlorine is destroyed by substance
known as chlorine esterase.
Otherwise the nervous system
would get out of control. Nerve i'm
pulses would be shooting wildly in
all directions. There are several
conditions, however, where the
nervous system is under too rigid
control. Here. in extraordinary
minute amounts, preparations of
DIP in peanut oil are working
miracles.
The most notable successes to
date have come with glaucoma, due
to high pressure in the eyeballs,
which usually causes complete
blindness. There is some value in
surgical operations and some in
treatment with proStigmine which
has q somewhat similar action to
DIP. The gas, however, has proved
completely successful in every case
of glaucoma where any other treat !
ment has had any effect and in at
least half of those which failed COM
pletely to respond to anything else.
These conclusions are based on ex-
perimer1ts with 78 cases by DR.. I. II.
Leopold and DR.. Julius Comroe of
the University of Pennsylvania. Un-
like any drug used in such cases In
the past, the nerve gas" has
long continued effect.
Probably the most important use
yet to develop, according to physi-
ologists from Edgewood who re-
ported some of their latest expert
mental work, is in the control Of
gas pains following a surgical op-
Grafton. These used to be especially
bothersome after an appendectomy.
Small. intravenous injections of
the gas have been effective in all
cases where 1t has been tried in the
experiments of DR.. A. MCGEE Har-
vey of Johns Hopkins University
Hospital.
The gas pains are due to gas dis
tension of the intestines due to
temporary paralysis Of the muscles.
While they usually soon disappear
they may progress to the point
where they cause shock and death.
In all of DR.. Harvey's experiments,
all other remedies had proved use
less. Here the long continued ac-
ton of DIP is of special value.
Very small doses given a patient