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Chapter-57 War Gases

BOOK TITLE: Review of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology

Author
1. Biswas Gautam
ISBN
9788184487176
DOI
10.5005/jp/books/10737_57
Edition
1/e
Publishing Year
2010
Pages
2
Author Affiliations
1. Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, Punjab, India, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, India, Dayanand Medical College , Ludhiana, Punjab, India, Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, Punjab, India, E-mail: forensicdmc@gmail.com
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Abstract

This chapter discusses various poisoning aspects of war gases. War gases include any chemical which is used to produce destruction or damage, mostly at times of war, or any chemical being used for dispersing unruly mobs. Types of chemical warfare agents (CWA) include asphyxiants or lung irritants, vesicants or blister gases, lacrimators or tear gases, sternutators or nasal irritants, nerve gases, paralysants, and miscellaneous gases. Death occurs in 24-48 hours due to acute pulmonary edema or bronchopneumonia after exposure to asphyxiants/lung irritants/choking gases. Mustard gas causes irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and respiratory passages, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. After exposure to tear gases, the patient should be removed into fresh air, and the eyes washed with warm normal saline or boric acid solution. The vapors of vomiting gases cause intense pain and irritation in the nose and sinuses, sneezing, headache, malaise, salivation, nausea, vomiting, tightness in the chest and prostration. Biological weapons (BW) are microorganisms include anthrax bacillus, smallpox virus, botulinum toxin and ricin.

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