Veterans at Risk: The Health Effects of Mustard Gas and Lewisite

摘要

So vivid were the memories of the first use of 'mustard gas' (sulfur mustard) bythe Germans in World War I that the United States government began to prepare for chemical warfare even before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941. This work was also spurred by the fury of war in Europe and reports of Japanese use of sulfur mustard against the Chinese. The U.S. preparations included the establishment of war-related research programs organized by President Roosevelt under the White House Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD). Two groups under the OSRD became involved in secret testing programs concerned with mustard agents (Sulfur and nitrogen mustard) and Lewisite: The Committee on Medical Research; This group studied protective ointments and other treatments through the National Research Council's Committee on Treatment of Gas Casualties, and The National Defense Research Committee; This group studied protective clothing and gas masks through military units such as the Chemical Warfare Service.