Don Thomas gave a brief history of chemical warfare and provided much of this history in a handout.  During the U.S. civil war the North considered the use of chemical weapons on the Confederates, but they didn't use them.   Chemical weapons were first used on a large scale in World War I, and they have been used periodically since then even though diplomatic efforts have been made to ban their use.  The immediate symptoms after encountering nerve gases like Sarin, Soman, Tabun, Novachok, and VX were described as a nervous feeling that something isn’t right followed by blurred vision, pinpoint pupils, and skin and eye spasms.  Survivors tend to have a headache for days and some have lasting nerve damage.  The older chemical weapons have a smell and/or a color when released in the air.  Novachok, developed by the Soviets, is colorless and odorless, and requires a small amount to be lethal.  Novachok is a binary agent meaning that it can be transported as two non-lethal chemicals and mixed when needed.  Our U.S. troops in the Middle East are reported to be using pigeons for early warnings of colorless and odorless chemical agents.  Mustard gas is a blistering agent that attacks mucous membranes.  It is lethal in high doses.

Respectfully submitted by Judy Driggans