Effects of Chlorine/mustard/tear gas on the human lungs in World War 1

My great great great uncle was in World War 1 and he was actually attacked with gas and he survived but he suffered like crazy!My Uncle was a stretcher bearer in the war. he had to sometimes carry away his friends bodies off the battle field. 

In WW1, Germany used gas to try to either kill the enemy or to bring them out of the trenches to be killed.

Some of the symptoms of tear gas on the lungs:

• Coughing
• Burning sensation in the throat 
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Nausea and vomiting 

            *Skin contact can result in lesions similar to those from frostbite or burns 

• Following exposure to high concentrations of phosgene, a person may develop fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema) within 2 to 6 hours. Exposure to phosgene may cause delayed effects that may not be apparent for up to 48 hours after exposure, even if the person feels better or appears well following removal from exposure. Therefore, people who have been exposed to phosgene should be monitored for 48 hours afterwards.

 Delayed effects that can appear for up to 48 hours include the following:

• Difficulty breathing
• Coughing up white to pink-tinged fluid (a sign of pulmonary edema)
• Low blood pressure
• Heart failure
• Showing these signs or symptoms does not necessarily mean that a person has been exposed to phosgene.

  this is a picture shows how soldiers tried to protect themselves from the deadly gas attacks. 
 in some cases the gases could cause lung cancer. this it what a lung with cancer can look like!


After WW1, Mustard gas was not really used in WW2 but in other wars tear gas has been used and is still used today by police officers and some of the symptoms are very similar. Event ear gas can cause major harms to a human's lungs and body.

For those who were attacked there was no way to crue them so most of the soldiers hit with the gas died but a few survived because the quantity of the gas was to small to kill.