CHEMICAL AGENTS SELF AND FIRST AID

File: 970101_sep96_decls2_0018.txt
Page: 0018
Total Pages: 22

Subject: CHEMICAL AGENTS SELF AND FIRST AID                              

Unit: VAR. BUMED  

Parent Organization: BUMED       

Box  ID: BX303902

Folder Title: PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF NERVE AGENT POISONING                                               

Document Number:          4

Folder Seq  #:         14








                 (1) TABUN (GA)- was prepared at Elber-
                 field, Germany, in 1937 during insecticide
                 research by German scientists, prior to
                 WWII.

                 (2) SARIN (GR)- was first prepared in 1938.

                 (3) SOM" (OD)- wag prepared in Heid*lberg
                 in 1944.

                 (4) Their value as toxic agents was considered
                 and by 1939 large scale production wag
                 initiated and TABUN and SARIN were
                 stockpiled in bombs and containers by tb*
                 Germans.

                 (5) American interest in Nerve agents was
                 stimulated in WWII by information received
                 from POW'S indicating that Germany had
                 prepared a nerve agent grenade.
                 (6) Germany never employed norv; agents du* to
                 the fact they thought the U. S. bad
                 developed nerve agents also, however. the U. S.
                 did not have such agents. Following the
                 end of WWII. stocks of chemicals were captured
                 and sent to the U. S. for analysis and
                 development.

                 (7) Currently, many insecticides utiliz* the chemical
                 properties of these nerve agents in a diluted form.

              C. 0    CTERISTICS OF ALL N]MVK AGSIffTS

                 (1)  Liquid in their normal state.

                 (2)  Odorl*ss.


                 (3)  Colorless.

                 (4)  Tasteless.

                 (5)  effective as a liquid, &*rosol/vapor.

                 (e)  All effect tb* body In the Sam* manner.

                 (7)  Morvo agents can be absorbed through any
                 body surface, including the eyes. Onc*
                 exposed to nerve agents, the effects, or
                 reaction on the body, will be du* to the
                 inihibition of th* cholin*st*ras* *nzym*
                 tbr*w-out the body.





                           is

Document 22 f:/Week-44/BX303902/PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF NERVE AGENT POISONING/chemical agents self and first aid:1224960906483
Control Fields 17
File Room = sep96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-44
Box ID = BX303902
Unit = VAR. BUMED
Parent Organization = BUMED
Folder Title = PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF NERVE AGENT POISONING
Folder Seq # = 14
Subject = CHEMICAL AGENTS SELF AND FIRST AID
Document Seq # = 4
Document Date =
Scan Date =
Queued for Declassification = 01-JAN-1980
Short Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Long Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Permanent Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Non-Health Related Document = 01-JAN-1980
Declassified = 24-DEC-1996