protection Since the presentation of chlorine gas at Ypres, countries fighting in WWI had to have some kind of protection. The first thing people used were cotton pads doused in bicarbonate of soda that covered the face. In some emergencies, soldiers could hold a urine-soaked cloth over their mouth and nose to protect against chlorine.
In 1918 soldiers had more adequate protection against gas attacks. Highly effective filtering respirators, or primitive gas masks, were the standard gas attack protection. These used either charcoal or gas antidotes to combat the effects of gas These early gas masks led to the creation of the poison gas protection today. |