Vesicant Action
In addition to its toxicity mustard gas is highly important because of its peculiar irritating effect upon the skin. Its value is seen when we realize that one part in 14,000,000 is capable of causing conjunctivitis of the eye and that one part in 3,000,000 and possibly one part in 5,000,000 will cause a skin burn in a sensitive person on prolonged exposure. According to Warthin, the lesions produced by mustard gas are those of a chemical, not unlike hydrochloric acid, but of much greater intensity. The pathology of these lesions has been carefully studied and fully described by Warthin and Weller in their book on The Pathology of Mustard Gas. Our observations will therefore be confined to certain striking features of the vesicant action of this substance.