6. To develop masks, canisters, protective clothing, etc.
7. To develop incendiaries, smokes, signals, etc., and the best methods of using the same.
Fig. 4.—American University Experiment Station,
showing Small Scale Plants.
8. To co-operate with the manufacturing divisions in regard to difficulties arising during the operations of manufacturing war gases, absorbents, etc.
9. To co-operate with other branches of the Government, civil and military, in regard to war problems.
10. To collect and make available to the Director of the Chemical Warfare Service all information in regard to the chemistry of gas warfare.
The relation of the various sections may best be shown by outlining the general procedure used when a new toxic substance was developed.
The substance in question may have been used by the Germans or the Allies; it may have been suggested by someone outside the station; or the staff may have thought of it from a search of the literature, from analogy or from pure inspiration. The Offense Research Section made the substance. If it was a solid it was sent to the Dispersoid Section, where methods of dispersing it were worked out. When this had been done, or, at once, if the compound was a liquid or vapor, it was sent to the Toxicological Section to be tested for toxicity, lachrymatory power, vesicant action, or other special properties. If these tests proved the compound to have a high toxicity or a peculiar physiological behavior, it was then turned over to a number of different sections.
The Offense Research Section tried to improve the method of preparation. When a satisfactory method had been found, the Chemical Production or Small Scale Manufacturing Section endeavored to make it on a large scale (50 pounds to a ton) and worked out the manufacturing difficulties. If further tests showed that the substance was valuable, the manufacture was then given to the Development Division or the Gas Offense Production Division for large scale production.