calation of an existing use of irritant chemicals. The use of irritating smokes, e.g., from burning sulfur, against enemy fortifications dates to antiquity. The vagaries of wind and weather and the lack of modern chemical technology had served as an effective limitation to the employment of chemicals in warfare prior to 1914.In fact, several belligerents in World War I had been using munitions filled with irritants from almost the beginning of hostilities. The French first used shells filled with ethyl bromoacetate in August 1914, less than one month into the war, and chloroacetone was introduced into the French arsenal in November 1914. On 27 October 1914, the Germans at Neuve-Chappelle used the "Ni-Schrapnell" 105 mm shell, which consisted of lead balls embedded in powdered o-dianisidine chlorosulfonate. On 31 January 1915 at Boloimow, the Germans introduced 150 mm shells filled with "T-Stoff," a mixture of brominated aromatics including xylyl bromide, xylylene bromide, and benzyl bromide. All these compounds are extreme irritants capable of severely limiting the effectiveness of unprotected troops.Back to Top *ww1.html* Development of Additional AgentsAs the war continued, many toxic compounds in addition to chlorine were tested for utility as chemical warfare agents:Bromine Trichloromethylsulfuryl chloride Phosgene (CG *../agents/other.html*). On 19 December 1915, 88 tons of phosgene were released from 4,000 cylinders at Nieltje in Flanders Trichloromethyl chloroformate (DP *../agents/other.html*, diphosgene) Monochloromethyl chloroformate Hydrogen cyanide (AC *../agents/other.html*) Hydrogen sulfide Trichloronitromethane (PS *../other%20military%20chemicals/tear%20gases.html*, chloropicrin) Cyanogen bromide Cyanogen chloride (CK *../agents/other.html*) Phenylcarbamine dichloride (phosgene anilide) Dichloromethyl ether Dibromomethyl ether Methyl cyanoformate Ethyl cyanoformate Methanesulfonyl chloride Ethanesulfonyl chloride Ethyldi...
