Asphyxiants

Asphyxiants, chemical substances inclosed in shells or other projectiles, and which act by producing a suffocating and poisonous effect. The French in 1851 made experiments with asphyxiating shot for naval purposes, designed to suffocate the crews between decks. Such missiles were disapproved by the Peace Conference at The Hague in 1899 (Britain and the United States dissenting). A similar device, the stinkpot, is a favourite instrument of warfare amongst the Chinese and the pirates of the eastern seas. Besides being used in this sense, the term asphyxiants is applied to any gases having a suffocating or poisonous effect on the human system. Thus coal-gas escaping in a house, the carbonic acid gas filling wine-vats, or liberated in coal-pits after an explosion of fire-damp, and the various products of combustion, are all asphyxiants which daily claim their victims. In manufactories, numerous instances occur of workmen venturing incautiously into tanks containing the vapours of chloroform, alcohol, aniline, petroleum, and other liquids, all of which act as asphyxiants. A striking case of asphyxiation occurred on 25th September 1886, at Crarae quarry, Loch Fyne, where seven tons of gunpowder were exploded in order to shatter an immense face of rock. A large party of excursionists, who had witnessed the grand explosion from a steamer, landed shortly afterwards, and entered the quarry. Without any warning, about forty of them were suddenly struck down by the poisonous suffocating vapours, and although soon removed to fresh air, seven of them never rallied. —There are many devices in use for extinguishing fires by means of a portable apparatus which produces an asphyxiating gas, such as carbonic acid gas. Fire-extinguishers of this kind are called asphyxiators.