Chemical Warfare Research During World War I - ACS Publications

during World War I in research on chemical warfare. This research was initially conducted largely by academic chemists as volunteers and later by them...
0 downloads 0 Views 2MB Size
9 Chemical Warfare Research During World War I A Model of Cooperative Research

Downloaded by TUFTS UNIV on March 18, 2018 | https://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: August 23, 1984 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1984-0228.ch009

DANIEL P. JONES University of Illinois at the Medical Center, Humanistic Studies Program, Chicago, IL 60612

Project-research, a method of organizing research by stipulation of projects and allocation of these to individuals or teams of scientists in separate laboratories, was developed in the United States during World War I in research on chemical warfare. This research was i n i t i a l l y conducted largely by academic chemists as volunteers and later by them in the Research Division of the Chemical Warfare Service of the U. S. Army. Many of the leading American chemists in the 1920s shared the common experience of research on chemical warfare. The model of project-research was tried by the leaders of the division of chemistry and chemical technol­ ogy of the National Research Council in order to allocate specific research problems and foster cooperative research after the war. The d r a m a t i c t r a n s f o r m a t i o n t h a t t h e s c i e n c e s have made o n modern w a r f a r e became a p p a r e n t d u r i n g W o r l d War I . J u s t a f t e r t h e war R o b e r t M. Y e r k e s e d i t e d a volume e n t i t l e d The New W o r l d of S c i e n c e : I t s Development D u r i n g t h e War, i n w h i c h s e v e r a l s c i e n t i s t s d e s c r i b e d w e l l t h e t r a n s f o r m a t i o n t h e y had w i t n e s s e d and t h e r o l e s o f v a r i o u s s c i e n c e s i n b r i n g i n g a b o u t t h i s c h a n g e . M o r e o v e r , a f e w o f t h e a u t h o r s r e c o g n i z e d t h a t t h e war h a d r e q u i r e d the m o b i l i z a t i o n o f t h e s c i e n t i f i c r e s o u r c e s o f t h e n a t i o n t o an e x t e n t n o t p r e v i o u s l y e n c o u n t e r e d and t h a t t h e r e s u l t s o f many teams o f s c i e n t i s t s w o r k i n g on c o o r d i n a t e d p r o grams o f g o v e r n m e n t a l l y s p o n s o r e d r e s e a r c h had been i m p r e s s i v e . F o r e x a m p l e , George E l l e r y H a l e , James R. A n g e l l , and R o b e r t A. M i l l i k a n c ^ t e d t h e p r o d u c t i v i t y o f s u c h teams a s e v i d e n c e f o r t h e power o f c o o p e r a t i o n i n r e s e a r c h , and t h e y c a l l e d f o r a s i m i l a r l y coordinated approach to s c i e n t i f i c problems i n peacetime 2^). I n t h e decade f o l l o w i n g t h e war, t h e l e a d e r s o f t h e N a t i o n a l R e s e a r c h C o u n c i l (NRC) assumed m a j o r r e s p o n s i b i l i t y f o r o r g a n i z i n g

0097-6156/83/0228-0165 $06.25/0 ©

1983 A m e r i c a n Chemical Society

Parascandola and Whorton; Chemistry and Modern Society ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1984.

CHEMISTRY A N D MODERN SOCIETY

Downloaded by TUFTS UNIV on March 18, 2018 | https://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: August 23, 1984 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1984-0228.ch009

166

s c i e n t i f i c r e s e a r c h i n the U n i t e d S t a t e s . Through Hale's i n i t i a t i v e t h e NRC was r e o r g a n i z e d a s a permanent p a r t o f t h e N a t i o n a l Academy o f S c i e n c e s , d e d i c a t e d t o t h e s t i m u l a t i o n o f p u r e and a p p l i e d r e s e a r c h and t h e p r o m o t i o n o f n a t i o n a l and i n t e r n a t i o n a l cooperation i n research ( 3 ) . In order to f o s t e r cooperation the NRC was " t o s u r v e y t h e l a r g e r p o s s i b i l i t i e s o f s c i e n c e , t o f o r m u l a t e c o m p r e h e n s i v e p r o j e c t s o f r e s e a r c h , and t o d e v e l o p e f f e c t i v e means o f u t i l i z i n g t h e s c i e n t i f i c and t e c h n i c a l r e s o u r c e s o f t h e country f o r d e a l i n g w i t h these p r o j e c t s " ( 4 ) . T h i s approach, " p r o j e c t - r e s e a r c h " , w h i c h had p r o v e d t o be e f f e c t i v e i n a c h i e v i n g c o o p e r a t i o n among s c i e n t i s t s i n w a r t i m e was c a r r i e d o v e r i n t o t h e p o s t w a r p e r i o d b y t h e NRC i n s e v e r a l o f i t s d i v i s i o n s . F o r examp l e , t h e c h a i r m e n o f t h e d i v i s i o n o f c h e m i s t r y and c h e m i c a l t e c h n o l o g y attempted t o guide c h e m i c a l r e s e a r c h d u r i n g the decade f r o m 1919 t o 1929 b y t h e a s s i g n m e n t o f p r o j e c t s t o v o l u n t e e r s . The model t h a t s e r v e d w e l l was t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n o f w a r t i m e r e s e a r c h on c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e a g e n t s , t h e l a r g e s t o f t h e government a l l y s p o n s o r e d r e s e a r c h p r o g r a m s of t h e war, i n i t i a l l y u n d e r t h e B u r e a u of M i n e s and l a t e r a s t h e R e s e a r c h D i v i s i o n o f t h e C h e m i c a l W a r f a r e S e r v i c e ( 5 ) . Over o n e - t e n t h o f t h e c h e m i s t s o f t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s were d i r e c t l y i n v o l v e d i n t h e c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e r e s e a r c h e f f o r t i n W o r l d War I ( 6 ) . R e s e a r c h o n c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e was s i n g l e d o u t a s a m o d e l o f p r o j e c t - r e s e a r c h a f t e r t h e war b e c a u s e of i t s s i z e , t h e s u c c e s s w i t h w h i c h i t g u i d e d work on i n t e r r e l a t e d p r o j e c t s , and a l s o b e c a u s e many o f t h e c h e m i s t s , p h a r m a c o l o g i s t s , and p h y s i o l o g i s t s f o r m e r l y i n t h e C h e m i c a l W a r f a r e S e r v i c e h e l d p o s i t i o n s o f l e a d e r s h i p i n t h e s c i e n t i f i c community i n t h e e n s u i n g decade. Although i t p r o v i d e d i n s p i r a t i o n f o r p r o j e c t - r e s e a r c h i n s e v e r a l f i e l d s o f s c i e n c e , the model o f c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e r e s e a r c h was e s p e c i a l l y s t r o n g on A m e r i c a n c h e m i s t s b e c a u s e t h e y f e l t a s p e c i a l k i n s h i p w i t h t h e C h e m i c a l W a r f a r e S e r v i c e o f t h e U.S. Army. T h i s k i n s h i p was a n i m p o r t a n t f a c t o r i n t h e f a i l u r e i n 1926 o f t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s S e n a t e t o r a t i f y t h e Geneva P r o t o c o l p r o h i b i t i n g chemical warfare ( 7 ) . T h i s c h a p t e r w i l l examine t h e n a t u r e o f p r o j e c t - r e s e a r c h a s i t developed i n the o r g a n i z a t i o n of chemical warfare r e s e a r c h d u r i n g W o r l d War I and w i l l s u g g e s t t h a t t h i s m o d e l may have played a s i g n i f i c a n t r o l e i n the attempts at i n c r e a s e d o r g a n i z a t i o n o f c h e m i c a l r e s e a r c h i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s a f t e r t h e war, e s p e c i a l l y i n t h e d i v i s i o n o f c h e m i s t r y and c h e m i c a l t e c h n o l o g y of the N a t i o n a l Research C o u n c i l . -

Project-Research P r o j e c t - r e s e a r c h , a s i t e v o l v e d d u r i n g t h e war and t h r o u g h t h e 1920s had s e v e r a l c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s common t o what i s known a s t h e " p r o b l e m a p p r o a c h " a l r e a d y i n e x i s t e n c e a t t h a t t i m e . The U n i t e d S t a t e s government had p i o n e e r e d i n t h e p r o b l e m a p p r o a c h a s e a r l y as 1880 i n t h e Department o f A g r i c u l t u r e , and f o r y e a r s s e v e r a l b u r e a u c h i e f s had a s s i g n e d e x p e r t s i n v a r i o u s d i s c i p l i n e s

Parascandola and Whorton; Chemistry and Modern Society ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1984.

Downloaded by TUFTS UNIV on March 18, 2018 | https://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: August 23, 1984 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1984-0228.ch009

9.

JONES

Chemical Warfare Research

167

t o work t o g e t h e r on s p e c i f i c p r o b l e m s w i t h l i t t l e r e g a r d t o t r a d i t i o n a l b o u n d a r i e s o f s c i e n t i f i c d i s c i p l i n e s C8)The p r o b l e m a p p r o a c h had been e v i d e n t a l s o i n t h e work o f t h e R o c k e f e l l e r I n s t i t u t e and t h e C a r n e g i e I n s t i t u t i o n s i n c e t h e i r establishment i n the f i r s t decade of the c e n t u r y . However, d u r i n g W o r l d War I i n a t t e m p t i n g t o expand t h i s a p p r o a c h t o a s i z e a b l e p o r t i o n o f t h e s c i e n t i s t s o f t h e n a t i o n , new d i f f i c u l t i e s were e n c o u n t e r e d . F i r s t , t h e number o f i n v e s t i g a t o r s t o be o r g a n i z e d was q u i t e l a r g e , and s e c o n d , most o f them were n o t employed by t h e f e d e r a l government, b u t had t o be r e c r u i t e d as v o l u n t e e r s t o w o r k f o r l i t t l e o r no r e m u n e r a t i o n . W a r t i m e p r o j e c t - r e s e a r c h r e s e m b l e d t h e e a r l i e r p r o b l e m a p p r o a c h i n t h a t i t p r o c e e d e d by t h e s t i p u l a t i o n of r e s e a r c h problems worthy of a t t e n t i o n , a l l o c a t i o n of t h e s e t o s c i e n t i s t s , c o l l e c t i o n o f t h e i r r e s u l t s , and s u g g e s t i o n o f f u r t h e r p r o j e c t s . P r o j e c t - r e s e a r c h d i f f e r e d from the problem a p p r o a c h i n t h a t t h e s c i e n t i s t s were g e n e r a l l y u n p a i d v o l u n t e e r s and were s e l e c t e d f r o m a l a r g e p o p u l a t i o n t h a t were w o r k i n g i n v a r i o u s c o l l e g e s and u n i v e r s i t i e s a t c o n s i d e r a b l e d i s t a n c e s a p a r t . These d i s t i n c t i o n s became c l e a r a f t e r t h e war when, d e s p i t e t h e n e a r l y g e n e r a l agreement among s c i e n t i s t s on t h e d e s i r a b i l i t y o f c o o p e r a t i o n , t h e r e p r e v a i l e d a f e a r t h a t s u c h schemes m i g h t i n t e r * f e r e w i t h the t r a d i t i o n a l independence of s c i e n t i s t s . Projectr e s e a r c h was c o n s i d e r e d a c c e p t a b l e b e c a u s e t h e a u t o n o m i e s o f t h e i n v e s t i g a t o r s were m a i n t a i n e d and t h e i r p r o j e c t s were l i m i t e d t o s p e c i f i c problems of small s i z e . H e n r y P r e n t i s s Armsby, c h a i r m a n o f t h e a g r i c u l t u r e s e c t i o n o f t h e A m e r i c a n A s s o c i a t i o n f o r t h e Advancement o f S c i e n c e , u r g e d t h e members o f t h e AAAS i n 1919 t o a v o i d b e i n g stampeded by t h e s u c ~ c e s s o f w a r t i m e s c i e n t i f i c r e s e a r c h i n t o an undue e x a l t a t i o n o f t h e v i r t u e s o f s c i e n t i f i c c o o p e r a t i o n and o r g a n i z a t i o n . He explained that The men who worked t o g e t h e r a l m o s t n i g h t and day t o d e v i s e e f f i c i e n t gas masks o r means o f s u b m a r i n e d e t e c t i o n o r methods o f sound r a n g i n g were n o t w o r k men u n d e r t h e o r d e r s o f a s u p e r i o r , b u t f r e e a s s o c i a t i o n s o f s c i e n t i s t s w i t h t r a i n i n g i n common o r r e l a t e d f i e l d s o f r e s e a r c h and u n d e r t h e i n s p i r a t i o n o f a common p a t r i o t i s m . P r e c i s e l y t h i s i s what i s needed t o a c h i e v e t h e v i c t o r i e s o f p e a c e . E f f e c t i v e c o o p e r a t i o n c a n n o t be imposed f r o m above by a d m i n i s t r a t i v e a u t h o r i t y b u t can o n l y come by f r e e democ r a t i c a c t i o n of i n v e s t i g a t o r s themselves. (9). The e x t e n s i o n i n t o p e a c e t i m e o f p r o j e c t - r e s e a r c h r e q u i r e d a commonly h e l d i d e a l s i m i l a r t o t h e " i n s p i r a t i o n o f a common p a t r i o t i s m . " Armsby b e l i e v e d t h i s c o u l d be f o u n d i n t h e p r o g r a m o f t h e n e w l y r e o r g a n i z e d NRC, i n t h a t i t s p l a n f o r c o o p e r a t i v e r e s e a r c h was b a s e d upon t h e v o l u n t a r y i n i t i a t i v e o f i n v e s t i g a t o r s , u n i t e d by t h e i r common i n t e r e s t i n s o l v i n g p r o b l e m s e s s e n t i a l f o r t h e advancement o f s c i e n c e i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s . Because the l e a d e r s o f t h e NRC were c o n v i n c e d t h a t t h i s a t t i t u d e p r e v a i l e d

Parascandola and Whorton; Chemistry and Modern Society ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1984.

CHEMISTRY A N D M O D E R N SOCIETY

168

among A m e r i c a n s c i e n t i s t s , t h e y were q u i c k t o a s s u r e them t h a t the NRC s program d i d n o t r e s t r i c t the freedom of s c i e n t i s t s . R e p r e s e n t a t i v e o f many s u c h s t a t e m e n t s f r o m 1919 t o 1921 i s t h a t o f V e r n o n K e l l o g g , permanent s e c r e t a r y o f t h e NRC: I know o f n o one i n t h e N a t i o n a l R e s e a r c h C o u n c i l ... who dreams o f s u g g e s t i n g t h e a d v i s a b i l i t y o f o r g a n i z i n g o r i n any way i n t e r f e r i n g w i t h , t h e i n d i v i d u a l i s t i c work o f s c i e n t i f i c g e n i u s . What i s s u g g e s t e d as a d v i s a b l e , b e c a u s e i t was p r o v e d t o be p o s s i b l e and h i g h l y e f f e c t i v e i n o u r w a r t i m e e f f o r t s , i s t o a r r a n g e f o r p l a n n e d , c o n c e r t e d a t t a c k on l a r g e s c i e n t i f i c p r o b l e m s a s r e q u i r e numerous c o o p e r a t i n g w o r k e r s and l a b o r a t o r i e s r e p r e s e n t i n g , o f t e n n o t a l o n e one s p e c i a l f i e l d o r even one m a j o r f i e l d o r realm of s c i e n c e , but s e v e r a l such f i e l d s ( 1 0 ) . P r o j e c t - r e s e a r c h was e s s e n t i a l t o t h e p l a n s o f t h e NRC n o t o n l y t o ensure s c i e n t i f i c freedom but a l s o f o r a f i n a n c i a l r e a s o n . H a v i n g n o s u b s t a n t i a l f u n d s t o s u p p o r t r e s e a r c h i t s e l f , t h e NRC was d e p e n d e n t upon s c i e n t i s t s v o l u n t e e r i n g t h e i r e f f o r t s . In both r e s p e c t s t h e m o d e l o f o r g a n i z a t i o n u s e d b y t h e r e s e a r c h p r o g r a m on c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e d u r i n g t h e war was f o u n d t o be a v e r y u s e f u l one by t h e l e a d e r s o f t h e NRC a s t h e y a t t e m p t e d t o o r g a n i z e A m e r i c a n s c i e n c e i n t h e 1920s.

Downloaded by TUFTS UNIV on March 18, 2018 | https://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: August 23, 1984 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1984-0228.ch009

1

V o l u n t a r y Nature of Research on Chemical

Warfare

The m o b i l i z a t i o n o f c h e m i s t s f o r r e s e a r c h on c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e was a c c o m p l i s h e d a l m o s t e n t i r e l y t h r o u g h t h e i r own v o l u n t a r y e f f o r t s and n o t a t t h e i n s t i g a t i o n o f t h e m i l i t a r y . In f a c t , m i l i t a r y l e a d e r s i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s i n i t i a l l y had i g n o r e d t h e need f o r any c h e m i c a l r e s e a r c h i n t h i s a r e a , a l t h o u g h many chem-. i s t s a t t h e t i m e r e c o g n i z e d t h i s need, as d i d the d i r e c t o r o f t h e Bureau of Mines. When t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s e n t e r e d W o r l d War I i n A p r i l , 1917, t h e Army was u n p r e p a r e d f o r gas w a r f a r e . I t p o s s e s s e d n e i t h e r s u p p l i e s o f gas masks n o r s t a n d a r d c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e a g e n t s , y e t two y e a r s had e l a p s e d s i n c e t h e German army had f i r s t u s e d c h l o r i n e gas a t Y p r e s . I n a d d i t i o n , f r o m 1915 t o 1917 t h e g o v e r n ments o f Germany, F r a n c e , and G r e a t B r i t a i n had e n l i s t e d t h e s e r v i c e s of c h e m i s t s i n t h e i r r e s p e c t i v e c o u n t r i e s i n e s t a b l i s h i n g programs o f c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e and had l e a r n e d t h a t r e s e a r c h was e s s e n t i a l i f a n army was t o g a i n an a d v a n t a g e on t h e b a t t l e f i e l d by r e l e a s i n g a new, u n e x p e c t e d c h e m i c a l a g e n t . A m e r i c a n m i l i t a r y men were s k e p t i c a l a b o u t t h e v a l u e o f c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e i n 1917. T h e i r a t t i t u d e s toward the i n t r u s i o n o f c h e m i s t s and gas i n t o w a r f a r e h a v e been examined e l s e w h e r e ( 1 1 ) . O t h e r r e a s o n s f o r t h i s l a c k o f p r e p a r a t i o n a r e t h a t i m p r o v e d gas masks had r e d u c e d t h e e f f e c t i v e n e s s o f p o i s o n gas a s a weapon, and a t t h e same t i m e e x t e n s i v e c l o u d gas a t t a c k s l i k e t h e f i r s t a t t a c k a t Y p r e s had become i n c r e a s i n g l y d i f f i c u l t t o c a r r y o u t .

Parascandola and Whorton; Chemistry and Modern Society ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1984.

Downloaded by TUFTS UNIV on March 18, 2018 | https://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: August 23, 1984 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1984-0228.ch009

9.

JONKS

Chemical Warfare Research

169

American o f f i c e r s o n l y r e c o g n i z e d t h e importance o f chemical warf a r e l a t e r i n 1917, when two m a j o r i n n o v a t i o n s were i n t r o d u c e d a t the f r o n t . I t was t h e n t h a t t h e German army f i r s t u s e d m u s t a r d gas ( d i c h l o r o d i e t h y l s u l f i d e ) , a s k i n v e s i c a n t t h a t p r o d u c e d a v e r y h i g h r a t e o f c a s u a l t i e s s i n c e masks were o f l i t t l e p r o t e c t i o n , and t h e B r i t i s h army f i r s t employed t h e L i v e n s p r o j e c t o r , a m o r t a r c a p a b l e o f h u r l i n g a 150-pound drum o f t o x i c c h e m i c a l s i n t o t h e enemy's t r e n c h e s (12) . So i t was n o t b e f o r e l a t e summer o f 1917 t h a t t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s War Department c o n s i d e r e d s e r i o u s l y the d e v e l o p m e n t o f a program f o r c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e r e s e a r c h . By then s u c h a program a l r e a d y was u n d e r way, c o n d u c t e d by a few men a s s o c i a t e d w i t h t h e B u r e a u o f M i n e s who t o o k t h e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y of a s s i g n i n g s p e c i f i c r e s e a r c h p r o j e c t s t o c h e m i s t s i n t h e c o l l e g e s and u n i v e r s i t i e s o f t h e c o u n t r y . The N a t i o n a l R e s e a r c h C o u n c i l had been c r e a t e d i n 1916 i n a n t i c i p a t i o n o f t h e war s p e c i f i c a l l y t o s e r v e a s an i n t e r m e d i a r y to p r o v i d e t h e government's C o u n c i l o f N a t i o n a l D e f e n s e w i t h t e c h n i c a l a d v i c e from t h e s c i e n t i s t s of the country. However, few o f t h e NRC c o m m i t t e e s had worked o u t p l a n s f o r t h i s f u n c t i o n when t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s e n t e r e d t h e war. A proposed survey of e d u c a t i o n a l i n s t i t u t i o n s t o make an i n v e n t o r y o f f a c i l i t i e s , e q u i p m e n t , and manpower had n o t y e t begun a t t h e t i m e when many u n i v e r s i t y and c o l l e g e f a c u l t y were o f f e r i n g t h e i r s e r v i c e s t o the government ( 1 3 , 1 4 ) . T h r o u g h o u t 1917 t h e A m e r i c a n C h e m i c a l S o c i e t y u r g e d a c a d e m i c c h e m i s t s n o t t o e n l i s t i n t h e army b u t w a i t u n t i l t h e government c o u l d a c c e p t t h e i r s e r v i c e s a s c h e m i s t s (15) . M e a n w h i l e , t h e B u r e a u o f M i n e s had a l r e a d y assumed r e s p o n s i b i l i t y f o r c o n d u c t i n g r e s e a r c h on c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e and had e n l i s t e d t h e a s s i s t a n c e o f many c h e m i s t s t h r o u g h o u t t h e c o u n t r y . The B u r e a u ' s p r o g r a m was w e l l e s t a b l i s h e d when i t was p l a c e d f o r a d m i n i s t r a t i v e p u r p o s e s u n d e r t h e NRC's c o m m i t t e e on n o x i o u s gases. S i n c e i t s e s t a b l i s h m e n t i n 1910 a s a b u r e a u o f t h e Department o f t h e I n t e r i o r , t h e Bureau o f M i n e s had m a i n t a i n e d on i t s s t a f f a number o f s c i e n t i s t s a n d e n g i n e e r s who s t u d i e d t h e t o x i c a n d a s p h y x i a t i n g gases o f t e n found i n mines. C o n s i d e r i n g t h i s expert i s e t o be o f v a l u e i n t h e a r e a o f gas w a r f a r e , t h e d i r e c t o r o f t h e B u r e a u o f M i n e s , Van H. M a n n i n g , o f f e r e d t h e s e r v i c e s o f h i s b u r e a u t o t h e m i l i t a r y c o m m i t t e e o f t h e NRC on F e b r u a r y 8, 1917 (16) . A l t h o u g h h i s o f f e r was n o t a c c e p t e d f o r s e v e r a l months, Manning p r o c e e d e d w i t h p l a n s t o b e g i n r e s e a r c h on c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e i n t h e B u r e a u o f M i n e s . The B u r e a u ' s s m a l l r e s e a r c h f a c i l i t y , t h e P i t t s b u r g h E x p e r i m e n t S t a t i o n , c o u l d n o t accomodate a l a r g e r e s e a r c h p r o g r a m , and so Manning d e c i d e d t o s e e k v o l u n t e e r s among c h e m i s t s o f t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s who w o u l d c o n d u c t i n v e s t i g a t i o n s i n t h e i r own l a b o r a t o r i e s . A c c o r d i n g l y , he i n i t i a t e d an i n v e n t o r y of a v a i l a b l e c h e m i s t s a n d e n g i n e e r s i n c o o p e r a t i o n w i t h t h e A m e r i c a n I n s t i t u t e o f M i n i n g E n g i n e e r s and t h e A m e r i c a n C h e m i c a l S o c i e t y . T h e i r members r e c e i v e d q u e s t i o n n a i r e s on w h i c h t h e y were to r e p o r t t h e i r a r e a s o f e x p e r t i s e , t h e i r w i l l i n g n e s s t o p a r t i c i -

Parascandola and Whorton; Chemistry and Modern Society ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1984.

Downloaded by TUFTS UNIV on March 18, 2018 | https://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: August 23, 1984 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1984-0228.ch009

170

CHEMISTRY A N D MODERN SOCIETY

p a t e i n w a r - r e l a t e d p r o j e c t s , and t h e amount o f t i m e t h e y c o u l d c o n t r i b u t e ( 1 7 , 1 8 ) . By J u l y , 1917, i n f o r m a t i o n o n o v e r 15,000 p e r s o n s was a v a i l a b l e f o r t h e s e l e c t i o n o f t h o s e v o l u n t e e r s who would be a s k e d t o c o n d u c t s p e c i f i c r e s e a r c h p r o j e c t s . Manning c o n s i d e r e d t h e B u r e a u o f M i n e s f i l e t o be a n e a r l y c o m p l e t e l i s t of t h e c h e m i s t s o f t h e c o u n t r y s i n c e t h e membership o f t h e A m e r i can C h e m i c a l S o c i e t y a t t h a t t i m e was 14,500. D u r i n g t h e c o u r s e of W o r l d War I M a n n i n g ' s f i l e o f t e n was c o n s u l t e d by o t h e r g o v e r n m e n t a l a g e n c i e s t h a t were r e c r u i t i n g s c i e n t i s t s , and most o f t h e c h e m i s t s who l a t e r e n t e r e d m i l i t a r y s e r v i c e were i d e n t i f i e d t h r o u g h t h i s f i l e and t r a n s f e r r e d t o u n i t s where t h e y c o u l d s e r v e as c h e m i s t s . The m i l i t a r y c o m m i t t e e o f t h e NRC f i n a l l y a c c e p t e d M a n n i n g ' s o f f e r on A p r i l 3 and c r e a t e d a c o m m i t t e e on n o x i o u s gases w i t h M a n n i n g as c h a i r m a n ( 1 9 ) . I t was t h r o u g h t h i s c o m m i t t e e o f t h e NRC t h a t t h e B u r e a u o f M i n e s r e c e i v e d i t s a u t h o r i t y t o c o n d u c t r e s e a r c h on c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e . M a n n i n g , a s c h a i r m a n , c o n d u c t e d i t s f u n c t i o n n e a r l y e n t i r e l y t h r o u g h t h e Bureau o f M i n e s o r g a n i z a t i o n u n t i l t h e NRC c o m m i t t e e on n o x i o u s gases was d i s s o l v e d on August 10, 1918. I n s e l e c t i n g a n a d m i n i s t r a t i v e s t a f f Manning p r i m a r i l y drew upon B u r e a u o f M i n e s s t a f f and a few i n d u s t r i a l and a c a d e m i c c h e m i s t s who had s e r v e d a s c o n s u l t a n t s t o t h e B u r e a u i n the p a s t . A t t h e s e c o n d m e e t i n g o f t h e c o m m i t t e e on n o x i o u s g a s e s , h e l d on A p r i l 21, M a n n i n g c e n t e r e d t h e d i s c u s s i o n on t h e b e s t p l a n f o r t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n o f t h e r e s e a r c h program. He e x p l a i n e d t o t h e 18 members p r e s e n t ( h i s s t a f f , s e v e r a l Army and Navy o f f i c e r s , and members o f t h e c h e m i s t r y c o m m i t t e e o f t h e NRC) t h a t i n c o n n e c t i o n w i t h h i s i n v e n t o r y o f c h e m i s t s , o f f e r s were c o m i n g i n f r o m many i n d i v i d u a l s and l a b o r a t o r i e s t h r o u g h o u t t h e c o u n t r y . F o r e x a m p l e , c h e m i s t s a t t h e Johns H o p k i n s U n i v e r s i t y had o f f e r e d t h e f r e e u s e of t h e i r s e r v i c e s and t h e u n i v e r s i t y ' s l a b o r a t o r i e s . Manning thought they s h o u l d take advantage of t h e s e o f f e r s r a t h e r than conduct the c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e r e s e a r c h e x c l u s i v e l y i n Bureau of Mines l a b o r a t o r i e s . The d i s c u s s i o n t h e n moved t o t h e way r e s e a r c h on c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e was o r g a n i z e d i n G r e a t B r i t a i n , t h e d i s a d v a n t a g e s o f t h e B r i t i s h d i v i s i o n i n t o o f f e n s i v e and d e f e n s i v e c o m m i t t e e s , and t h e d u p l i c a t i o n s o f e f f o r t w h i c h had r e s u l t e d f r o m e x c e s s i v e s e c r e c y and c o m p a r t m e n t a l i z a t i o n o f r e s e a r c h . The d e c i s i o n was r e a c h e d t h a t one c e n t r a l c o m m i t t e e w o u l d be k e p t c u r r e n t on t h e p r o g r e s s o f a l l r e s e a r c h and t h a t s e v e r a l s u b c o m m i t t e e s would be c r e a t e d r e p r e s e n t i n g s p e c i f i c p r o j e c t s , f o r example one to i n v e s t i g a t e new o f f e n s i v e a g e n t s . The s u b c o m m i t t e e s were t o a s s i s t t h e c e n t r a l c o m m i t t e e i n d e f i n i n g r e s e a r c h p r o b l e m s and a s s i g n i n g them t o v o l u n t e e r s . A l l r e p o r t s were t o be s e n t t o t h e c e n t r a l c o m m i t t e e who w o u l d e n s u r e t h a t d u p l i c a t i o n d i d n o t o c c u r and t h a t a l l o f t h e s p e c i f i c p r o j e c t s a s s i g n e d were p r o c e e d i n g together. George A. B u r r e l l , a f o r m e r d i r e c t o r o f t h e B u r e a u o f M i n e s P i t t s b u r g h l a b o r a t o r y , was s e l e c t e d b y M a n n i n g t o be i n c h a r g e o f

Parascandola and Whorton; Chemistry and Modern Society ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1984.

Downloaded by TUFTS UNIV on March 18, 2018 | https://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: August 23, 1984 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1984-0228.ch009

9.

JONES

Chemical Warfare Research

171

r e s e a r c h , and he was g i v e n t h e i m m e d i a t e t a s k o f c o m p i l i n g a l i s t of s p e c i f i c r e s e a r c h problems f o r d i s t r i b u t i o n t o v o l u n t e e r s . S i n c e t h e NRC had made i t c l e a r t o M a n n i n g t h a t he was t o i n t e r f e r e as l i t t l e as p o s s i b l e w i t h c h e m i c a l i n d u s t r i e s , he t u r n e d h i s a t t e n t i o n t o c h e m i s t s i n c o l l e g e s and u n i v e r s i t i e s Ç20). T h r o u g h o u t t h e month o f May, two o f Manning's s t a f f , W a r r e n K. L e w i s and B r a d l e y Dewey, t r a v e l e d t o i n s t i t u t i o n s i n t h e E a s t and Midwest, showing to chemists the l o n g l i s t o f problems compiled by B u r r e l l and e n l i s t i n g t h e i r a i d . On May 25, 1917, t h e B u r e a u o f M i n e s a c c e p t e d t h e a s s i s t a n c e o f 122 c h e m i s t s and e s t a b l i s h e d 28 b r a n c h l a b o r a t o r i e s o f t h e B u r e a u o f M i n e s (20 i n c o l l e g e s and u n i v e r s i t i e s , f o u r i n i n d u s t r i a l l a b o r a t o r i e s , and f o u r i n g o v e r n mental l a b o r a t o r i e s ) . These l a b o r a t o r i e s and t h e number o f c h e m i s t s w o r k i n g i n e a c h were as f o l l o w s : C a r n e g i e T e c h n i c a l S c h o o l , 5; M a s s a c h u s e t t s I n s t i t u t e o f T e c h n o l o g y , 2; The J o h n s H o p k i n s U n i v e r s i t y , 6; H a r v a r d U n i v e r s i t y , 5; U n i v e r s i t y o f C h i c a g o , 4; O h i o S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y , 5; U n i v e r s i t y o f W i s c o n s i n , 4; U n i v e r s i t y o f I l l i n o i s , 4; U n i v e r s i t y o f C i n c i n n a t i , 1; New Y o r k U n i v e r s i t y , 4; C i t y C o l l e g e o f New Y o r k , 2; C o l u m b i a U n i v e r s i t y , 3; M a s s a c h u s e t t s A g r i c u l t u r a l C o l l e g e , 2; Amherst C o l l e g e , 1; W o r c e s t e r P o l y t e c h n i c I n s t i t u t e , 4; U n i v e r s i t y o f P i t t s b u r g h , 2; C o r n e l l U n i v e r s i t y , 4; New H a m p s h i r e U n i v e r s i t y , 1; P r i n c e t o n U n i v e r s i t y , 2; B r y n Mawr C o l l e g e , 1; B u r e a u o f M i n e s , 4; B u r e a u o f C h e m i s t r y , 4; B u r e a u o f S t a n d a r d s , 2; F o r e s t P r o d u c t s L a b o r a t o r y , 6; M e l l o n I n s t i t u t e , 4; P i t t s b u r g h T e s t i n g L a b o r a t o r y , 2; N a t i o n a l E l e c t r i c Lamp Co., 3; N a t i o n a l Carbon Co., 7 (21) . These l a b o r a t o r i e s c o n s t i t u t e d t h e i n i t i a l s i t e s f o r p r o j e c t - r e s e a r c h on c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e . In o r d e r t o c a r r y o u t t h e i r p l a n t o have one c e n t r a l r e s e a r c h committee t h a t would c o o r d i n a t e the s p e c i f i c problems a s s i g n e d t o these l a b o r a t o r i e s , t h e c o m m i t t e e on n o x i o u s g a s e s drew up p l a n s t o c o n s t r u c t a c e n t r a l l a b o r a t o r y i n W a s h i n g t o n , D.C. The b r a n c h l a b o r a t o r y a t t h e J o h n s H o p k i n s U n i v e r s i t y became t h e most i m p o r t a n t one, s i n c e i n t h e c o u r s e o f i t s work many a d d i t i o n a l c h e m i s t s o f t h e c o u n t r y were r e c r u i t e d . Of t h e f o u r members o f t h e c h e m i s t r y d e p a r t m e n t who v o l u n t e e r e d f o r p r o j e c t s , E. Emmet R e i d was t h e most a c t i v e i n t h i s r e g a r d . H i s a s s i g n m e n t was t o s e a r c h among o r g a n i c compounds f o r t h o s e t h a t m i g h t be s u i t a b l e new c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e a g e n t s . He was a u t h o r i z e d by t h e B u r e a u o f M i n e s t o employ s i x g r a d u a t e s t u d e n t s as a s s i s t a n t s , t h e i r s a l a r i e s b e i n g p a i d by t h e B u r e a u ( 2 2 ) . R e i d p r e p a r e d a l i s t o f s u b s t a n c e s w h i c h a p p e a r e d p r o m i s i n g and s e t out t o s y n t h e s i z e them and e v a l u a t e t h e i r c h e m i c a l and p h y s i c a l p r o p e r t i e s . T h i s t a s k p r o v e d t o be t o o l a r g e f o r h i s l a b o r a t o r y , and d u r i n g t h e summer o f 1917 R e i d d i s t r i b u t e d t h e t a s k o f p r e p a r a t i o n o f s p e c i f i c compounds t o o v e r 60 c h e m i s t s t h r o u g h o u t t h e c o u n t r y and m a i n t a i n e d an a c t i v e c o r r e s p o n d e n c e w i t h them. Many o f t h e s e men had been h i s s t u d e n t s o r had r e c e i v e d t h e i r d o c t o r a l d e g r e e s f r o m the Johns Hopkins U n i v e r s i t y . R e i d a s k e d them t o s u g g e s t a d d i t i o n a l compounds t o him and a s s i g n e d t h e s y n t h e s i s o f t h e s e

Parascandola and Whorton; Chemistry and Modern Society ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1984.

Downloaded by TUFTS UNIV on March 18, 2018 | https://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: August 23, 1984 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1984-0228.ch009

172

CHEMISTRY A N D MODERN SOCIETY

compounds and t h o s e w i t h r e l a t e d s t r u c t u r e s t o o t h e r v o l u n t e e r s . I n some c a s e s the d u p l i c a t i o n o f e f f o r t was d e l i b e r a t e ; R e i d gave t h e same s y n t h e t i c p r o b l e m s i m u l t a n e o u s l y t o s e v e r a l c h e m i s t s . They s u b m i t t e d r e p o r t s and i n many i n s t a n c e s m a i l e d s a m p l e s o f t h e h i g h l y t o x i c compounds t o R e i d . F i f t y - s i x s u c h s a m p l e s were r e c e i v e d b y him d u r i n g t h e c o u r s e o f t h e war. Reid's laboratory p r e p a r e d a n a d d i t i o n a l 70 compounds and s u b m i t t e d s a m p l e s o f a l l of t h e s e f o r t o x i c o l o g i c a l t e s t i n g as t h e y were p r e p a r e d . Based on t h e r e p o r t s of t h e s e t e s t s R e i d a t t e m p t e d t o c o r r e l a t e s t r u c t u r e and t o x i c i t y and a s a r e s u l t s u g g e s t e d many r e l a t e d compounds w h i c h he added t o t h e o r i g i n a l l i s t o f compounds t o be s y n t h e s i z e d . R e i d was a p p o i n t e d a c o n s u l t a n t t o t h e B u r e a u o f M i n e s , i n i t i a l l y a t a s a l a r y of one d o l l a r a y e a r . He p r e f e r r e d n o t t o a c c e p t a c o m m i s s i o n i n t h e Army, y e t s u c h c o m m i s s i o n s i n c r e a s i n g l y became common among c h e m i s t s i n t h e b r a n c h l a b o r a t o r i e s a s a way of r e c e i v i n g g o v e r n m e n t a l payment f o r t h e i r s e r v i c e s . For e x a m p l e , a t t h e end o f t h e war t h e r e were 34 s o l d i e r - c h e m i s t s s t a t i o n e d a t the Johns Hopkins U n i v e r s i t y l a b o r a t o r y ( 2 3 ) . The b r a n c h l a b o r a t o r y e s t a b l i s h e d a t Y a l e U n i v e r s i t y was g i v e n r e s p o n s i b i l i t y f o r t e s t i n g the t o x i c i t y o f samples p r e p a r e d by t h e g r o u p o f c h e m i s t s o r g a n i z e d b y R e i d . T h r o u g h o u t 1917, Y a n d e l l H e n d e r s o n , a Y a l e p h y s i o l o g i s t and a c o n s u l t a n t t o t h e B u r e a u o f M i n e s , d i r e c t e d t h e a c t i v i t i e s o f t h e s t a f f o f a b o u t 50 c i v i l i a n and m i l i t a r y p e r s o n n e l a t t h i s s t a t i o n ( 2 4 ) . The b r a n c h l a b o r a t o r y a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f W i s c o n s i n was a s s i g n e d t h e s t u d y o f t h e e f f e c t s o f p r o l o n g e d e x p o s u r e t o low c o n c e n t r a t i o n s of some o f t h e more i m p o r t a n t t o x i c compounds, w i t h the o b j e c t o f d e t e r m i n i n g t h e h a z a r d s w h i c h w o u l d accompany t h e i r manufacture on a l a r g e s c a l e . A t the h e i g h t of i t s a c t i v i t y t h i s l a b o r a t o r y i n v o l v e d 15 members o f t h e f a c u l t y . Some were commiss i o n e d i n t h e Army, but most s e r v e d as c i v i l i a n c o n s u l t a n t s t o t h e Bureau of Mines at a token s a l a r y . They were a s s i s t e d b y 33 s o l d i e r s who were a s s i g n e d t o d u t y a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f W i s c o n s i n . L a t e r i n t h e war, t h e w o r k was expanded t o i n c l u d e t h e s t u d y o f t h e m e d i c a l e f f e c t s o f gas p o i s o n i n g and t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f s a l v e s f o r p r o t e c t i o n a g a i n s t m u s t a r d gas ( 2 5 ) . The l a r g e s t of t h e b r a n c h l a b o r a t o r i e s was e s t a b l i s h e d a t C a t h o l i c U n i v e r s i t y i n W a s h i n g t o n , D.C. I t s s t a f f o f a b o u t 75 c a r r i e d out r e s e a r c h on a r s e n i c compounds and s u b s e q u e n t l y d e v e l oped one o f t h e new war g a s e s p r o d u c e d b y t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s d u r i n g W o r l d War I , L e w i s i t e Ç26). The m o i s t u r e and gas c o n t e n t o f c h a r c o a l s and t h e a c t i v a t i o n o f c h a r c o a l f o r use i n gas masks was t h e m a j o r p r o j e c t u n d e r t a k e n by t h e b r a n c h l a b o r a t o r y a t P r i n c e t o n U n i v e r s i t y . George A. H u l l e t , a p r o f e s s o r of p h y s i c a l chemistry a t the U n i v e r s i t y , d i r e c t e d a s t a f f o f 14 c h e m i s t s who as s o l d i e r s were s t a t i o n e d t h e r e d u r i n g t h e war. F r e d N e h e r , a n o r g a n i c c h e m i s t , was ass i s t e d b y t h r e e g r a d u a t e s t u d e n t s employed b y t h e B u r e a u o f M i n e s i n t h e s y n t h e s i s of s e v e r a l compounds s u g g e s t e d b y E. Emmet R e i d (27).

Parascandola and Whorton; Chemistry and Modern Society ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1984.

Downloaded by TUFTS UNIV on March 18, 2018 | https://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: August 23, 1984 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1984-0228.ch009

9.

JONES

Chemical Warfare Research

173

The w o r k o f many o f t h e s e l a b o r a t o r i e s was c o o r d i n a t e d d u r i n g t h e summer o f 1917 b y James F. N o r r i s , a c h e m i s t o f t h e M a s s a c h u s e t t s I n s t i t u t e o f T e c h n o l o g y , who v i s i t e d e a c h r e g u l a r l y t o p r o v i d e i n f o r m a t i o n on t h e p r o g r e s s o f t h e o t h e r l a b o r a t o r i e s a n d to s u g g e s t a d d i t i o n a l p r o j e c t s . The r e g u l a r r e p o r t s o f R e i d a n d H e n d e r s o n p o i n t e d o u t s e v e r a l compounds t h e c h e m i c a l and p h y s i o l o g i c a l p r o p e r t i e s o f w h i c h i n d i c a t e d t h a t t h e y w o u l d be u s e f u l as war g a s e s , b u t N o r r i s f o u n d i t d i f f i c u l t t o a s s i g n t o t h e b r a n c h l a b o r a t o r i e s t h e much more d a n g e r o u s t a s k s o f s e t t i n g up small-scale s y n t h e t i c p l a n t s f o r t h e production o f these agents. F o r t h i s r e a s o n a n d b e c a u s e o f t h e l a r g e amount o f t i m e s p e n t b y N o r r i s i n v i s i t i n g b r a n c h l a b o r a t o r i e s , M a n n i n g p r e s s e d on t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n o f t h e c e n t r a l l a b o r a t o r y he h a d e n v i s i o n e d f r o m t h e beginning. I n September o f 1917 t h e B u r e a u o f M i n e s e x p e r i m e n t s t a t i o n a t A m e r i c a n U n i v e r s i t y i n W a s h i n g t o n , D.C. began o p e r a t i o n s . A m e r i c a n U n i v e r s i t y gave t h e u s e o f i t s b u i l d i n g s t o t h e B u r e a u f o r t h e d u r a t i o n o f t h e war and t h i s s i t e grew t o become t h e m a i n center f o r chemical warfare research i n the United States during W o r l d War I . W i t h i n a f e w months a l a r g e number o f c h e m i s t s i n t h e Army were a s s i g n e d t o t h i s s t a t i o n , h a v i n g been i d e n t i f i e d through t h e Bureau o f Mines f i l e o f chemists. I n a d d i t i o n , many a c a d e m i c c h e m i s t s were b e i n g r e l e a s e d f r o m t h e i r t e a c h i n g d u t i e s i n order t o serve as f u l l - t i m e c o n s u l t a n t s t o t h e Bureau o f Mines, and t h e y came t o t h i s e x p e r i m e n t s t a t i o n t o c o n t r i b u t e t o t h e e x p a n d i n g work on c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e . Project-Research

on C h e m i c a l W a r f a r e

On September 2 1 , 1917, t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s Army s t a t e d t h a t i n v i e w o f t h e g r o w i n g number o f s o l d i e r s b e i n g a s s i g n e d t o war g a s r e s e a r c h , t h e work c o u l d be a d m i n i s t e r e d b e t t e r u n d e r m i l i t a r y c o n t r o l ( 2 8 ) . Manning and o t h e r l e a d e r s o f t h e B u r e a u o f M i n e s who h a d c r e a t e d t h e r e s e a r c h p r o g r a m opposed t h i s t r a n s f e r t o m i l i t a r y c o n t r o l and c i t e d t h e accomplishments o f t h e e f f i c i e n t o r g a n i z a t i o n t h e y h a d c r e a t e d ( 1 6 ) . The A m e r i c a n C h e m i c a l S o c i e t y a l s o defended t h e c i v i l i a n o r g a n i z a t i o n under the Bureau o f Mines and e x p r e s s e d f e a r t h a t c o n t r o l by t h e m i l i t a r y m i g h t s u p p r e s s " t h e s p i r i t o f o r i g i n a l i t y , d a r i n g and speed i n f o l l o w i n g new t r a i l s , so e s s e n t i a l t o t h e s u c c e s s f u l p r o s e c u t i o n o f r e s e a r c h " (29). Despite these p r o t e s t s , chemical warfare r e s e a r c h i n the U n i t e d S t a t e s was t r a n s f e r r e d t o t h e Army on June 2 6 , 1918. T h i s transfer actually did not a l t e r the p o l i c i e s or the administration of r e s e a r c h , b u t i t d i d c a u s e most o f t h e c h e m i s t s who were d e s i g nated c o n s u l t a n t s t o t h e Bureau o f Mines a t a token s a l a r y t o accept commissions i n t h e Chemical Warfare S e r v i c e , a newly c r e a t e d b r a n c h o f t h e Army. The C h e m i c a l W a r f a r e S e r v i c e b r o u g h t a l l e l e m e n t s o f c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e u n d e r one a d m i n i s t r a t i v e h e a d , from t h e chemists s e r v i n g i n v a r i o u s gas regiments o p e r a t i n g i n combat i n F r a n c e t o t h o s e i n t h e R e s e a r c h D i v i s i o n d e s i g n i n g new

Parascandola and Whorton; Chemistry and Modern Society ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1984.

Downloaded by TUFTS UNIV on March 18, 2018 | https://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: August 23, 1984 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1984-0228.ch009

174

CHEMISTRY A N D MODERN SOCIETY

c h e m i c a l agents. With t h i s t r a n s f e r t h e Bureau o f Mines s t a f f o f 1682 s c i e n t i s t s a t t h e A m e r i c a n U n i v e r s i t y E x p e r i m e n t S t a t i o n a n d a t t h e b r a n c h l a b o r a t o r i e s t h r o u g h o u t t h e c o u n t r y became t h e R e search D i v i s i o n o f t h e Chemical Warfare S e r v i c e . Of t h i s number, I , 034 were d e s i g n a t e d a s t e c h n i c a l p e r s o n n e l , m o s t l y c h e m i s t s , and 648 a s n o n - t e c h n i c a l , a u x i l i a r y p e r s o n n e l ( 1 6 , 3 0 ) . On November I I , 1 9 1 8 , t h e number o f c h e m i s t s i n t h e Armed F o r c e s numbered 5,404 a n d 4,003 o f t h e s e were employed i n c h e m i c a l work ( 3 1 ) . A l a r g e p r o p o r t i o n o f t h e c h e m i s t s ( a b o u t 2000 o f t h e s e ) were memb e r s o f t h e R e s e a r c h D i v i s i o n a n d most o f t h e s e were engaged i n t h e t y p e o f r e s e a r c h t h a t h a d become c h a r a c t e r i s t i c o f t h e r e s e a r c h on c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e , p r o j e c t - r e s e a r c h . The R e s e a r c h D i v i s i o n o f t h e C h e m i c a l W a r f a r e S e r v i c e w i t h h e a d q u a r t e r s a t A m e r i c a n U n i v e r s i t y c o n d u c t e d r e s e a r c h on a l l aspects of chemical warfare; i n c l u d i n g the study o f v a r i o u s charc o a l s and o t h e r a b s o r b e n t s f o r g a s , i n i t i a l s e l e c t i o n and s y n t h e s i s o f p o s s i b l e chemical agents, t e s t i n g these f o r t o x i c i t y , and d e v e l o p m e n t o f s m a l l - s c a l e m a n u f a c t u r i n g p r o c e s s e s . T h i s p r o g r a m was d i v i d e d i n i t i a l l y i n t o t e n g e n e r a l r e s e a r c h s e c t i o n s , i n c l u d i n g o f f e n s e , pharmacological research, defense, e d i t o r i a l work, a n d s m a l l - s c a l e m a n u f a c t u r i n g . I n d i v i d u a l p r o j e c t s were a s s i g n e d t o s m a l l groups o f i n v e s t i g a t o r s a t t h e c e n t r a l l a b o r a t o r y and b r a n c h l a b o r a t o r i e s b y t h e s e c t i o n c h i e f s , most o f whom were a t t h e c e n t r a l l a b o r a t o r y d u r i n g 1918. The s e c t i o n c h i e f s p r e p a r e d r e p o r t s e v e r y two weeks a n d summary r e p o r t s l e s s f r e q u e n t l y f o r t h e c h i e f o f t h e e d i t o r i a l s e c t i o n , W i l d e r D. B a n c r o f t . B a n c r o f t ' s s t a f f p r e p a r e d summaries o f t h e r e l a t i v e p r o g r e s s o n t h e v a r i o u s p r o j e c t s and p o i n t e d o u t t h e s i g n i f i c a n c e t o o t h e r r e s e a r c h o f developments i n s p e c i f i c p r o j e c t s . T h e s e summaries were c i r c u l a t e d t o t h e v a r i o u s r e s e a r c h s e c t i o n s a s w e l l a s o t h e r d i v i s i o n s o f t h e C h e m i c a l W a r f a r e S e r v i c e . The e d i t o r i a l s e c t i o n a l s o p r e p a r e d r e p l i e s t o r e p o r t s r e c e i v e d from t h e B r i t i s h and F r e n c h l a b o r a t o r i e s and p r e p a r e d summary r e p o r t s o f A m e r i c a n p r o g r e s s o n p r o b l e m s o f common i n t e r e s t t o t h e A l l i e s , s u c h a s a method f o r t h e m a n u f a c t u r e o f m u s t a r d g a s . The work o f t h e o f f e n s e s e c t i o n o f t h e R e s e a r c h D i v i s i o n i s i l l u s t r a t i v e o f t h e method o f p r o j e c t - r e s e a r c h a n d i t a l s o shows t h e c o o p e r a t i o n e s t a b l i s h e d between c h e m i s t s i n t h i s s e c t i o n a n d the p h y s i o l o g i s t s and p h a r m a c o l o g i s t s i n t h e p h a r m a c o l o g i c a l r e s e a r c h s e c t i o n ; t h i s r e l a t i o n s h i p was c i t e d a f t e r t h e war a s a n example o f c o o p e r a t i v e r e s e a r c h t h a t m i g h t b e u s e f u l i n p r o m o t i n g r e s e a r c h on new d r u g s . The work o f t h e o f f e n s e s e c t i o n a c t u a l l y began i n May, 1917, when E. Emmet R e i d was a s k e d t o u n d e r t a k e t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n o f o r g a n i c compounds and t o p r e p a r e s u c h o n e s a s were s u i t a b l e f o r c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e . A s s t a t e d p r e v i o u s l y , R e i d a s s i g n e d t h e s y n t h e s i s o f s p e c i f i c compounds o r c l a s s e s o f r e l a t e d compounds t o p a r t i c u l a r i n d i v i d u a l c h e m i s t s a n d t o g r o u p s i n t h e branch l a b o r a t o r i e s as w e l l as chemists working i n h i s l a b o r a t o r y at t h e Johns Hopkins U n i v e r s i t y . A f t e r t h e work was t r a n s f e r e d t o c o n t r o l o f t h e Army t h e w o r k o f t h e new o f f e n s e s e c t i o n was p r i -

Parascandola and Whorton; Chemistry and Modern Society ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1984.

Downloaded by TUFTS UNIV on March 18, 2018 | https://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: August 23, 1984 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1984-0228.ch009

9.

JONES

Chemical Warfare Research

175

m a r i l y centered a t American u n i v e r s i t y , but p r o j e c t s continued t o be a s s i g n e d t o t h e v o l u n t e e r s R e i d h a d o r g a n i z e d . I n June, 1918, t h e o f f e n s e s e c t i o n c o n s i s t e d o f a s t a f f o f 165 a t t h e c e n t r a l l a b o r a t o r y a t A m e r i c a n U n i v e r s i t y , b u t a l s o 50 c h e m i s t s i n s e v e n of t h e branch l a b o r a t o r i e s and a l s o a few s c a t t e r e d i n d i v i d u a l chemists i n other u n i v e r s i t i e s . The b r a n c h l a b o r a t o r i e s a s s o c i a t e d w i t h t h i s s e c t i o n were a t W o r c h e s t e r P o l y t e c h n i c I n s t i t u t e , B r y n Mawr C o l l e g e , t h e J o h n s H o p k i n s U n i v e r s i t y , P r i n c e t o n U n i v e r s i t y , Ohio S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y , Y a l e U n i v e r s i t y , and Columbia U n i v e r s i t y (23^ 3 2 ) . I n J u n e , 1918 L a u d e r W. J o n e s , f o r m e r l y o f t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f C i n c i n n a t i , was a p p o i n t e d c h i e f o f t h e s e c t i o n . A g e n e r a l p a t t e r n emerged i n t h e o f f e n s e s e c t i o n whereby whenever a new r e s e a r c h p r o b l e m a r o s e i t w o u l d be g i v e n t o a team o f i n v e s t i g a t o r s a t one o f t h e above l a b o r a t o r i e s . The c e n t r a l l a b o r a t o r y a t American U n i v e r s i t y had s i x r e s e a r c h u n i t s , t h r e e o f t h e s e w e r e d e v o t e d t o o r g a n i c c h e m i s t r y , two t o a n a l y t i c a l c h e m i s t r y and one t o i n o r g a n i c c h e m i s t r y . Each o f t h e seven b r a n c h l a b o r a t o r i e s above c o n s t i t u t e d a n a d d i t i o n a l u n i t . F o r e x a m p l e , t h e t a s k o f d e v i s i n g a method f o r t h e s y n t h e s i s o f m u s t a r d gas was a s s i g n e d t o a u n i t o f o r g a n i c c h e m i s t s a t A m e r i c a n U n i v e r s i t y u n d e r t h e d i r e c t i o n o f James B. Conant ( 3 3 ) . Conant d i v i d e d t h i s problem i n t o the study o f three s y n t h e t i c processes: 1) t h e p r o d u c t i o n o f e t h y l e n e ; 2) e t h y l e n e c h l o r o h y d r i n f r o m e t h y l e n e ; a n d 3) m u s t a r d g a s f r o m e t h y l e n e c h l o r o h y d r i n . F o r t h e l a t t e r p r o j e c t Conant e n l i s t e d t h e a i d o f Moses Gomberg a t t h e u n i v e r s i t y o f M i c h i g a n , a n d Gomberg s u b s e q u e n t l y s u b m i t t e d f r o m h i s l a b o r a t o r y a t M i c h i g a n a r e p o r t on t h e s y n t h e t i c p r o c e s s h e d e v e l o p e d ( 3 4 ) . An a l t e r n a t e method f o r t h e s y n t h e s i s o f m u s t a r d gas was a c h i e v e d b y C o n a n t ' s u n i t i n c o o p e r a t i o n w i t h a B r i t i s h r e s e a r c h team. I t was t y p i c a l o f p r o j e c t - r e s e a r c h i n t h e R e s e a r c h D i v i s i o n t h a t t h e same t a s k was g i v e n t o d i f f e r e n t g r o u p s s o t h a t t h e y m i g h t p u r s u e i n d e p e n d e n t p a t h s a n d r e s u l t s w o u l d be a t t a i n e d i n the s h o r t e s t time. C o o p e r a t i o n between teams o f i n v e s t i g a t o r s was i m p o r t a n t on p r o j e c t s i n v o l v i n g t h e s e a r c h f o r new c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e a g e n t s . D u r i n g a p e r i o d o f l e s s t h a n two y e a r s t h e c h e m i s t s o f t h e o f f e n s e s e c t i o n p r e p a r e d o v e r 1600 compounds f o r e x a m i n a t i o n a s p o s s i b l e war g a s e s ( 3 5 ) . T h i s was made p o s s i b l e t h r o u g h t h e c l o s e a s s o c i a t i o n o f c h e m i s t s w i t h members o f t h e p h a r m a c o l o g i c a l r e s e a r c h s e c t i o n throughout t h e i n i t i a l stages i n t h e development o f a p r o m i s i n g new c h e m i c a l a g e n t . The g e n e r a l p r o c e d u r e was a s f o l l o w s . A sample o f t h e new compound was p r e p a r e d by one team, t h e n i t s p h y s i c a l a n d c h e m i c a l p r o p e r t i e s were s t u d i e d by a n o t h e r team t o determine i t s s t a b i l i t y i n s h e l l c a s i n g s , i t s v o l a t i l i t y , e t c . Meanwhile, a u n i t o f t h e p h a r m a c o l o g i c a l s e c t i o n examined i t s biological effects. A m e e t i n g was t h e n a r r a n g e d between t h e chemists, p h y s i o l o g i s t s , and pharmacologists i n v o l v e d , t o decide i f t h e compound was s u i t a b l e f o r u s e i n combat. I f s o , t h e t a s k o f d e v e l o p i n g a s m a l l - s c a l e m a n u f a c t u r i n g p r o c e s s was g i v e n t o a n o t h e r s e c t i o n , a n d a t t h e same t i m e a sample o f t h e compound was

Parascandola and Whorton; Chemistry and Modern Society ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1984.

Downloaded by TUFTS UNIV on March 18, 2018 | https://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: August 23, 1984 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1984-0228.ch009

176

CHEMISTRY A N D MODERN SOCIETY

e x a m i n e d b y t h e d e f e n s e s e c t i o n t o ensure t h a t A m e r i c a n g a s masks c o u l d be m o d i f i e d t o g i v e a d e q u a t e p r o t e c t i o n a g a i n s t t h i s compound. I f a l l i n v e s t i g a t i o n s t o t h i s p o i n t gave s a t i s f a c t o r y r e s u l t s , t h e p r o j e c t was s u b m i t t e d t o t h e Development D i v i s i o n o r d i r e c t l y t o t h e Gas M a n u f a c t u r i n g D i v i s i o n o f t h e C h e m i c a l Warfare Service. O f t e n t h e c h e m i s t s who w e r e most f a m i l i a r w i t h t h e new a g e n t were t r a n s f e r r e d t o t h e s e d i v i s i o n s w i t h t h e p r o j ect. The e f f i c i e n c y w i t h w h i c h t h i s a r r a n g e m e n t was c o n d u c t e d can be i l l u s t r a t e d b y t h e s h o r t t i m e r e q u i r e d f o r t h e s c i e n t i s t s of t h e o f f e n s e s e c t i o n t o s e l e c t , p r e p a r e , s t u d y , and f i n a l l y p r o d u c e o n a s m a l l s c a l e , t h e t h r e e c h e m i c a l a g e n t s w h i c h were o r i g i n a l c o n t r i b u t i o n s o f America's chemical warfare research. L e w i s i t e was t h e b e s t known o f t h e war g a s e s d e v e l o p e d b y t h e R e s e a r c h D i v i s i o n . A l t h o u g h i t was n o t u s e d o n t h e b a t t l e f i e l d , i t became t h e s u b j e c t o f many s e n s a t i o n a l r e p o r t s a f t e r t h e war. L e w i s i t e was named f o r W i n f o r d L e e L e w i s , a c h e m i s t a t N o r t h w e s t e r n U n i v e r s i t y , who f i r s t i s o l a t e d i t a n d s t u d i e d i t s properties as a vesicant. I n J a n u a r y , 1918, a n a d d i t i o n a l b r a n c h l a b o r a t o r y o f t h e o f f e n s e s e c t i o n was e s t a b l i s h e d a t C a t h o l i c u n i v e r s i t y , a n d i t was h e r e t h a t L e w i s d i d h i s w o r k a s l e a d e r o f " o r g a n i c u n i t n o . 3." T h e r e was g r e a t i n t e r e s t i n a r s e n i c compounds f o l l o w i n g t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n o f c h l o r o d i p h e n y l a r s i n e , " s n e e z e g a s , " b y t h e German army. I n a s u r v e y o f t h e c h e m i c a l l i t e r a t u r e , Lewis read o f an a r s e n i c a l produced from t h e r e a c t i o n o f a r s e n i c t r i c h l o r i d e and a c e t y l e n e . He f o u n d s u b s e q u e n t l y t h a t one o f t h e s e v e r a l p r o d u c t s o f t h i s r e a c t i o n had e x c e l l e n t p r o p e r t i e s f o r u s e as a war gas. D u r i n g t h e summer o f 1918, L e w i s ' s u n i t a n d Conant's u n i t s o u g h t methods f o r t h e e f f i c i e n t s y n t h e s i s o f t h i s new a g e n t . F o u r months a f t e r t h i s p r o j e c t b e g a n , a p l a n t f o r t h e m a n u f a c t u r e o f L e w i s i t e a c c o r d i n g t o a method w o r k e d o u t b y Conant a n d L e w i s was u n d e r c o n s t r u c t i o n . I n o r d e r t o p r o v i d e a n example o f p r o j e c t - r e s e a r c h i t i s u s e f u l t o e x a m i n e i n more d e t a i l t h e c o o r d i n a t i o n o f t h e w o r k o f t h e two u n i t s o f t h e o f f e n s e s e c t i o n a n d o t h e r p a r t s o f t h e Research D i v i s i o n on the v a r i o u s p r o j e c t s a s s o c i a t e d w i t h t h e development o f L e w i s i t e . On A p r i l 1 3 , 1918 L e w i s r e a d i n a n u n p u b l i s h e d d i s s e r t a t i o n c o m p l e t e d i n 1904 a t C a t h o l i c u n i v e r s i t y by J u l i u s A r t h u r N i e u w l a n d o f a p o i s o n o u s , gummy mass p r o d u c e d i n the r e a c t i o n o f a c e t y l e n e and a r s e n i c t r i c h l o r i d e i n t h e p r e s e n c e o f aluminum t r i c h l o r i d e . S i x o f t h e 12 t o 14 members o f o r g a n i c u n i t n o . 3 a t t h i s t i m e were a s s i g n e d b y L e w i s t o t h e s t u d y o f t h i s r e a c t i o n . W i t h i n two weeks t h e y e s t a b l i s h e d t h a t t h e gummy mass c o n s i s t e d o f t h r e e compounds. Samples were i s o l a t e d o f e a c h , t h e y were p u r i f i e d , a n d s e n t t o t h e p h a r m a c o l o g i c a l s e c t i o n f o r testing. Meanwhile t h e chemists determined t h e c h e m i c a l i d e n t i t y of t h e three substances. I t was r e p o r t e d b y t h e p h a r m a c o l o g i c a l s e c t i o n t h a t a l l t h r e e were v e s i c a n t s and p o i s o n s b u t n o t t o a n e q u a l d e g r e e . B e c a u s e o f t h e p o t e n t c y o f one o f t h e t h r e e , d i c h l o r o ( 2 - c h l o r o v i n y l ) a r s i n e , James F. N o r r i s , t h e n head o f t h e o f f e n s e s e c t i o n , i n c r e a s e d t h e s i z e o f o r g a n i c u n i t n o . 3 t o 35 b y

Parascandola and Whorton; Chemistry and Modern Society ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1984.

Downloaded by TUFTS UNIV on March 18, 2018 | https://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: August 23, 1984 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1984-0228.ch009

9.

JONES

Chemical Warfare Research

177

the a s s i g n m e n t o f a d d i t i o n a l s o l d i e r - c h e m i s t s t o t h e l a b o r a t o r y a t C a t h o l i c U n i v e r s i t y . The e n t i r e team c o n c e n t r a t e d t h e i r e f f o r t s on i n c r e a s i n g t h e p r o p o r t i o n o f what came t o be c a l l e d L e w i s i t e t h a t was p r o d u c e d i n t h e r e a c t i o n , p r e p a r i n g v a r i o u s d e r i v a t i v e s of t h i s compound, and s u b s t i t u t i n g r e l a t e d a c e t y l e n e s i n t h e r e action. Soon, N o r r i s c a l l e d upon C o n a n t ' s u n i t a t A m e r i c a n U n i v e r s i t y to s c a l e up t h e s y n t h e t i c p r o c e s s . F i n a l l y t h i s t a s k was t r a n s f e r r e d to t h e Development D i v i s i o n w h i c h c o n s t r u c t e d a manuf a c t u r i n g plant at Cleveland. The f i r s t s h i p m e n t o f L e w i s i t e was e n r o u t e t o E u r o p e when t h e A r m i s t i c e was s i g n e d , and t h e d a n g e r o u s c a r g o was dumped a t sea Ç26, 32, 3 6 ) . A d a m s i t e , 1 0 - c h l o r o - 5 , 1 0 - d i h y d r o p h e n a r s a z i n e , was named f o r Roger Adams, a c h e m i s t a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f I l l i n o i s , who during the war was i n c h a r g e o f o r g a n i c u n i t no. 2 a t A m e r i c a n U n i v e r s i t y . On M a r c h 1, 1918, t h i s u n i t was formed and g i v e n t h e p r o j e c t o f d e v e l o p i n g an e f f i c i e n t s y n t h e s i s f o r c h l o r o d i p h e n y l a r s i n e , s i n c e a t t h a t t i m e t h e method u s e d by t h e Germans was unknown t o t h e Allies. At a c o n f e r e n c e on A p r i l 18, D a v i d W o r r a l , f o r m e r l y a c h e m i s t a t S m i t h C o l l e g e , s u g g e s t e d t h e p r e p a r a t i o n o f a compound w i t h a s i m i l a r s t r u c t u r e , 10-chloro-5,10-dihydrophenarsazine, the s y n t h e s i s o f w h i c h seemed much s i m p l e r (32) . The c h e m i s t s u n d e r Adams p r e p a r e d t h i s s u b s t a n c e , and i t was f o u n d t h a t i t a l s o was an e f f e c t i v e " s n e e z e g a s " when d i s p e r s e d as a smoke f r o m f l a r e s (37). T h i s smoke c o u l d p e n e t r a t e gas masks, f o r c e t h e w e a r e r t o remove the mask b e c a u s e o f t h e v i o l e n t s n e e z i n g i t c a u s e d , and t h u s e x p o s e t h e s o l d i e r t o a l e t h a l gas p r e s e n t on t h e b a t t l e field. As i n the c a s e o f L e w i s i t e h o w e v e r , A d a m s i t e was n o t p r o d u c e d i n t i m e t o be u s e d d u r i n g W o r l d War I . C h l o r o a c e t o p h e n o n e was among t h e many s a m p l e s o f p o s s i b l e war g a s e s p r e p a r e d by E. Emmet R e i d and s e n t t o t h e B u r e a u o f M i n e s i n 1917. B e c a u s e t h e r e were no t e s t i n g f a c i l i t i e s f o r l a c h r y m a t o r s u n t i l the c e n t r a l l a b o r a t o r y was c o m p l e t e d , t h e v a l u e o f t h i s compound as a t e a r gas went u n n o t i c e d . I t was J a n u a r y , 1918, b e f o r e t h e r e s u l t s o f the p h y s i o l o g i c a l t e s t s were r e p o r t e d w h i c h showed c h l o r o a c e t o p h e n o n e t o be s u p e r i o r t o any o t h e r t e a r gas i n use a t t h e t i m e ( 2 3 ) . The J o h n s H o p k i n s U n i v e r s i t y b r a n c h l a b o r a t o r y , i n c o o p e r a t i o n w i t h a u n i t at American U n i v e r s i t y then d e v e l o p e d a method o f s y n t h e s i s . A l t h o u g h c h l o r o a c e t o p h e n o n e was n o t p r o d u c e d i n q u a n t i t y b e f o r e t h e war ended, i t became t h e s t a n d a r d t e a r gas u s e d by c i v i l i a n p o l i c e a f t e r t h e war ( 3 8 ) . Transfer

of P r o j e c t - R e s e a r c h

to Peacetime

The e x p e r i e n c e o f p a r t i c i p a t i o n i n p r o j e c t - r e s e a r c h was s h a r e d by n e a r l y 2000 members o f t h e R e s e a r c h D i v i s i o n o f t h e Chemical Warfare S e r v i c e . Some o f t h e most i n f l u e n t i a l c h e m i s t s o f t h e c o u n t r y , i n a d d i t i o n t o p h a r m a c o l o g i s t s and p h y s i o l o g i s t s , were among t h i s g r o u p , and a f t e r t h e war t h e y r a p i d l y r e t u r n e d t o t h e i r f o r m e r p o s i t i o n s i n g o v e r n m e n t , i n d u s t r y , and h i g h e r e d u c a tion. They had l e a r n e d t h e v a l u e o f p r o j e c t - r e s e a r c h i n p r o m o t i n g

Parascandola and Whorton; Chemistry and Modern Society ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1984.

Downloaded by TUFTS UNIV on March 18, 2018 | https://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: August 23, 1984 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1984-0228.ch009

178

CHEMISTRY A N D MODERN SOCIETY

t h e c o l l a b o r a t i o n o f s c i e n t i s t s i n d i f f e r e n t f i e l d s and w o r k i n g i n l a b o r a t o r i e s s e p a r a t e d b y some d i s t a n c e . Those who p r e v i o u s l y s p e c i a l i z e d i n o r g a n i c , p h y s i c a l , b i o l o g i c a l , o r a n a l y t i c a l chemi s t r y were u n i t e d i n t h e R e s e a r c h D i v i s i o n i n t h e i r work o n a s p e c t s o f a s i n g l e p r o b l e m . C o n s e q u e n t l y , e a c h a p p r e c i a t e d more f u l l y t h e advantages o f working c l o s e l y w i t h t h e i r c o l l e a g u e s . From t h e r e p o r t s i s s u e d b y t h e e d i t o r i a l s e c t i o n many o f t h e chemi s t s came t o a p p r e c i a t e o t h e r a r e a s o f t h e r e s e a r c h i n w h i c h t h e y were n o t d i r e c t l y i n v o l v e d , a n d t h e y were e n a b l e d t o a p p r e c i a t e t h e i n t e n s e r e s e a r c h e f f o r t t h a t was made on c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e b y s c i e n t i s t s i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s . A s t h e a c c o m p l i s h m e n t s and methods o f t h e i r w a r t i m e work became known t h r o u g h t h e i r p e r s o n a l c o n t a c t s and p u b l i s h e d p a p e r s , t h e R e s e a r c h D i v i s i o n became known t o a n even l a r g e r number o f s c i e n t i s t s a s a m o d e l o f p r o j e c t research. The A m e r i c a n C h e m i c a l S o c i e t y t o o k p r i d e i n t h e r o l e i t h a d p l a y e d i n t h e r e c r u i t m e n t o f c h e m i s t s f o r r e s e a r c h on c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e and i t was l a r g e l y r e s p o n s i b l e f o r t h e p u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e r e s u l t s o f t h e i r work. A s e r i e s o f a r t i c l e s a p p e a r e d i n t h e w i d e l y r e a d J o u r n a l o f I n d u s t r i a l and E n g i n e e r i n g C h e m i s t r y d e s i g n a t e d as " C o n t r i b u t i o n s f r o m t h e C h e m i c a l W a r f a r e S e r v i c e , " summarizing t h e techniques and f i n d i n g s u s e f u l t o t h e w i d e r s t u d y o f c h e m i s t r y ( 3 9 ) . When t h e War Department a t t e m p t e d t o a b o l i s h t h e C h e m i c a l W a r f a r e S e r v i c e i n 1919, t h e ACS c o o p e r a t e d i n a campaign o f p u b l i c i t y a b o u t t h e work o f t h e C h e m i c a l W a r f a r e S e r v i c e and c o n t r i b u t e d i n a m a j o r way t o i t s s u r v i v a l ( 4 0 ) . Many c h e m i s t s who f o r m e r l y had w o r k e d i n t h e R e s e a r c h D i v i s i o n d e l i v e r e d p u b l i c a d d r e s s e s and w r o t e l e t t e r s i n s u p p o r t o f t h e c o n t i n u a n c e o f t h e C h e m i c a l W a r f a r e S e r v i c e t o n e w s p a p e r s and t o members o f Congress. The p a t t e r n o f p r o j e c t - r e s e a r c h was t h u s i m p r e s s e d on t h e consciousness o f t h e chemical p r o f e s s i o n ; i t appeared t o be c a p a b l e o f i n c r e a s i n g t h e p r o d u c t i v i t y and e f f i c i e n c y o f s c i e n c e . The p e r s i s t e n c e o f t h e p a t t e r n was e v i d e n t i n t h e p o l i c i e s e s t a b l i s h e d by t h e N a t i o n a l R e s e a r c h C o u n c i l , e s p e c i a l l y i n i t s d i v i s i o n o f c h e m i s t r y and c h e m i c a l t e c h n o l o g y . I n 1919 t h e c o o r d i n a t i o n o f the e f f o r t s o f chemists i n c o l l e g e s and u n i v e r s i t i e s t h r o u g h o u t t h e c o u n t r y on p r o b l e m s s e l e c t e d b y t h e c h a i r m a n o f t h i s d i v i s i o n was r e g a r d e d a s a s i m i l a r t a s k t o t h a t d e a l t w i t h i n wartime by p r o j e c t - r e s e a r c h . Even b e f o r e t h e war e n d e d , t h e t y p e o f r e s e a r c h i n a u g u r a t e d i n Manning's c o m m i t t e e on n o x i o u s g a s e s began t o b e u s e d i n o t h e r programs o f t h e N a t i o n a l R e s e a r c h Council. J o h n J o h n s t o n was s e l e c t e d t o become c h a i r m a n o f t h e d i v i s i o n o f c h e m i s t r y and c h e m i c a l t e c h n o l o g y a t t h e b e g i n n i n g o f 1918. P r i o r t o t h i s , a s a member o f Manning's c o m m i t t e e h e had been i n c h a r g e o f t h e o f f e n s e s e c t i o n a t A m e r i c a n U n i v e r s i t y ( 2 8 ) . I n h i s new p o s t a s h e a d o f t h e c h e m i s t r y d i v i s i o n J o h n s t o n emp l o y e d t h e same p a t t e r n o f p r o j e c t - r e s e a r c h i n o r d e r t o e f f e c t c o l l a b o r a t i o n of the n a t i o n ' s chemists w i t h governmental l a b o ratories. I n 1918 h e a s s i g n e d a b o u t 50 s p e c i f i c p r o j e c t s t o

Parascandola and Whorton; Chemistry and Modern Society ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1984.

Downloaded by TUFTS UNIV on March 18, 2018 | https://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: August 23, 1984 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1984-0228.ch009

9. J O N E S

Chemical Warfare Research

179

c h e m i s t s i n i n d u s t r y and e d u c a t i o n a l i n s t i t u t i o n s c o n c e r n i n g t h e s u p p l y o f e s s e n t i a l c h e m i c a l s f o r t h e war (41) . I n 1919, a s t h e d i v i s i o n s o f t h e N a t i o n a l R e s e a r c h C o u n c i l were r e o r g a n i z e d on a permanent b a s i s , J o h n s t o n was s u c c e e d e d a s c h a i r m a n b y W i l d e r D. B a n c r o f t , a p h y s i c a l chemist a t C o r n e l l U n i v e r s i t y . During the war B a n c r o f t h a d headed t h e e d i t o r i a l s e c t i o n o f t h e R e s e a r c h D i v i s i o n o f t h e Chemical Warfare S e r v i c e , and had c o o r d i n a t e d t h e w o r k o f v a r i o u s r e s e a r c h teams t h r o u g h h i s p r o g r e s s r e p o r t s . B a n c r o f t knew more t h a n anyone a b o u t t h e p a t t e r n o f p r o j e c t r e s e a r c h on c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e , and i n 1919 he p r o d u c e d t h e most comprehensive r e p o r t o f t h e e n t i r e o p e r a t i o n ( 2 8 ) . Under t h e l e a d e r s h i p o f J o h n s t o n and B a n c r o f t d u r i n g t h e f i r s t two y e a r s o f i t s o p e r a t i o n i n p e a c e t i m e , t h e p o l i c y o f t h e d i v i s i o n o f c h e m i s t r y and c h e m i c a l t e c h n o l o g y o f t h e N a t i o n a l R e s e a r c h C o u n c i l became: " ( 1 ) t o f o r m u l a t e s p e c i a l r e s e a r c h problems f o r i n d i v i d u a l s ; (2) t o f o r m u l a t e g e n e r a l problems o f f u n d a m e n t a l i m p o r t a n c e i n v o l v i n g c o o p e r a t i v e work; ( 3 ) t o b r i n g t o g e t h e r men i n d i f f e r e n t b r a n c h e s o f c h e m i s t r y o r men i n d i f f e r e n t b r a n c h e s o f s c i e n c e , e a c h o f whom i s f a m i l i a r w i t h a g i v e n s u b j e c t from a p o i n t o f v i e w not h e l d by t h e o t h e r s " ( 4 2 ) . A t t h e d i v i s i o n ' s a n n u a l m e e t i n g , h e l d i n M a r c h 1919, a r e s o l u t i o n was p a s s e d " t h a t i t s h a l l be t h e p o l i c y o f t h e d i v i s i o n t o f o r m committees o n l y f o r the purpose o f u n d e r t a k i n g d e f i n i t e p r o j e c t s " (43). E a c h c o m m i t t e e was t o a s s e m b l e a l i s t o f i m p o r t a n t p r o j e c t s w h i c h c o u l d be u n d e r t a k e n i n u n i v e r s i t y l a b o r a t o r i e s , t o a s c e r t a i n f o r e a c h p r o j e c t an i n s t i t u t i o n w h i c h was a b l e a n d w i l l i n g t o c o n d u c t t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n , and t o s e e k f u n d s f r o m c h e m i c a l i n d u s t r i e s t o support the i n v e s t i g a t i o n s . At t h e i r next meeting t h e e x e c u t i v e c o m m i t t e e a p p r o v e d a q u e s t i o n n a i r e t o be s e n t t o a l l c h e m i s t s o f t h e u n i t e d S t a t e s on w h i c h t h e y c o u l d i n d i c a t e t h e i r d e s i r e t o be i n f o r m e d o f p r o j e c t s o f t h e N a t i o n a l R e s e a r c h Council w i t h i n a s p e c i f i c f i e l d of chemistry (44). I t was B a n c r o f t ' s o p i n i o n t h a t t o j u s t i f y i t s e x i s t e n c e , t h e d i v i s i o n must p r o d u c e r e s u l t s w h i c h c o u l d n o t be o b t a i n e d o t h e r w i s e , a n d t h a t t h e b e s t way t o a c c o m p l i s h t h i s was t o s e l e c t p r o j e c t s on t h e " b o r d e r l a n d s " b e t w e e n c h e m i s t r y a n d one o r more o f t h e o t h e r s c i e n c e s (45) . I n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h t h i s p o l i c y t h e m a j o r i t y o f c o m m i t t e e s o r g a n i z e d i n t h e 1920s c o n c e r n e d t h e s e borderlands. One o f t h e f i r s t t o be f o r m e d was t h e c o m m i t t e e on t h e c h e m i s t r y o f c o l l o i d s , and i n 1921 B a n c r o f t p u b l i s h e d a l i s t o f 200 r e s e a r c h p r o j e c t s i n c o l l o i d c h e m i s t r y f o r w h i c h v o l u n t e e r s were s o u g h t by t h e N a t i o n a l R e s e a r c h C o u n c i l ( 4 6 ) . T h i s c o m m i t t e e p u b l i s h e d numerous monographs a n d a r r a n g e d s y m p o s i a on c o l l o i d c h e m i s t r y , a n d was t h e r e f o r e i n f l u e n t i a l i n t h e e s t a b l i s h m e n t o f an a r e a o f r e s e a r c h w i t h i n p h y s i c a l c h e m i s t r y w i t h l a r g e i n d u s t r i a l importance. In t h e s e l e c t i o n o f p r o j e c t s f o r 1923 e m p h a s i s was p l a c e d on o b t a i n i n g s u g g e s t i o n s from c h e m i c a l companies f o r p r o j e c t s which were o f f u n d a m e n t a l s c i e n t i f i c i m p o r t a n c e a n d w o u l d t h e r e f o r e be of i n t e r e s t t o academic c h e m i s t s . As chairman o f t h e d i v i s i o n o f

Parascandola and Whorton; Chemistry and Modern Society ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1984.

Downloaded by TUFTS UNIV on March 18, 2018 | https://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: August 23, 1984 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1984-0228.ch009

180

CHEMISTRY A N D MODERN SOCIETY

c h e m i s t r y and c h e m i c a l t e c h n o l o g y i n 1923, J . E. Z a n e t t i c o n s u l t e d i n d u s t r i a l c h e m i s t s and p u b l i s h e d a l i s t of 100 s e l e c t e d r e s e a r c h p r o j e c t s ( 4 7 ) . As chairman, Z a n e t t i maintained a correspondence f i l e and a m a s t e r l i s t o f p r o b l e m s o n w h i c h h e n o t e d who had a c c e p t e d t h e a s s i g n m e n t o f a p r o b l e m (48) . Z a n e t t i a l s o had been f a m i l i a r w i t h p r o j e c t - r e s e a r c h i n the Chemical Warfare S e r v i c e , f o r as a l i a i s o n o f f i c e r d u r i n g t h e war h e was r e s p o n s i b l e f o r t h e c o o r d i n a t i o n o f A m e r i c a n and F r e n c h r e s e a r c h o n c h e m i c a l w a r fare. T h i s procedure of o b t a i n i n g problems f o r i n v e s t i g a t i o n from i n d u s t r y and m a t c h i n g them t o v o l u n t e e r s i n c o l l e g e s and u n i v e r s i t i e s was c o n t i n u e d b y t h e n e x t c h a i r m a n , James F. N o r r i s , who a l s o had s e r v e d i n t h e R e s e a r c h D i v i s i o n o f t h e C h e m i c a l W a r f a r e Service. I n h i s f i n a l r e p o r t as c h a i r m a n , i s s u e d A p r i l 15, 1925, N o r r i s d e s c r i b e d a new l i s t o f p r o b l e m s t h a t was b e i n g c o m p i l e d as a r e s u l t o f h i s r e c e n t v i s i t s t o i n d u s t r i a l r e s e a r c h l a b o r a t o r i e s ( 4 9 ) . The n e x t c h a i r m a n , W i l l i a m J . H a l e , t h e d i r e c t o r o f o r g a n i c c h e m i c a l r e s e a r c h a t Dow C h e m i c a l Company, f o u n d t h e s y s t e m o f a s s i g n i n g p r o b l e m s t o a c a d e m i c c h e m i s t s u n w o r k a b l e due to t h e i r l a c k o f f a m i l i a r i t y w i t h t h e methods o f i n d u s t r i a l r e s e a r c h , and h e d r o p p e d t h i s p r o g r a m i n 1925 ( 5 0 ) . W i t h i n s e v e r a l c o m m i t t e e s o f t h e d i v i s i o n t h e method o f p r o j e c t - r e s e a r c h c o n tinued. I n p a r t i c u l a r t h i s method was u s e d w i t h g r e a t s u c c e s s for the c o m p i l a t i o n of the I n t e r n a t i o n a l C r i t i c a l Tables o f P h y s i c a l and C h e m i c a l C o n s t a n t s (51) . The u s e o f p r o j e c t - r e s e a r c h c a n b e a t t r i b u t e d p r i m a r i l y t o t h e p r e s e n c e o f a l a r g e number o f f o r m e r c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e r e s e a r c h e r s who were a c t i v e i n t h e d i v i s i o n o f c h e m i s t r y and c h e m i c a l t e c h n o l o g y . During the p e r i o d f r o m 1918 t o 1929, o f t h e n i n e men who s e r v e d as c h a i r m e n , s i x had p a r t i c i p a t e d i n r e s e a r c h o n c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e d u r i n g t h e war ( J o h n J o h n s t o n , W i l d e r D. B a n c r o f t , J . E. Z a n e t t i , James F. N o r r i s , W i l l i a m J . H a l e and George H u l e t t ) , a s had 20 o f t h e 64 members of the d i v i s i o n d u r i n g t h i s p e r i o d . The way i n w h i c h t h e p a t t e r n o f p r o j e c t - r e s e a r c h was c a r r i e d f o r w a r d b y t h e c o m m i t t e e s o f t h e d i v i s i o n can b e i l l u s t r a t e d b y t h e w o r k o f one o f t h e l a r g e s t o f t h e s e , t h e c o m m i t t e e on c h e m i c a l r e s e a r c h on m e d i c i n a l s u b s t a n c e s . T h i s c o m m i t t e e was e s t a b l i s h e d i n 1923 and was c o n t i n u e d u n t i l 1926 w i t h M a r s t o n T. B o g e r t a s c h a i r m a n . A s one o f t h e o r i g i n a l members o f M a n n i n g ' s c o m m i t t e e on n o x i o u s g a s e s , i t was B o g e r t who i n 1917 s u g g e s t e d t h e e s t a b l i s h m e n t of b r a n c h l a b o r a t o r i e s to c a r r y out p r o j e c t - r e s e a r c h a t c o l l e g e s and u n i v e r s i t i e s . He s u b s e q u e n t l y s e r v e d as c h i e f o f t h e r e l a t i o n s s e c t i o n o f t h e C h e m i c a l W a r f a r e S e r v i c e , and i n t h a t r o l e h e f a c i l i t a t e d c o o p e r a t i o n between t h e C h e m i c a l W a r f a r e S e r v i c e and c o l l e g e s and u n i v e r s i t i e s ( 2 8 ) . The c o m m i t t e e on c h e m i c a l r e s e a r c h on m e d i c i n a l s u b s t a n c e s was composed o f 14 members who c o o r d i n a t e d t h e w o r k o f a n a d d i t i o n a l 57 c o l l a b o r a t o r s a t t a c h e d t o 12 s u b c o m m i t t e e s a c c o r d i n g t o t h e t y p e o f compounds studied. F i v e o f t h e s e 14 members ( M a r s t o n T. B o g e r t , Roger Adams, T r e a t B. J o h n s o n , W. Lee L e w i s , and R. R. Renshaw) had

Parascandola and Whorton; Chemistry and Modern Society ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1984.

Downloaded by TUFTS UNIV on March 18, 2018 | https://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: August 23, 1984 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1984-0228.ch009

9.

JONES

181

Chemical Warfare Research

p a r t i c i p a t e d i n r e s e a r c h on c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e d u r i n g t h e war. The e x t e n s i v e work o f t h i s c o m m i t t e e r e s u l t e d i n t h e p u b l i c a t i o n o f 144 s e p a r a t e p a p e r s on t h e s y n t h e s i s and t e s t i n g o f compounds f o r possible medicinal value (52). The s u b c o m m i t t e e on o r g a n i c a r s e n i c a l s i n c l u d e d W. L e e L e w i s , who h a d d e v e l o p e d L e w i s i t e and was t h e n an o r g a n i c c h e m i s t a t N o r t h w e s t e r n U n i v e r s i t y , a n d A r t h u r S. L o e v e n h a r t , a p h a r m a c o l o g i s t a t the U n i v e r s i t y of Wisconsin. L o e v e n h a r t h a d been c h i e f of p h a r m a c o l o g i c a l r e s e a r c h a t t h e c e n t r a l l a b o r a t o r y o f t h e Chemical Warfare S e r v i c e a t American U n i v e r s i t y . Loevenhart had been i m p r e s s e d by t h e c o o p e r a t i o n e s t a b l i s h e d between o r g a n i c c h e m i s t s a n d p h a r m a c o l o g i s t s i n t h e s e a r c h f o r new a g e n t s o f c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e , and a f t e r t h e war he p r o p o s e d t o c o n t i n u e t h i s c o o p e r a t i o n i n a s e a r c h f o r new d r u g s ( 5 3 ) . I n 1918 L o e v e n h a r t and L e w i s c o l l a b o r a t e d on a p r o j e c t t o s y n t h e s i z e a n d t e s t t h e medicinal value of organic arsenicals. T h e i r work was s u p p o r t e d i n i t i a l l y by t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s I n t e r d e p a r t m e n t a l S o c i a l H y g i e n e B o a r d and l a t e r b y t h e P u b l i c H e a l t h I n s t i t u t e o f C h i c a g o ( 5 4 ) . T h e i r p r o j e c t was one o f many s i m i l a r s t u d i e s w h i c h were i n c o r p o r a t e d i n t o t h e work o f t h e s u b c o m m i t t e e on o r g a n i c a r s e n i c a l s i n 1923. A r e p o r t i s s u e d by t h e s u b c o m m i t t e e i n 1925 c o n t a i n e d a l i s t o f r e s e a r c h p r o j e c t s and an i n v i t a t i o n f o r c h e m i s t s and p h a r m a c o l o g i s t s t o v o l u n t e e r t o s t u d y them ( 5 5 ) . The i d e a t h a t p r o j e c t - r e s e a r c h was w e l l s u i t e d t o t h e s t u d y o f d r u g s a l s o was p r e s e n t i n t h e i n i t i a l p r o p o s a l i n 1918 f o r t h e establishment of the National I n s t i t u t e of Health. C h a r l e s Holmes H e r t y s e d i t o r i a l i n t h e J o u r n a l o f I n d u s t r i a l and E n g i n e e r i n g C h e m i s t r y e n t i t l e d "War C h e m i s t r y a n d t h e A l l e v i a t i o n o f S u f f e r ing," p o i n t e d o u t t h a t t h e methods i n v o l v e d i n s u c h s t u d i e s w e r e i d e n t i c a l w i t h those used p r e v i o u s l y by t h e Research D i v i s i o n o f t h e C h e m i c a l W a r f a r e S e r v i c e (.56) . (For Herty's r o l e i n establ i s h i n g an i n s t i t u t e f o r d r u g r e s e a r c h s e e J o h n P a r a s c a n d o l a s c h a p t e r i n t h i s volume.) A c o m m i t t e e o f t h e A m e r i c a n C h e m i c a l S o c i e t y p r e p a r e d a s t a t e m e n t i n 1921 o f t h e i r p l a n s a n d p o l i c i e s for a chemical-medical i n s t i t u t e . F o u r o f t h e n i n e members o f t h e c o m m i t t e e (Raymond F. B a c o n , R e i d H u n t , T r e a t B. J o h n s o n , a n d J u l i u s S t i e g l i t z ) h a d been a s s o c i a t e d w i t h t h e R e s e a r c h D i v i s i o n o f t h e C h e m i c a l W a r f a r e S e r v i c e . T h e i r r e p o r t commented on t h e p a t t e r n o f s c i e n t i f i c r e s e a r c h employed i n t h e r e s e a r c h on war g a s e s a n d recommended a s i m i l a r o r g a n i z a t i o n f o r t h e b a t t l e a g a i n s t d i s e a s e . The r e p o r t c o n c l u d e d w i t h t h e s t a t e m e n t : C o n s e q u e n t l y i t i s p r o p o s e d t h a t t h e a t t a c k be a c t u a l l y c o o p e r a t i v e , from t h e s e l e c t i o n of t h e problem and t h e f o r m u l a t i o n o f t h e p l a n o f work through t h e whole concentrated e f f o r t t o grapple w i t h N a t u r e and u l t i m a t e l y t o conquer o u t p o s t a f t e r o u t p o s t o f t h e complex w o r l d o f l i f e . May t h e d a y come when t h e l e s s o n o f t h e power o f c o o p e r a t i v e s c i e n t i f i c endeavor, so e f f e c t i v e l y u t i l i z e d i n t h e Chemical Warfare S e r v i c e o r g a n i z a t i o n , may be a p p l i e d w i t h e q u a l s u c c e s s t o t h e s o l u t i o n o f t h e problems o f d i s e a s e and h e a l t h ( 5 8 ) . 1

1

Parascandola and Whorton; Chemistry and Modern Society ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1984.

CHEMISTRY A N D M O D E R N SOCIETY

182

Downloaded by TUFTS UNIV on March 18, 2018 | https://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: August 23, 1984 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1984-0228.ch009

Conclusion P r o j e c t - r e s e a r c h p r o v e d t o be a n e f f e c t i v e method o f o r g a n i z i n g r e s e a r c h on c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e d u r i n g W o r l d War I . I t s o l v e d a problem encountered e a r l y i n the United S t a t e s p r e p a r a t i o n f o r c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e , t h a t o f e f f i c i e n t l y c o o r d i n a t i n g t h e work o f v o l u n t e e r c h e m i s t s who were i s o l a t e d i n s e p a r a t e l a b o r a t o r i e s . L a t e r i n t h e war i t was c o n t i n u e d more b e c a u s e i t e n a b l e d t h e examination o f t h e c h e m i c a l , p h a r m a c o l o g i c a l , and t e c h n i c a l a s p e c t s o f one p r o b l e m t o p r o c e e d s i m u l t a n e o u s l y i n s e v e r a l r e search u n i t s . I n t h i s way r e s u l t s were e x p e c t e d t o be o b t a i n e d i n the s h o r t e s t p o s s i b l e time. I t i s suggested here that t h i s experience l e f t i t s i m p r i n t n o t o n l y o n t h e c h e m i s t s and o t h e r s c i e n t i s t s i n v o l v e d , b u t a l s o on t h e i n s t i t u t i o n t h a t t h e y shaped t o o r g a n i z e c h e m i c a l r e s e a r c h a f t e r t h e war. When t h e l e a d e r s o f t h e d i v i s i o n o f c h e m i s t r y a n d chemical technology o f t h e N a t i o n a l Research C o u n c i l faced i d e n t i c a l p r o b l e m s i n t h e 1920s, t h e y may w e l l have t u r n e d t o s o l u t i o n s t h e y had f o u n d t o be s u c c e s s f u l d u r i n g W o r l d War I , y e t e v i d e n c e g i v e n h e r e f o r t h e i n f l u e n c e o f t h e model o f p r o j e c t research i slargely circumstantial. Many o f t h e l e a d e r s o f A m e r i c a n C h e m i s t r y i n t h e 1920s s h a r e d t h e common e x p e r i e n c e o f r e s e a r c h on c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e , and t h e i r methods o f o r g a n i z i n g v o l u n t a r y work on r e s e a r c h p r o j e c t s i n c h e m i s t r y m i r r o r e d t h e wartime o r g a n i z a t i o n of t h e Chemical Warfare S e r v i c e . Only b i o g r a p h i c a l s t u d i e s o f these i n d i v i d u a l chemists can i l l u m i n a t e t h e d i r e c t i n f l u e n c e o f t h e model o f p r o j e c t - r e s e a r c h on t h e i r l a t e r c a r e e r s . I n t h i s way t h e i m p a c t o f t h e model on p o s t w a r c h e m i s t r y m i g h t b e b e t t e r e s t a b l i s h e d , and t h e s i g n i f i c a n c e o f r e s e a r c h on c h e m i c a l w a r f a r e f o r t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f c h e m i s t r y i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s m i g h t be d e m o n s t r a t e d c o n c l u s i v e l y .

Literature Cited 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Yerkes, Robert M., ed.; "The New World of Science: Its Development During the War"; Century: New York, 1920; Chapters 2, 3, 24. Millikan, Robert A. Science 1919, 50, 285-297. Kevles, Daniel J . ISIS 1968, 59, 427-437. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 1919, 5, 188. Jones, Daniel P., Ph.D. Thesis, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, 1969. Baker, Newton D. J . Ind. Eng. Chem. 1919, 11, 921. Jones, Daniel P. ISIS 1980, 71, 426-440. Dupree, A. Hunter. "Science in the Federal Government"; Harvard Univ.: Cambridge, Mass., 1957; pp. 158-163. Armsby, Henry Prentiss. Science 1920, 51, 37.

Parascandola and Whorton; Chemistry and Modern Society ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1984.

Downloaded by TUFTS UNIV on March 18, 2018 | https://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: August 23, 1984 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1984-0228.ch009

9.

JONES

Chemical Warfare Research

183

10. Kellogg, Vernon. Educ. Review 1921, 62, 366-367. 11. Jones, Daniel P. Proc. Colloquium on Military History, Balesi, Charles J., ed.; United States Commission on Mili­ tary History; Chicago, 1979; pp. 50-60. 12. Fries, Amos Α.; West, Clarence J. "Chemical Warfare"; McGraw H i l l : New York, 1921. 13. Thompson, William O. Ohio State Univ. Monthly 1917 (April). 14. Kolbe, Parke Rexford. "The Colleges in War Time and After"; Appleton: New York, 1919; pp. xvii, 40. 15. Editorials, J. Ind. Eng. Chem. 1917, 9, 544-545, 1085. 16. Manning, Van H. "War Gas Investigations"; U.S. Bureau of Mines Bulletin No. 178-A; U.S. Govt. Printing Office: Washington, D.C., 1919; p. 2. 17. Fay, Albert H. "Preparedness Census of Mining Engineers, Metallurgists, and Chemists"; U.S. Bureau of Mines Tech­ nical Paper No. 179; U.S. Govt. Printing Office: Washington, D.C., 1917. 18. Parsons, Charles L. J. Ind. Eng. Chem. 1918, 10, 776. 19. The minutes of this and subsequent meetings of the com­ mittee on noxious gases are in the Records of the Bureau of Mines, Record Group 70, Entry 2, National Archives. 20. Lewis, Warren K. Chemical Warfare 1932, 18, 1118. 21. Report submitted at meeting of committee on noxious gases, May 25, 1917. 22. Reid, E. Emmet. Armed Forces Chemical Journal 1955, 9 (July-August), 38. 23. Reid, E. Emmet. "History of Offense Research, John Hopkins University Station", Historical Report No. H-149, Chemical Warfare Service, Edgewood Arsenal Technical Library. 24. Henderson, Yandell. "History of Research at Yale Univer­ sity", Historical Report No. H-150, Chemical Warfare Service, Edgewood Arsenal Technical Library. 25. "History of the University of Wisconsin Section, Medical Division, Chemical Warfare Service", Historical Report No. H-151, Chemical Warfare Service, Edgewood Arsenal Technical Library. 26. Lewis, Winford Lee. "Summary of Work Done in Organic Unit No. 3, Offense Research Section, CWS", Historical Report No. H-209, Chemical Warfare Service, Edgewood Arsenal Technical Library. 27. Hulett, George A. "History of the Research Division at Princeton University", Historical Report No. H-153, Chemi­ cal Warfare Service, Edgewood Arsenal Technical Library. 28. Bancroft, Wilder D. "History of the Chemical Warfare Ser­ vice in the United States", Historical Report No. H-11, Chemical Warfare Service, Edgewood Arsenal Technical Library, p. 58. 29. Editorial, J. Ind. Eng. Chem. 1918, 10, 590.

Parascandola and Whorton; Chemistry and Modern Society ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1984.

CHEMISTRY A N D MODERN SOCIETY

184

30. 31. 32. 33.

Downloaded by TUFTS UNIV on March 18, 2018 | https://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: August 23, 1984 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1984-0228.ch009

34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49.

50.

51. 52.

"List of Bureau of Mines Personnel", Records of the Bureau of Mines, Record Group 70, entry 2, National Archives. Bogert, Marston T.; Nichols, William H.; Noyes, Α. Α.; Stieglitz, Julius; and Parsons, Charles L. J. Ind. Eng. Chem. 1919, 11, 415. Jones, Lauder W. "Offense Chemical Research Section, Sum­ mary of Achievements, 1917-1918", Chemical Warfare Mono­ graph No. 55, Edgewood Arsenal Technical Library. Conant, James B. "Progress Report, Organic Section, Feb. 18, 1918" enclosed in a letter from G. Burrell to W. McPherson, Feb. 26, 1918, Records of the Chemical Warfare Service, Record Group 175, National Archives. Gomberg, Moses. "Report on the Preparation of Dichloroethylsulfide", Record Group 175, National Archives. Burrell, George A. J . Ind. Eng. Chem. 1919, 11, 93-94. West, Clarence J . "Pharmacological Data", Chemical War­ fare Monograph No. 50, Chemical Warfare Service, Edgewood Arsenal Technical Library. Manning, Van H. "Report, May 1918", Records of the Bureau of Mines, Record Group 70, National Archives. Jones, Daniel P. Technology and Culture 1978, 19, 151-168. J . Ind. Eng. Chem. 1919, 11, 5-12, 13-19, 93-110, 185-200, 281-296, 420-443, 513-540, 621-629, 721-723, 817-836, 10131019, 1105-1116; 1920, 12, 213-223, 1054-1069. Editorials, J . Ind. Eng. Chem. 1919, 11, 506, 814-816h; 1920, 12, 2-3, 107, 314. National Research Council, "Annual Report 1918"; U.S. Gov­ ernment Printing Office: Washington, D.C., 1919. National Research Council, "Annual Report 1919"; U.S. Gov­ ernment Printing Office: Washington, D.C., 1920; p. 33. J . Ind. Eng. Chem. 1919, 11, 481-483. J . Ind. Eng. Chem. 1919, 11, 694-697. Bancroft, Wilder D. J . Ind. Eng. Chem. 1920, 12, 911. Bancroft, Wilder D. J . Ind. Eng. Chem. 1921, 13, 83-89, 153-158, 260-264, 346-351. Zanetti, J. E. J . Ind. Eng. Chem. 1924, 16, 304-307. These documents are in the archives of the National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C. Norris, James F. "Report of Activities of the Division of Chemistry and Chemical Technology. February-April 1925"; Archives of the National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C. Hale, William J . "Report of the Chairman of the Division of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, December 4, 1925"; Archives of the National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C. Kraus, Charles A. Science 1933, 77, 552-554. National Research Council, "A History of the NRC 19191933"; U.S. Government Printing Office: Washington, D.C., 1933.

Parascandola and Whorton; Chemistry and Modern Society ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1984.

9.

Chemical Warfare Research

JONES

53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58.

185

Loevenhart, Arthur S. J. Ind. Eng. Chem. 1918, 10, 971973. Leake, Chauncey D. Science 1925, 62, 251-256. Christiansen, Walter G. J. Ind. Eng. Chem. 1925, 17, 12701271. J. Ind. Eng. Chem. 1918, 10, 673-674. J. Ind. Eng. Chem. 1918, 10, 969-976. American Chemical Society. "The Future Independence and Progress of American Medicine in the Age of Chemistry"; Chemical Foundation: New York, 1921, p. 80. December 27, 1982

Downloaded by TUFTS UNIV on March 18, 2018 | https://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: August 23, 1984 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1984-0228.ch009

RECEIVED

Parascandola and Whorton; Chemistry and Modern Society ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1984.