Veterans at Risk The Health Effects of Mustard Gas and Lewisite (1993) / Chapter Skim
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4 Findings from the Public Hearing Process
4 Findings from the Public Hearing Process
Pages 61-70
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From page 61... ...
The committee therefore sought descriptions of the veterans' symptoms in the period shortly following their exposure, the duration of the gas chamber tests, and the number of times they were in the gas chamber, for the purpose of estimating the possible exposure. Fortunately, as detailed in Chapter 3, the committee was able to obtain numerous official reports concerning the tests and, as the study progressed, knowledge of many of the experimental protocols grew.
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From page 62... ...
had maintained records of individuals who had been human subjects during WWII. In a number of cases, the study staff was able to inform veterans about how to obtain their records from the NRL.i In other cases, the study staff informed veterans about how to arrange for a local DAV representative to assist them In gathering information and filing claims with the VA.
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From page 63... ...
The largest additional group of veterans consisted of those who had been trained to handle toxic gases as part of their military assignments, often as part of military units organized under the Chemical Warfare Service (CWS)
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From page 64... ...
Gastrointestinal difficulties included difficulty swallowing, esophageal and laryngeal strictures (narrowing) , chronic nausea, stomach ulcers, and Crohn's disease (chronic inflammation and scarring of the small intestine, often leading to obstruction)
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From page 65... ...
Neurological problems included multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (degenerative diseases of the central nervous system) , abnormal sensory disturbances, Alzheimer's disease, paralysis and weakness, and chronic pain, among others.
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From page 66... ...
Again, the most intense feelings of fear were reported by those who had been involved in some kind of accident, such as one veteran who described being severely injured by an explosion of mustard gas shells during a drill that resulted in the deaths of two other soldiers. Two important additional factors were reported by those who routinely worked with chemical warfare agents.
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From page 67... ...
The official explanation was that the commanding officers actively discouraged men from becoming subjects, because they did not want to have to replace them. Cochrane, who was present at Camp Sibert and notes in the text that men were sometimes burned more than necessary, writes that the "apathy may have been due to the look of the scars on the men returned to the training companies after the tests." The NRL report provides additional evidence for severe injuries during the testing programs: in praising the morale of the subjects, it describes how men sent to the hospital and incapacitated for a month were "not upset and even volunteered for further trials" (Taylor et al., 1943; see also Appendix D)
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From page 68... ...
Further, it was a war, a worldwide emergency that understandably required certain goals to take precedence over others, possibly to the detriment of sound medical research practices concerning individual well-being. In fact, the authors of the NRL summary state their belief that the men coming through their program benefited from their experience and were better prepared than most to confront the realities of gas warfare.
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From page 69... ...
Another action taken in partial response to the findings of the public hearing process was the addition of a clinical psychologist to the committee. This added expertise facilitated the review of information available regarding the psychological effects of chemical and biological warfare environments and environmental toxins.
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From page 70... ...
Finally, the committee sought input from a bioethicist regarding the conduct of the WWII experiments. The primary motivation for this request was the committee's wish to inform itself about the ethical and legal issues of informed consent and to explore what its responsibilities may be from a bioethical viewpoint, as physicians and scientists confronted with unanticipated and disturbing information about these testing programs.
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