OBSERVATIONS ON THE ROLE OF WATER IN THE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF HUMAN SKIN TO INJURY BY VESICANT VAPORS

[摘要] The vapors of mustard gas, as well as of nitrogen mustard, ethyl-bis([beta]-chloroethyl)amine, produced markedly more severe injuries on areas of skin that were wet with distilled water and covered by a thin, continuous layer of water than on comparable areas of skin not wet with water. The mere presence of large amts. of water on and in the more superficial layers is to a considerable degree responsible for the well-known heightened susceptibility of hot, sweating skin to the vapors of the 2 vesicants.