A little known fact lost to history is that chlorine gas was used during WWI as a peace offering. The Allies and Central Powers used to lob canisters of it from one side to the other. The hope was that anyone with a cold—and there were many cases in those dreary, wet trenches—would start to feel better. Unfortunately, the goodwill, much like the Christmas Truce, was short lived, and the men would soon be back to trying to kill each other.
I eat chlorine every day. Sodium, too, which is a metal that explodes on contact with water.
Ahh, raw capitalism...
After World War I, the US Army's Chemical Warfare Service tried desperately to save their jobs and reputations by trying to find civilian uses for chemical weapons, including shit like killing crows, and booby-trapping bank safes.
In 1924 and 1925 researchers in the CWS used bad science in an attempt to prove war gasses could be used as cures for common respiratory ailments.... In May 1924 the CWS sealed President Calvin Coolidge into a gas chamber and pumped in low levels of chlorine gas to cure his cold.
Respirine was, fortunately, a scam. Basically primitive Vick's Vapo-rub.
Analysis showed that the article consisted principally of calcium compounds incorporated in petrolatum, and that it contained no available chlorine.
Are they wrong?
