Priest on Poison

To Villanova College last week went the Rev. Julius Arthur Nieuwland, Belgian-born professor of organic chemistry at Notre Dame, to receive the Mendel Medal as Catholic scientist-of-the-year for his researches on acetylene which led to the development of synthetic rubber (TIME, Nov. 16, 1931 et seq.). Before the ceremony a newshawk questioned the famed priest on another outgrowth of his researches, lewisite, only war gas deadlier than mustard gas. Said Father Nieuwland:

"Poison gas is a humane instrument of warfare. By the introduction of gas and other modern instruments of warfare, a progressively smaller percentage of combatants have been killed.

"In Biblical times, thousands of men met in the middle of a plain and slashed one another until only a few were left standing. Today, the primary aim is not to kill but to incapacitate. And poison gas is an ideal method of achieving that aim.

"If a man goes to the hospital suffering from gas, he is as useless as if he were dead-and to care for him, several other persons must be kept out of the battle lines.

"The chances are that ultimately the victim will recover."

Gas casualties in the War totaled about 1,000,000, deaths about 78,000. Lewisite was developed too late for War use. Like mustard gas, it inflames its victim's respiratory system, burns his skin. Its superiority to mustard gas lies in the fact that it also poisons the burns.

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