Chemical Weapons and Syria

This morning I heard a news report that Syria has chemical weapons and may use them them to quell its civil war.  The news spread reports of fear and outrage across the globe.

The specific chemical is sarin, or GB.  Sarin was originally developed in Germany in 1938 as a pesticide.  Its utility as a chemical weapon rapidly became apparent.  But it was never used in WWII.  Sarin was used by the Aum Shinrikyo cult in 1995 as part of a massive subway attack in Tokyo.  Eleven people died and an estimated 5,500 were injured.  In the late 80's Iraq used sarin gas in an attack on Kurdish rebels.  In those attacks the death toll has been set at 5,000 with another 65,000 injuries.  Many people today still suffer the effects of the two attacks continents apart. 

Sarin is an organophosphate nerve agent.  An exposure to sarin causes a buildup of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the body.  Exposure quickly causes blurred vision, sweating, vomiting and tremors.  In time nausea and vomiting worsens, diarrhea starts and fluids build in the lungs leading to respiratory arrest.  Sarin is a liquid that rapidly gets absorbed through the skin.  Thankfully it quickly evaporates so the threat to life is short.  There is an antidote.  But how do you stockpile enough to treat 65,000 victims?  More than the antidote; how can you possibly treat that many people in one small area?

The idea of using a chemical weapon like sarin is horrifying.  Even Adolph Hitler, the man who ordered the genocide of millions, thought chemical warfare was out of bounds.  We can hope and pray that the conflict is Syria ends soon, before the unimaginable happens.