Chemical warfare

Category 1 – based on Schedule 1 substancesCategory 2 – based on non-Schedule 1 substancesCategory 3 – devices and equipment designed to use chemical weapons, without the substances themselvesHistory Simple chemical weapons were used sporadically throughout antiquity and into the Industrial Age. It was not until the 19th century that the modern conception of chemical warfare emerged, as various scientists and nations proposed the use of asphyxiating or poisonous gasses.Multiple international treaties were passed banning chemical weapons based upon the alarm of nations and scientists. This however did not prevent the extensive use of chemical weapons in World War I. Chlorine gas, among other chemicals, was used by both the Allied and Central powers to try to break the stalemate of trench warfare. In most cases the gasses used did not kill, but instead incapacitated or caused permanent or temporary injuries. Historians have reached a wide range of estimates on gas casualties, ranging from 500k to 1.3 million casualties directly caused by chemical warfare agents during the course of the war, of which 2-4% died. A minimum of around 1300 civilians were injured due to the use of th