It is with my warmest congratulations to the State University of Ghent that I extend my appreciation to organize the First World Congress «New Compounds in Biological and Chemical Warfare: Toxicological Evaluation», which takes place these coming days.
Belgium has suffered a lot in the First World War of Chemical attacks on its soldiers and thousands died in the fight for their freedom with the Allied Forces.
This Conference on high scientific level and humanitarian grounds, away from all international political involvement is a light for humanity in its search to live free from any war.
The program that is submitted for the detection of those compounds, the diagnosis and the treatment of the patients is of such a great importance for humanity and for our future.
Belgium, on humanitarian grounds has always supported, in the Western World and internationally, all efforts ...
Table of Contents
Address pronounced at the opening of the First World Congress «New Compounds in Biological and Chemical Warfare: Toxicological Evaluation». Heyndrickx A / 3 Address pronounced at the opening of the First World Congress «New Compounds in Biological and Chemical Warfare: Toxicological Evaluation» by his Excellency Mr. W. De Clercq, Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Foreign Trade. De Clercq. W / 7 Address pronounced at the opening of the First World Congress «New Compounds in Biological and Chemical Warfare: Toxicological Evaluation». Brandenberger H / 8 Analysis of snow samples contaminated with chemical warfare agents. Johnsen B.A. and Blanch J.H / 22 Analytical methodology, detection of trichothecenes from Southeast Asian samples and their residue in animal tissue. Mirocha C.J., Pawlosky R.J. And Chatterjee K. / 210 Autopsy observations in an Iranian soldier exposed to war gas. D’Halluin F. and Roels H / 284 Bacteriological determination of samples collected in gas warfare of Iran. Mrozowsky B / 282 Biological detection of chemical warfare agents. Wen Ju-Fang / 74 Chemical and biological warfare in Cambodia. Sannards S. / 381 Chemical disarmament and the Third World. Problems of verification and prevention of proliferation. Binenfeld Z. and Vojvodic V / 372 Clinical and laboratory findings in Iranian fighters with chemical gas poisoning. Balali M / 254 Clinical manifestations of chemical agents on Iranian combatants during Iran-lraq conflict. Sohrabpour H. / 291 Clinical observations and therapy of injuries with vesicants. Colardyn F. and Debersaques J / 298 Chromatographic procedures for the toxicological determination of bis (2-chloroethyI)sulfide (mustard gas, Yperite) in environmental and human biological samples. Heyndrickx A., Cordonnieh J. And De Bock A / 102 Collaborative studies on warfare chemicals by small laboratories. Dutt M.C / 81 Comparative study of two different field tests for the detection of Yperite in the atmosphere, applied on biological samples of gased soldiers. Heyndrickx A., De Puydt H. and Cordonnier J / 61 Comparison of the toxicological investigations in man in Southeast Asia, Afghanistan and Iran, concerning gas warfare. Heyndrickx A. And Heyndrickx B / 426 Correlation between some physical parameters and alkaline hydrolysis rate constants of organophosphorous compounds. Vojvodic V., Veljkovic V., Cosic I. and Lalovic D. / 49 Detection of mustard gas in biological material. Vycudilik W., And Machata G / 53 Detection of trichothecene mycotoxins (Yellow Rain) in blood, urine and faeces of Iranian soldiers treated as victims of a gas attack. Heyndrickx A., Sookvanichsilp N. and Van Den Heede M / 143 Effects of dietary trichothecenes on the immune system of mice. Schiefer H.B., Friend S.C.E. and Welch M.K. / 220 Environmental specimen banking — Hitherto gained experience and possible future prospects. Stoeppler M. / 354 Etude de la toxicite aigue de I'Eserine, VX et le Paraoxon, pour etablir un modele mathematique de l'extrapolation a l'Etre humain Leblic C, Coq H.M. And Le Moan G. / 226 The evidence of chemical and toxin weapon use in Southeast Asia and Afghanistan. Crocker G / 384 Exploration of circumstances at the battlefield, diffusion of gas bombs, secure and transportation of poisonous content. Freilinger G / 324 Extraction of the cartridge used during the hemoperfusion therapy of the intoxicated soldiers. Heyndrickx A., Heyndrickx B. And Sookvanichsilp N / 155 First contact with intoxicated victims by chemical warfare. Freilinger G / 327 First report on victims of chemical warfare in the Gulf-war treated in Vienna. Mandl H. and Freilinger G. / 330 Gas chromatography and toxicological determination of tricho-thecenes in biological and environmental materials : applicability to environmental samples associated with «Yellow Rain». Heyndrickx A., Sookvanichsilp N. And Van Den Heede M. / 110 A gas chromatographic procedure for the toxicological determination of trichothecenes in human tissues and body fluids. Heyndrickx A., Sookvanichsilp N. And Van Den Heede M. / 132 Herbicides, miracle agents or ? Fatal Danish cases. Steentoft A. And Kaempe B / 31 The immediate decontamination of the skin. Lambrecht F. / 45 Interethnic differences of human serum paraoxonase activity-relevance for the detoxification of organophosphorous compounds. Geldmachervon Mallinckrodt M., Diepgen T.L. and Enders P.W / 243 Lethal hemorrhages in pregnant mice following one oral dose of T-2 toxin. Schiefer H.B. and Rousseaux C.G. / 252 Lethal intoxication by wargases on Iranian soldiers. Therapeutic interventions on survivors of mustard gas and mycotoxin immersion. Pauser G., Aloy A., Carvana M. Graninger W., Havel M., Roller W., And Mutz N / 341 Management of trauma in Vietnam and imposed Iranian Iraqi wars. Kadivar H / 311 Methemoglobinemia in patients attacked by chemical and microbiological warfare agents. Heyndrickx A. And Van Steen-Berge M / 69 Mycotoxin production by thirteen fusarium isolates from Thailand. Greenhalgh R., Miller J.D., Neish G. And Schiefer H.B. / 56 Observations, impressions, pitfalls and recommendations from field CBW research among refugees in Southeast Asia. Crossland A. And Townsend A / 413 Personnel protection against chemical agents : development of antidotal treatment for organophosphorous poisoning. BRIGGS C.J. and Simons K.J / 260 Plasma technology in war hight production of toxic gas. Prouveur G / 38 Pollen : evidence and controversy. COHEN H. and NEISH G. / 177 The practice of chemical warfare in Kampuchea and Laos. Samudavanija C / 366 Presence of mycotoxins and a man-made material in a «Yellow Rain» sample. Rosen J.D / 173 Problems associated with verification of alleged CBW use in Southeast Asia. Schiefer H.B. and Sutherland R.G. . / 274 Les procedures d’enquete en cas d’usage allegue d'armes chi-miques ou biologiques sur la base de la resolution 37 / 98 D. Sur S / 377 Recherches toxicologiques de gaz neurotoxiques dans les prele-vements de soldats intoxiques. Heyndrickx A. and Heyn-Drickx B / 147 Report of the specialists appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations to investigate allegations by the Islamic Republic of Iran concerning the use of chemical weapons. United Nations Security Council (S/16433 — 26/3/84). Report of the specialists appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations to investigate allegations by the Islamic Republic of Iran concerning the use of chemical weapons — Comments by Dr. Foroutan Abbas. Foroutan Abbas. / 302 Etude de la toxicite aigue de I’Eserine, VX et le Paraoxon, pour etablir un modele mathematique de I'extrapolation a I’Etre humain Leblic C., Coq H.M. and Le Moan G. / 226 Summary. First World Congress «New Compounds in Biological and Chemical Warfare: Toxicological Evaluation». Heyndrickx A / 441 Systemic effects of topical application of trichothecenes in rodents. Schiefer H.B / 223 Total arsenic determination in urine and faeces of soldiers after a gas attack by atomic absorption spectrophotometry using the MHS-20 hydride generating system. Heyndrickx A. And Parisis N.E / 90 Toxicological properties of T-2 toxin and related trichothecenes. Ueno Y„ Muto A. And Kobayashi J / 160 Treatment of Iranian soldiers attacked by chemical and microbiological war gases. Heyndrickx A. And Heyndrickx B. / 157 Various aspects of the Afghan question. Naim A. / 435 Yellow Rain : chemical warfare or natural phenomenon ? Mesel-Son M. / 88
EDITORIAL
by A. Heyndrickx Chairman of the Congress Department of Toxicology, State University of Ghent Hospitaalstraat 13, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
His Excellency, Mr. W. De Clercq, Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Foreign Trade, His Excellency Prince Norodom Ranariddh of Cambodia, The Honourable Rector of the State University of Ghent, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Colleagues,
On April 27th 1915 at 4 o'clock in the afternoon a green gas cloud was coming towards the Belgian defensive troups stationed near leper (Ypres) ; the first gas attack, made by the German Army with chlorine had taken place. Through that attack, five thousand Belgian troups and Allied Forces died. The Belgian Army and the Allied Forces did not think about Gas Warfare. We had no gas masks, and no protective clothing.
Six thousand metal cylinders filled with chlorine were used in this battle. In December 1915 the German forces first attacked with Phosgene and later on July 12th 1917 they first used mustard gas. Mustard gas got its name from the City of leper (Ypres) where the gas was first used, since then it was called also Yperite.
The first gas mask that was made by the British was introduced on May 1st and was a very simple system, called the Black Veil Respirator. Since then also a kind of mask was developed for the horses which were of such great use in this warfare. It was Prof. Dr. Fritz Haber, Head of the Berlin Kaiser Wilhelm Institute, Physikalische Chemie und Elektrochemie, who invented the technique.
Later on, after the War, he received the Nobel Price, for other inventions. The war gas history started by the British in 1894 at Sebastopol in the Crimean War, where noxious sulfur fumes were used, which were quite ineffective. In the Boer War of 1899-1902 the artillery was using shells, filled with picric acid which had a vomiting reaction on the soldiers. The War of 1914-1918 was numbering about 100,000 dead and over 1,200,000 of casualties, including civilians, due to chemical warfare.
I still remember, in the pharmacy of my father before World War II, that veterans of the First World War were coming in every week to receive from the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Health, the bromoform syrup for their daily use. In 1930 Mussolini was using mustard gas in Ethiopia. And in 1965 Egypt was using also war gases, Yperite, in Yemen/Since 1975-1976 we have reports that chemical and microbiological warfare is used in Laos, later in Cambodia and Afghanistan. At this moment Irak is using it in Iran.
It means that today's First World Congress « New Compounds in Biological and Chemical Warfare : Toxicological Evaluation », is up to date. I want to thank especially the Belgian Government and also His Excellency the Vice-Prime Minister present here, for the great help that I had in my research, and the support to organize this First World Congress.
At no time there was any influence or pressure from the Belgian Government or any Minister so that I could organize completely and independently this meeting. During my research and also sampling in foreign countries, at no time I was influenced so that I could work completely independently. I want to thank also the Universities of Vienna, Munich, Hamburg, Essen, Lausanne and Ghent for their close collaboration and co-operation the last weeks, treating the patients, analysing the samples which were sent over every day to the University, and their close co-operation and reporting the results. I want to thank also especially Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa and Swissair for the close collaboration sending over the samples and taking back the reports.
I also want to thank the Rector of the State University of Ghent, Prof. A. Cottenie for the possibilities given to my Department of Toxicology to do the analysis, and fundamental research which was needed in this field. Unfortunately all our physicians, pharmacists and nurses in Western Flanders who had to treat our soldiers and civilians attacked by those terrible weapons passed away. We only have a few veterans left who still remember those hard days. One of them told me that by one of these attacks the soldier who was blowing the horn and announcing the gases, died, due to the fact that he had to breath many times, warning the others that they had to protect themselves. In those attacks, our soldiers only had a handkerchief that they had to wet with their own urine, bring on their mouth and nose so that they would have some protection.
It means that today, what the treatment is concerned, we do not know much, it is only by these results at those University Clinics, where all those physicians and nurses were doing such an outstanding job, that we gain some experience using modern pharmaceuticals and also new techniques ; we can see how we can cure and at the same time relieve.
The techniques of detection have been changing since 1914-1918, by using modern possibilities of analytical toxicological investigation.
It is surprising to find that many of those war gases do not hydrolyze or do not metabolize so fast, as we originally thought. Of course today our methods are much more reliable and sensitive than they were 69 years ago. This Congress has one main purpose in humanitarian sight: see how we can help people who suffer. This conference has no political goal, everybody can express his own ideas, the way he was conducting his investigations, at the same time everyone can report what he has heard and seen.
In this way, Belgium, which was suffering so much during the First World War, has the honour to organize this First World Congress. We hope, bringing these results known internationally, Governments and Countries involved will draw the necessary conclusions, and bring them towards the United Nations, as it has already been done by some of them. That all those weapons will be banned and that at the same time the basic compounds, the bulk materials, that one needs to manufacture them, will be under direct international control.
All other solutions will be ineffective. We hope that industrialized countries will limit the transfer of technology, and limit technical experts in helping those countries to build this new manufacturing military industry. In this way we will help to have more peace in some parts of the World and try to conserve it in those parts where we still have peace.
I want to thank the National Science Foundation of Belgium and the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the State University of Ghent for the help given to organize this Conference. I extend a warm welcome to the 324 scientists and delegates from the 31 countries : Afghanistan, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, China, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Norway, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, USA, Western Germany, Yugoslavia.
Fifty-two communications will be discussed. May I ask now His Excellency the Vice-Prime Minister of Belgium, Mr. W. De Clercq to open this First World Congress.
Allocution by His Excellency Mr. W. De Clercq Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Foreign Trade
His Excellency, Prince Ranariddh Norodom, Excellencies Ambassadors. Authorities,
It is with my warmest congratulations to the State University of Ghent that I extend my appreciation to organize the First World Congress «New Compounds in Biological and Chemical Warfare: Toxicological Evaluation», which takes place these coming days. Belgium has suffered a lot in the First World War of Chemical attacks on its soldiers and thousands died in the fight for their freedom with the Allied Forces.
This Conference on high scientific level and humanitarian grounds, away from all international political involvement is a light for humanity in its search to live free from any war. The program that is submitted for the detection of those compounds, the diagnosis and the treatment of the patients is of such a great importance for humanity and for our future.
Belgium, on humanitarian grounds has always supported, in the Western World and internationally, all efforts to attain those goals. By comparing the scientific results of all great specialists of the world here united today, it is my sincere hope that more and more the truth will be known to the world and that all of us will do our best to reach peace for all men.
I hope that in those three days, the international exchange between scientists will improve and that the press of all Nations here united, will make it also known to the World. Let us hope that in this way you and Belgium will make a step forward to reach our final destination in human rights and peace.
.....
A. Heyndrickx
Biological and Chemical Warfare
University of Ghent
State University of Ghent National Science Foundation of Belgium Biological and Chemical Warfare First World Congress New Compounds in Biological and Chemical Warfare: Toxicological Evaluation
First World Congress 1984 Ghent - Belgium
Proceedings Ghent, May 21st - 23rd, 1984
Edited by Chairman : Professor A. Heyndrickx Head of the Department of Toxicology State University of Ghent B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
Sponsored by the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences State University of Ghent and the National Science Foundation of Belgium
Honorary Committee His Excellency Mr. W. Martens, Prime Minister His Excellency Mr. J. Gol, Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Justice and Institutional Affairs His Excellency Mr. W. De Clercq, Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Foreign Trade His Excellency Mr. Ch. F. Nothomb, Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Internal Affairs His Excellency Mr. M. Eyskens, Minister of Economic Affairs His Excellency Mr. C. Olivier, Minister of Public Works His Excellency Mr. H. De Croo, Minister of Traffic and PTT. His Excellency Mr. M. Hansenne, Minister of Labour. His Excellency Mr. Ph. Maystadt, Minister of Budget, Scientific Policy and Plan. His Excellency Mr. F. Vreven, Minister of Defense. His Excellency Mr. J. L. Dehaene, Minister of Social Affairs. His Excellency Mr. P. Hatry, Minister of the Brussels Region. The Honourable Prof. A. Cottenie, Rector of the State University of Ghent
Organizing Committee Prof. A. Defalque, Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium Prof. A. Vercruysse, Free University of Brussels (Dutch), Belgium Prof. L. Molle, Free University of Brussels (French), Belgium Prof. C. Heusghem, State University of Liege, Belgium Prof. R. Maes, State University of Utrecht, The Netherlands
Scientific Committee Prof. R. Dierkens, State University of Ghent, Belgium Prof. P. Ghysbrecht, State University of Ghent, Belgium Prof. A. Lafontaine, Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium Prof. J. Timperman, State University of Ghent, Belgium Prof. A. Vermeulen, State University of Ghent, Belgium
