The Black Veil Respirator was an early British gas mask designed by

John Scott Haldane John Scott Haldane (; 2 May 1860 – 14/15 March 1936) was a British physician and physiologist famous for intrepid self-experimentation which led to many important discoveries about the human body and the nature of gases. He also experimen ...

and introduced in May 1915.

History

111-SC-1222 - British black veil respirator - NARA - 55163765

The German army used chlorine as a

poison gas Many gases have toxic properties, which are often assessed using the LC50 (median lethal dose) measure. In the United States, many of these gases have been assigned an NFPA 704 health rating of 4 (may be fatal) or 3 (may cause serious or perman ...

for the first time against Allied troops at the

Second Battle of Ypres During the First World War, the Second Battle of Ypres was fought from for control of the tactically important high ground to the east and south of the Flemish town of Ypres in western Belgium. The First Battle of Ypres had been fought the pre ...

on 22 April 1915. As an immediate response, the British began issuing cotton wool wrapped in muslin to its troops by 3 May. This was followed by the Black Veil Respirator, invented by John Scott Haldane. The Black Veil was a cotton pad soaked in an absorbent solution which was secured over the mouth using black cotton veiling. The mask was treated in a solution of sodium hyposulphate,

sodium carbonate Sodium carbonate, , (also known as washing soda, soda ash and soda crystals) is the inorganic compound with the formula Na2CO3 and its various hydrates. All forms are white, odourless, water-soluble salts that yield moderately alkaline solutions ...

glycerine Glycerol (), also called glycerine in British English and glycerin in American English, is a simple triol compound. It is a colorless, odorless, viscous liquid that is sweet-tasting and non-toxic. The glycerol backbone is found in lipids known ...

and water. The solution retained sufficient moisture so that it was unnecessary to dip the mask in a solution prior to use, so long as it was stored in its purpose-built waterproof satchel. The veiling could be drawn up to cover the eyes, providing some protection against

lachrymatory agent Tear gas, also known as a lachrymator agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the early commercial aerosol, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the eye to produce tears. In ad ...

s; however, the mask itself still only provided limited protection against chlorine gas. First issued on 20 May 1915, the Black Veil had a pouch for the pad to sit in and a string to hold the mask in to the face, and was thus an improvement to the hand-held cloth. However, it was of fragile construction, required training to use effectively, and largely immobilized its wearers because they were concerned about the mask coming loose. The Black Veil Respirator was soon replaced by the

British Smoke Hood The Hypo helmet, or British Smoke Hood (its official name), was an early British World War I gas mask, designed by Cluny MacPherson. Earlier designs The German army used poison gas for the first time against Entente troops at the Second Battle ...

, an over the head canvas hood treated with chlorine-absorbing chemicals, invented by

Cluny MacPherson Ewen MacPherson of Cluny, also known as "Cluny Macpherson" (11 February 1706 – 30 January 1764), was the Chief of Clan MacPherson during the Jacobite Rising of 1745. He took part as a leading supporter of Prince Charles Edward Stuart. After t ...

. Following the introduction of the British Smoke Hood, the Black Veil was relegated to an emergency backup.

References

Bibliography

* * * Chemical warfare World War I military equipment of the United Kingdom United Kingdom chemical weapons program Gas masks {{UK-mil-stub