Chemical and Biological Weapons The term "chemical and biological warfare," or "

The benefits of CBW from a military perspective will be discussed, as well as the consequences of such action. It will become apparent that an army is better equipped to control its chemical, rather than biological, arsenal. Because of the idiosyncratic nature of pathogens as opposed to chemicals, microorganisms pose unique problems. A ban on biological weapons in 1972 sought to remedy this fact. Even so, biological weapons research continues today, in spite of a signed treaty and public opposition.

There is no such ban on chemical weapons, however. The nerve gases, defoliants, and herbicides used in the Viet Nam War are still used today. Chemical and biological weapons will be discussed in an historical context to show that "gas" warfare is considered more humanea "higher form of killing," as one author put itthan death by infection.

Both methods of incapacitating or killing are still being developed today. Any first class military power is prepared to defend itself against

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four such agents, among others. The main four were anthrax (the "granddaddy of biological weapons"), brucellosis, tularemia, and psittacosis. Other diseases singled out as weapons included Rocky Mountain spotted fever and different forms of encephalomyelitis. As Harris and Paxman emphasize, "during the next two decades, over seven hundred million dollars would be spent in the development of such weapons in the United States, Britain, and Canada" (161). In their survey of chemical and biological warfare, Cookson and Nottingham list the steps that United States military would use to identify a pathogen. Time is a factor in the race to identify a microorganism if an inoculation or antidote is to be prepared. The identification procedures, or "FAB" techniques, involve labeling pathogens on the basis of their affinity for a dye called fluorescein. The authors list the advantages of the method. "The time needed for identification is only one hour, the method is a simple one, potentially applicable to all microorganisms, and no tissue sections are required" (324). The authors further note that "several agents, such as Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus and Rift River fever, have been identified by this technique" (324).
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Approximate Word count = 2089
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)