Science: Terrifying (British?) Gas

When the Nazis invaded the Low Countries, there were terrible rumors of a German "nerve gas." Well-equipped soldiers, so the stories went, turned submissive, and whole companies died like flies. No such weapon was ever used, but Hitler's propagandists frightened a lot of people with the rumors.

Last week a carefully worded announcement, authorized by Sir Harry Garner, chief scientist of the British Ministry of Supply, seemed to say that Britain—and perhaps her enemies—now has a nerve gas after all. Practically odorless and invisible; it irritates neither eyes, skin nor respiratory tract in time for warning. A drop of the liquid...

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