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  2. Lewisite

Lewisite

  • HL

Nature

Lewisite (chlorovinyldichloroar-sine) is an arsenical vesicant that is a colorless to brown liquid with a fruity to geranium-like odour. Lewisite is more volatile than mustards and is soluble in organic solvents.

The initial clinical effect of Lewisite is erythema followed by blister formation within seconds to minutes of exposure. Pain occurs early, but is generally not severe. Damage caused by Lewisite to the eyes, airways and skin heals relatively quickly, and patients rarely develop secondary infections. For these reasons, and because the scavenger, British anti-Lewisite (dimercaprol) is an effective antidote, Lewisite is of secondary importance today as an agent of chemical warfare.

Broader

Blister agents
Unpresentable

Metadata

Database
World problems
Type
(G) Very specific problems
Biological classification
N/A
Content quality
Yet to rate
 Yet to rate
Language
English
1A4N
J6054
DOCID
12060540
D7NID
170369
Last update
Dec 3, 2024