ABSTRACT
The fear today is that the scientific and technological advances of the past few decades have increased the potential of chemical and bacteriological weapons to such an extent that one can conceive of their use causing casualties on a scale greater than one would associate with conventional warfare. Gas was first used in 1914 and the first big attack in 1915 claimed 5,000 human lives. Since Second World War, bacteriological weapons have also become an increasing possibility. The greater threat posed by chemical weapons today derives from the discovery and manufacture of new, more toxic compounds. By “controllability” is meant the ability to predict the extent and nature of the damage which CB(B) agents can cause. This is a most important consideration in their use as weapons. Today, a large number of industrialized countries have the potential to produce a variety of the CB(B) agents.
