ABSTRACT
Arsenic vesicants are also systemic agents and can pass through the skin to affect susceptible tissue including blood cells and the liver. Arsenic vesicants also act as vomiting/sternatory agents and produce violent coughing, sneezing, and regurgitation. Some arsenic vesicants are carcinogenic. Vesicants are hazardous through any route of exposure including inhalation, skin and eye exposure, ingestion, and broken, abraded, or lacerated skin. Arsenic vesicants cause instantaneous irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, and skin, which provides warning of their presence. Arsenic vesicants produce immediate pain. Arsenic vesicants have been thickened with various substances to enhance deployment, increase their persistency, and increase the risk of percutaneous exposure. Arsenic vesicants are stable when pure and kept dry.
