chemical warfare question.

Port Arthur, 1903...

....The Japanese affected Russian sentries by burning material soaked in arsenical salts to produce an early kind of poisonous smoke. Sulphur has also been used classically as an irritant acid fume by besiegers. Powdered quicklime was a notorious mediaeval irritant dust that could be dropped from walls onto attackers or thrown onto battlements by catapults and trebuchets. Hot sand, heated to near fusion temperature, was the basis behind the 'hot oil' legend and lethal to men in armour.

Or you can look up Greek Fire.
 
Industrial production of chlorine gas started in 1892, and probably can't be sped up very much without a much early POD since the process is very electricity-intensive.
 
small scale use of chlorine is possible, you would need hydrochloric acid though. but large scale, not much earlier as otl as the others already said.
 
small scale use of chlorine is possible, you would need hydrochloric acid though. but large scale, not much earlier as otl as the others already said.
Wasn't there an attempt by the Confederates to use small amounts of Chlorine to take out members of Congress?
 
Ramscoop Raider, I like your sense of humour...

...Somehow I feel that the liberal application of alcohol might have been more effective...

...1890s is probably the earliest for any chemical toxin except sulphur or analine - both would have been available in the 1860s.
 
From what i heard it was suggested as an actual field weapon rather than attacking Congress.
I remember seeing a History Channel special on Secret Weapons of the South, or something like that and there it was suggested that they planned to smash small bottles filled with liquid chlorine inside the Capitol
 
Phosgene was first synthesized in 1812 in the UK. Therefore, at least theoretically, you could see chem warfare with "modern" agents any time after that. Producing the gas in quantity could be an issue, and producing shells loaded with gas is possible but difficult in the early 19th century. Of course, protective gear (gas masks) for your own troops are an issue. activated charcoal/carbon, and hoods with canvas & glass eyepiece also possible - but vulcanized rubber to be impervious is a few decades away.
 
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