402 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE. — 1919. 



The organisation of the Gas Services in France enabled the use of any new 

 gas by the enemy, the adoption of new gas tactics, or the occurrence of any 

 new type of gas casualty to be investigated immediately, so that infomiation 

 could be sent rapidly to all parts of the front, thereby diminishing greatly the 

 chances of a further svirprise. As speed was of the utmost importance, a 

 laboratoi-y was organised at General Headquarters in April 1'915 for the 

 examination of enemy material and for the investigation of urgent problems that 

 were met with in the field. The work of the Central Laboratory contrihuled 

 greatly to the efficiency of the Gas Services, thanks to the mechanical ingenuity 

 and the critical ability of the late Lieut.-Col. W. Watson, C.M.G., F.E.S., its 

 first Director, and tothe resourcefulness of his successor, Lieut.-Col. B. Mouat 

 Jones, D.S.O., who was mainly responsible for the chemical investigations. 



Thus in consequence of the introduction of gas in war, British chemists were 

 called upon to perform the most varied duties and to face many difficult problems, 

 which involved research in many new directions, the organisation of manufacture 

 on a vast scale, and the instruction and training of the troops. To all those 

 who took part in this work it must be a source of great satisfaction that, thanks 

 to their efforts, not only were our forces protected against a very seriovis menace, 

 but they were enabled to make effective reprisals against the enemy. The true 

 measure of their success can be gauged by the general impression, confirmed by 

 the statements of many German prisoners, both officers and men. that had the 

 enemy foreseen the results of their treacherous use of gas in April 1915 the new 

 weapon would never have been employed. 



