The basic protection against either chemical or biological agents is the protective mask. The mask covers the entire face, and charcoal and fiber filters to ensure that both gases and particles are removed purify the air inhaled. If used in time and worn properly, it gives practically complete protection to the lungs and eyes. The .
difficulty lies in knowing when to put on the mask. There might be warning signs and devices to detect chemical agents, but at the present time there are .
no practical devices or physiological signs to warn of the presence of biological agents. Other individual protective measures include both permeable and impermeable clothing. The permeable clothing normally would be the regular coveralls of uniforms the serviceman wears, treated to prevent penetration by chemical agents, liquid or vapor, or to accelerate the death of biological organisms. Gloves and hoods, either permeable or impermeable, can be worn, and boots can be treated to resist penetration by agents. Impermeable clothing is simply a plastic barrier between the man and the hostile materials. Collective protectors are available to purify the air drawn into buildings and fortifications. If the various types of barriers fail in preventing the chemical agent from reaching the man, treatment measures are available. An ointment to protect against mustard can be used early or immediately after contamination. Mustard burns are treated similarly to thermal burns. They heal very slowly, although they are relatively painless. A combination of artificial respiration and massive injections of an antidote, atropine tartrate, can reduce deaths from nerve gases. The most effective .
method of artificial respiration is mouth-to-mouth. Against biological agents, the normal medical treatment for the disease would be used. .
However, many of the diseases have the same early symptoms as the common cold, and as a result treatment may be delayed until too late to be effective.
