Nerve, gases sarin

In March 1995, a Japanese religious cult, Aum Shinriyko, released sarin nerve gas in the Tokyo subway system. Thousands were injured and 11 people were killed. 

Dr. Van M. Sim as a volunteer, taking sarin nerve gas from Dr. Bernard McNamara, Chief of the Toxicology Division - courage was one of Van s greatest virtues. 

Aum Shrinrikyo s sarin nerve gas attack against Tokyo commuters led to a significant, and understandable, concern that terrorists might, from now onwards, use unconventional weapons. Certainly, if a tactic attracts widespread attention, other terrorists will usually want to imitate it.40 Three questions immediately present themselves then. Why would terrorists replicate Aum Shinrikyo s attack Who, among the spectrum of terrorist groups, would be the most likely to copy such an attack Why has the Aum Shinrikyo attack not been duplicated ... 

Simpson B (2004) Sarin Nerve Gas - Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Pon-1, BioTech Journal 2 100-105... 

Lee, E.C. (2003). Clinical manifestations of sarin nerve gas exposure. JAMA 290 659-62. 

Irreversible antagonists exist but, not surprisingly, have no place in therapeutics (sarin nerve gas is an example). 

Lee, EC. Clinical Manifestations of Sarin Nerve Gas Exposure. Journal of the American Medical Association, 290(5) 659662, 2003... 

Tokuda, Y. et al.. Prehospital management of sarin nerve gas terrorism in urban settings 10 years of progress after the Tokyo subway sarin attack. Resuscitation, 68, 193, 2006. 

Morita et /. (1995) Mild or low-grade fever reported in a number of subjects lasting up to ] month following terrorist attack with sarin nerve gas in Matsumoio, Japan... 

The RAC-GWVI report concluded that the combined effect of the above mentioned factors, but especially acetylchohne esterase inhibitors such as PB, otgano-phosphate pesticides and sarin nerve gas, may be the cause behind the syndrome, which was corroborated by animal tests. However, the Advisory Cormnittee did not declare the case closed and advised fiulher studies with an annual funding of at least 60 million from the US government. This story illustrates quite clearly how much effort and money is needed to understand complex medical-chemical phenomena and reveal the cause-effect relationships in the backgrotmd. 

Probing questions were nonetheless being asked by the Coroner and the Treasury Solicitor s Department about how servicemen had been recruited and how their fitness had been tested, how they had been medically examined after volunteering and before taking part in the tests, and the type of information which had been brought to their attention to encourage them to volunteer. Most importantly, had these men been informed about the nature and purpose of the experiment or the risks involved Had they been exposed to undue risk The Coroner s handwritten notes, disclosed in 2004 for the first time, also reveal that at least one of the Porton scientists, John Rutland, believed that Maddison was exposed to levels of Sarin nerve gas... 

Figure 6. ChE inhibition of all known Porton servicemen exposed to Sarin nerve gas between 19 January and 6 May 1953 Source MI, Folder 2B, Exhibit MNJ/30, FTP 399, PercutaneousToxidty of G-Compounds , ii January 1954,pp. 267 318 MI, Folder 2H,Wiltshire Constabulary Operation Antler Data to Show ChE % Inhibitions, Symptoms, and Other Relevant Information on Volunteers during GB Tests between 19 January 1953 and 6 May 1953, Prepared by DC Goundry for fiM Coroner of Swindon and Wiltshire Mr D Masters. 

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