of Chemistry in the Imperial
College of Science and Technology, London. He was a Scholar in Natural
Science at Balliol. He has conducted important experiments into the
nature of gases._

_Sir Wilmot Herringham, M.D. Oxon., is a physician to St. Bartholomew's
Hospital and Vice Chancellor of the London University._

_Lieutenant McNee, M.B., M. Ch. Glasgow, a Carnegie Research Fellow, is
assistant to the Professor of Pathology in Glasgow University and has
conducted many investigations of an important character in pathology and
chemical pathology._

General Headquarters,
British Expeditionary Force,
April 27, 1915.

To Earl Kitchener, Secretary of State for War.

My Lord: I have the honor to report that, as requested by you yesterday
morning, I proceeded to France to investigate the nature and effects of
the asphyxiating gas employed in the recent fighting by the German
troops. After reporting myself at General Headquarters I proceeded to
Bailleul with Sir Wilmot Herringham, Consulting Physician to the British
Force, and examined with him several men from Canadian battalions who
were at the No. 2 Casualty Clearing Station suffering from the effects
of the gas.

These men were lying struggling for breath and blue in the face. On
examining the blood with the spectroscope and by other means, I
ascertained that the blueness was not due to the presence of any
abnormal pigment. There was nothing to account for the blueness
(cyanosis) and struggle for air but the one fact that they were
suffering from acute bronchitis, such as is caused by inhalation of an
irritant gas. Their statements were that when in the trenches they had
been overwhelmed by an irritant gas produced in front of the German
trenches and carried toward them by a gentle breeze.

One of them died shortly after our arrival. A post-mortem examination
was conducted in our presence by Lieutenant McNee, a pathologist by
profession, of Glasgow University. The examination showed that death was
due to acute bronchitis and its secondary effects. There was no doubt
that the bronchitis and accompanying slow asphyxiation were due to the
irritant gas.

Lieutenant McNee had also examined yesterday the body of a Canadian
Sergeant who had died in the clearing station from the effects of the
gas. In this case, also, very acute bronchitis and oedema of the lungs
caused death by asphyxiation.

A deposition by Captain Bertram, Eighth Canadian Battalion, was
carefully ta