How a Chemical Weapons Explosion in Italy Furthered Cancer Research
A horrifying disaster helped spur the development of chemotherapy, which has saved countless lives in the last sixty years.
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A horrifying disaster helped spur the development of chemotherapy, which has saved countless lives in the last sixty years.
Disasters can breed innovation. Here's What You Need to Remember: Still, the catastrophe did come with one consequence that would far outlast its impact on the Allied war effort. Colonel Alexander had noted that the mustard gas victims had exhibited decreased white blood cell counts, even though such cells divided very quickly. Alexander kept tissue samples of the victims and wrote in his report that mustard sulfur, or some other similar compound, might be effective in killing fast-replicating cancer cells. On November 26, 1943 the SS John Harvey cruised into the harbor of Bari, Italy. Th...