“The gas instantly caused severe burns to their throat and lungs. The men clutched their chests, coughed and panted. Attempts to protect against the gas have been largely unsuccessful. Many tried to dig out their noses and mouths or cover them with a cloth, but the wet, dense poison penetrated everything” (Taylor 17). These are the effects of chlorine cited by an eyewitness. Gases and biological agents used against populations in war are very cruel. They cause many deaths in a short time, leaving lasting effects wherever they are unleashed. These weapons are very volatile and, in small doses, can cause massive destruction around the world. However they are used, they leave a lasting effect on the planet and its inhabitants. Over time, biological and chemical weapons were used to take control of the battlefield, but their future effects were not considered. Biological weapons are pathogenic microbes, including viruses, bacteria, rickettsiae, toxins, and any other living agents that are harmful to living things (McCarthy 1). The main difference between chemical and biological weapons is that chemicals injure directly and biological agents injure indirectly through disease (McCarthy 1). Pathogens are classified according to the way they are delivered (McCarthy 1). The majority of pathogens can be carried by any agricultural pest, insect, tick, rodent or flea (McCarthy 1). Contact diseases include Ebola, dengue fever, smallpox, yellow fever and plague (McCarthy 1). Water- and food-borne diseases include dysentery, E coli, Salmonella, cholera, and typhoid (Hutchinson 237). Viral pathogens include smallpox, horse fever, dengue, yellow fever, and psittacosis (Hutchinson 238). Ebola has passed... middle of paper ... gentlemen, each with the capacity to cause a disease that spreads across the world, killing many people, and which can only be stopped with certain antibiotics or vaccines. Many chemical agents have been used in past wars around the world, some so deadly that they were frowned upon, and some were even so inhumane that those who used them rebelled against their use. As these weapons become more widely used, people seem to care less about the effects they cause, and many people could therefore suffer greatly, now or in the future, from someone's mistake. There are weapons of this type currently being built that far exceed current protection levels around the world, and one small mistake could be disastrous for all. Maybe one day everyone will realize the dangers of these weapons, or they will continue to use them, thus condemning everyone to a horrible death..