One of the means of individual protection of respiratory organs is a gas mask. What do you know about it? Let's look at the most interesting facts about this important device.
Female soldiers in gas masks during a training exercise at Fort des Moines. Iowa. World War II, USA
1. During the First World War, about 15 million gas masks were produced. It is noteworthy that the impetus for the creation of a gas mask was the use of poisonous gases by the Germans. However, Germany had no means of protection (if the adversaries used the same weapons).
2. A patent for the invention of a gas mask was granted in 1849 to the American Lewis Haslett. The inventor used a porous material capable of filtering out dust and other harmful substances from the air. However, as experts say, Haslett's invention was inefficient in military conditions.
3. The inventor of the first effective gas mask in 1915 was the Russian scientist Nikolay Zelinsky. Zelinsky invented a universal charcoal filtration system that saved millions of soldiers during the First World War. For humane reasons, the Creator did not patent the device.
4. Masks for dogs and horses were actively used during the First World War. Each German infantry division had more than 5000 horses, and several types of horse gas masks were used to protect them from toxic substances. Horses had the ability to access cleared the air for about four hours, while being in contaminated areas. Gas mask for dogs allowed the animal to stay in contaminated areas for up to eight hours.
5. According to the writer Alexander Moritz Frey, who served in the First World War in the same regiment with Hitler, the future leader originally wore a rather lush mustache, but he had to shave them on the orders of the chief, and leave the brand "toothbrush" due to the fact that such a mustache prevented the wearing of a gas mask.
6. There is a pink gas mask. There are only four of them in the world.
7. The birthday of a gas mask is celebrated on the 12th of June. It is worth noting that in 2019 it will celebrate its 170th anniversary.
8. There were Mickey Mouse gas masks. They were created after the U.S. entry into World War II. Walt Disney came up with the idea: to make gas masks look like the head of the hero of his cartoon. Sun Rubber Company produced about a thousand of such gas masks.
9. On Miyakejima Island, which is located off the coast of Japan, the residents were married in gas masks. The air of this volcanic island is full of sulfur: the Oyama volcano threatens with an eruption and is never completely calm. In 2000, about 3000 people were evacuated, but most of them returned in 2005. And now residents of Miyakejima wear gas masks most of the day, not removing them even to special occasions.
