Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
lewisite
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Quick Facts
Key People:
Julius Arthur Nieuwland
Related Topics:
arsine
See all related content
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

lewisite

chemical compound
Also known as: dichloro(2-chlorovinyl)arsine
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

lewisite, in chemical warfare, poison blister gas developed by the United States for use during World War I. Chemically, the substance is dichloro(2-chlorovinyl)arsine, a liquid whose vapour is highly toxic when inhaled or when in direct contact with the skin. It blisters the skin and irritates the lungs. Any part of the body that is contacted by the liquid or vapour suffers inflammation, burns, and tissue destruction. Lewisite was developed in retaliation for German gas attacks during World War I, but was never actually used. It was in the process of manufacture when the armistice was signed.