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Posted By: davidcycleback

My great uncle was exposed to nerve gas during WWI as Mathewson was. He lived to 100, but had occasional seizures throughout his life and received a disability pension because of it.

In trench warfare, the Germans discovered the problem with nerve gas was that, depending on whims of the wind, more of your troops could be hit by the gas than the enemy's. Hannibal similarly discovered that elephants weren't useful during battle, as an exciting elephant is more likely to stamp on your troops than the enemy's. Hannibal, of course, also discovered than African elephants weren't fond of snow.