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. His idea and findings inspired researchers Louis Goodman and Alfred Gilman to pioneer the use of mechlorethamine, which is a nitrogen-based analogue to mustard sulfur, as an effective treatment for lymphoma and leukemia.

Thus did a horrifying disaster helped spur the development of chemotherapy, which has saved countless lives in the last sixty years.

Sébastien Roblin holds a master’s degree in conflict resolution from Georgetown University and served as a university instructor for the Peace Corps in China. He has also worked in education, editing and refugee resettlement in France and the United States. He currently writes on security and military history for War Is Boring.

This first appeared in 2018.

Image: Bombardment of Bari. 2 December 1943. Wikimedia.