World War One: Scientist John Haldane Tested Gas on Himself
When the Germans launched the first gas attacks in 1915, the allies were desperate to find out what chemicals were used and how they could protect troops in the front line. The War Office called in an Oxford academic to help - a man who was prepared to put his own life at risk to produce the first gas mask.
Not many of today's scientists would be prepared, let alone permitted, to test dangerous gases on themselves at home, relying on their teenage daughter to break in and revive them if they passed out from the effects.
But, John Scott Haldane was anything but orthodox, according to Dr Steve Sturdy from the University of Edinburgh.
Haldane was a great self-experimenter - he thought the human organism was the best animal to experiment on because it could report on what it was experiencing.
Lord Kitchener himself called on Mr Haldane for help,...