THE EFFECTS OF NAPALM

Alexandria Malone

Block 2

Dropping Napalm during the Vietnam War had devastating and fatal consequences on the human population whenever it was dropped throughout the country.

BURNS The most common, and perhaps most visible,

effect of napalm is the burning of the skin. “Napalm burns are so deep, they are never first degree.” In other words, the burns are so severe, they an never be classified as basic (Hashimoto). The reason first degree burns do not occur is because of the adhesive properties of napalm that cause it to stick to the skin(“Napalm”). If a victim is over fifty percent burned, death is almost inevitable; otherwise, it would take at the very least a year to heal (Hashimoto). The blaze is actually the most dangerous part of napalm (Mountcastle).

POISONING After Napalm is dropped, a common

effect it has is probably carbon monoxide poisoning. When it is dropped, napalm produces a great amount, and it becomes difficult for those caught in the explosion to breath, and collapse(Hashimoto). When they collapse, they are more than likely going to be burned to death.

EFFECTS ON BLOOD AND INTERNAL ORGANS Victims of napalm are likely to

experience a drop in their red blood cell count. It can drop as 60%. At the same time, their white blood cell count will spike. Sometimes, within the first few days, the victim will die as a result(Hashimoto). Beginning almost immediately after injury, kidney failure may occur.

CHANGES IN THE BONES After contact with napalm, it is common

for any burned bones may fuse together, or may altogether disappear. X-ray examinations shows that the majority of the changes occur at the joint of the bones (Hashimoto).

CONCLUSION Napalm is a dangerous military tool, and

the effect it has on humans is incredible. From burns, poisoning, bone loss, and even death, it’s clear that napalm was- and still is today- a powerful force during the Vietnam War. The use of napalm was feared during the war, and many died.

WORKS CITEDHashimoto, Masahiro. "The Napalm Bomb." Vietnamese-American.org. N.p., 1967. Web. 4 Jun 2012. <http://www.vietnamese-american.org/b2.html>.

Mountcastle, John. "napalm." In Volti, Rudi. The Facts On File Encyclopedia of Science, Technology, and Society, Volume 2. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 1999. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?

"Napalm." Global Security. N.p., 07 07 2011. Web. 4 Jun 2012. <http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/napalm.htm>.