Abstract Employing phenomenological theory, this paper argues that German World War I soldiers’ introduction to the gas mask represents a salient historical moment in the human relationship to modern chemical technology. As a protective device, the gas mask was intended to save soldiers from a horrible death by asphyxiation. In doing so, it forced soldiers to directly confront the new technological landscape of the modern World War I battlefield. While the mask proved genuinely effective in its ability to filter poison gases, it required constant vigilance from gas-weary soldiers. This so-called ‘gas discipline’ would allow men to survive and even thrive in a newly dangerous modern world. However, the physical and mental stress of this existence, often led to breakdowns in soldier discipline and failures in gas protection. Thus, the soldiers’ relationship to the gas mask revealed the limits of technological trust for the earliest ‘chemical subjects’ of the twentieth century.

中文翻译：

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化学主题：现象学和德国在第一​​次世界大战中遇到防毒面具

摘要 本文运用现象学理论认为，第一次世界大战德国士兵使用防毒面具代表了人类与现代化学技术关系的一个重要历史时刻。作为一种保护装置，防毒面具旨在使士兵免于窒息而死。这样做，它迫使士兵直接面对现代第一次世界大战战场的新技术景观。虽然事实证明这种面具在过滤毒气方面确实有效，但它需要厌倦毒气的士兵时刻保持警惕。这种所谓的“气体纪律”将使人们能够在一个新的危险的现代世界中生存甚至茁壮成长。然而，这种存在的身心压力，往往会导致士兵纪律崩溃和气体保护失败。因此，