The history of Pepper Spray that I never Knew

I figure for the next couple of blogs I will write about the Basics of  O.C (oleo resin capsicum) Pepper Spray. We will talk about it's history, nomenclature, usages, myths and Laws regarding pepper spray. Today we will discuss it's history. Keep in mind I am not an attorney I am only sharing my experiences and knowledge of Pepper Spray. And trying to offer some good advice. It is each users responsibility to know there State Law's and receive proper training in the usage and carrying of pepper spray.
First I will give you some background about my experiences with pepper spray. First I would like to say it suck's to get sprayed by it. Plain and Simple. I have carried pepper spray as a defensive tool for about ten years now. First in Military Law Enforcement and now as a Process Server and Federal Security Contractor.  I get re-certificated as a user every year. The certification process does include getting sprayed by 10% O. C pepper spray. 

OK, let's get down to business. I will say for the record that after ten years of carrying and training on the subject of pepper spray I never knew it's history. So I had to do a little research. During my research this is what I found out about the history of pepper spray.

• The use of chemical weapons date back to the Spartans around the time of 428 BC. Apparently they would heavily soak wood in pitch and sulfur then burn it to create deadly fumes.
• The Chinese would also fill different kinds of bags and pouches with all sorts of Peppers and Spices to throw on their enemies.
• One of the more interesting facts I found out was that the Germans in 1864 discovered CN Gas (chioroacetophenone).
• In 2000 BC Chinese Warriors rolled Black Pepper into rice paper and blew it into their enemies eyes.
• In 1978 O.C Pepper Spray is marketed as CAP-STUN(Which work really well but is flammable) .

• In 1989 the FBI conducted a study that reveled that the are no long or short term health effects caused by O.C Pepper Spray.

I think that about wraps it up for the history of pepper spray. In the next post we will talk about the Major Types of Chemical Agents and their uses. 

References Used:  
http://www.pepperspray.org/History.htm






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