Assorted Nasties

Introduction
In the late 1950's, the CIA was alleged to have commissioned a book which was to detail the construction and utilization of various chemical and biological weapons. Barry Rothman, the brilliant, if somewhat eccentric, scientist who developed the U.S. Army's Improvised Munitions Handbooks, was set to the task .The result is the now legendary "Devil's Diary ". Though no copies are known to have survived the CIA purges of the mid-1970s, this book is a humble effort to recreate the original work, using both the cryptic clues that Rothman left before his death, and a thorough search of the available literature. It is the culmination of five years research in the field, including items unavailable or undiscovered when the original was compiled. This book will cover a myriad of lethal materials, ranging from those which maybe cooked up (literally) in the kitchen, to those requiring a sophisticated lab setup. Most, however, are not beyond the range of anyone familiar with proper laboratory technique. The only difference will be that there are no biological agents listed. They are of limited utility and too potentially dangerous to prepare without very special skills and equipment. Special attention must always be paid to safety. The substances you will be working with are lethal in the extreme. Some will penetrate the skin, emit noxious vapors, or are fatal in sub-milligram doses. A few require special chemicals which are known carcinogens or are pyrophoric (ignite spontaneously upon contact with air).