On August 21, Li Guizhen, who suffered most seriously from
leaking chemical weapons left in China by Japanese intruders during
World War II, died.
Li was sent to hospital on August 4. He spent his last 18 days
in the No. 203 Hospital of the Chinese People's Liberation Army
(PLA). These 18 days were testament to the guilt of Japanese
militarists.
A bolt from the blue
On August 4, builders of a real estate developer found five
metal drums while working at Beijiang Residential Quarters in
Qiqihar City, northeast China's Heilongjiang
Province. One of the cylinders was broken and dark oil-like
substances leaked out and infiltrated the soil.
Later that day, Li Guizhen, who had made a living by collecting
and selling discarded materials in the city of Qiqihar, spent 200
yuan (US$ 24.1) buying these five cylinders and carted them to a
discarded materials collection center in the vicinity. At the
center, Li believed he would get more money if he divided the
cylinders into the three different parts that made them up: inside,
outside and cover. Then, he asked his friend Wang Cheng to help
him. They removed lead and copper fastenings from the ends of the
cylinders. During the removal, a dark oil-like substance gushed
out.
According to Niu Haiying, boss of the discarded materials
collection center, she smelt the strong smell of toxic mustard gas
at that time. She spent 300 yuan (US$36.2) buying five cylinders
after Li and Wang spilled the oil-like substances into a sump at
the front of the center.
Li Guizhen, Wang Cheng and Niu Haiying had headaches and sore
eyes that night. Later they reported the accident to the
police.
August 6, experts and leaders of the Chinese People's Liberation
Army arrived at Qiqihar. After their investigation, Chemical weapon
experts later confirmed that the material was mustard gas, and the
barrels were chemical weapons left by the Japanese army during
World War II.
Emergency medical treatment
The local government attached great importance to the accident.
The rescue office was set up immediately. No. 203 Hospital of the
PLA was appointed as the only hospital to receive toxic patients.
At the same time experts and doctors from the Beijing-based No. 307
Hospital of the PLA and the Second Medical University of the
People's Liberation Army were also involved in the medical
treatment.
On August 12, Li Guizhen was diagnosed with 95 percent burns to
his skin, the eyes and respiratory system and a loss of homatosis.
He was on the verge of death. Medical personnel in the hospital
tried their utmost to rescue him, using the best medicine
available.
According to Doctor Huang Yi, before August 18, the leukocyte
count of Li Guizhen reached 2000 from 500 in eight days. On August
18, doctors found antibiotics could not take effect as Li's skin
became wet because of the unconditional pathogen. The next day, Li
had a fever and damaged his intestinal tract. That night experts
from Shenyang arrived to deal with a relentless hemorrhage in his
digestive tract. Another hemorrhage of digestive tract was found in
the morning of August 21. At the same time hemonecrotic plaque was
found in the blood supply area of his scalp. Then, his respiratory
rate accelerated to 40 times per second with Acute Respiratory
Distress Syndrome (ARDS). Li passed away at 8:55 pm that day. He
succumbed to death as a result of failure of his multiple organs,
despite efforts made to rescue his life.?
Hard days for the living
Li Guizhen was born of a common rural family in Zhumadian City,
Henan Province. His family is the poorest of the village owing to
his parents' poor health. Their main income is selling plants from
their one acre of farmland. Though Li had moved to Qiqihar
collecting and selling discarded materials for 10 years, his family
was poor. Li Guosong, Li Guizhen's 60-year-old father, even
couldn't afford the traffic fee to Qiqihar to see his son. They
arrived at Qiqihar on August 19 with the help of media in Zhengzhou
City.
One hour after Li's death, Li Guosong, Liu Aiping (Li Guizhen's
wife) and Li Anmin (Li Guizhen's younger brother) were able to say
goodbye to their loved one in the ward.
Li Guizhen has two children. His daughter is seven years old and
studies in Henan Province. His three-year-old son was taken to
Qiqihar this spring. Now, Liu Aiping is worrying for these two
children. How can she bring up them without Li Guizhen?
Li Anmin said that they had donated the body of his brother to
the hospital for medical research. They demand that the Japanese
government compensate, including fees for supporting Li Guizhen's
wife and parents from both sides, for rearing Li's children, for
loss of income and transportation.
(China.org.cn by Wu Nanlan September 3, 2003)