I had a gag in the last chiff & fipple issue about antifreeze.
A physician subscriber writes to remind me that ethylene glycol, the active ingrediant in most commercial antifreezes, crystalyzes in kidneys, leading to renal failure, kidney transplant, and/or death. Doesn’t take much to accomplish this. He was a tad worried that, out of 3200 subscribers, someone might not get the joke.
SO: Kids, please. Don’t dip your whistles in antifreeze.
Dale
But… Don’t apples generate naturally ethylene, same stuff being used to artificially ripen bananas after transport ?
Kids, stay away from apples, DO NOT dip your fipples in banana split.
BbZH
[ This Message was edited by: Zubivka on 2002-11-14 09:47 ]
Of course there is quite a difference between ethylene and ethylene glycol. The one you should really watch out for is dihydrogen monoxide. Many people die from this substance each year and it is found in every whistle that you play.
Eric Wingler
[ This Message was edited by: EricWingler on 2002-11-14 09:55 ]
On 2002-11-14 09:55, EricWingler wrote:
The one you should really watch out for is dihydrogen monoxide. Many people die from this substance each year and it is found in every whistle that you play. >
You mean, it’s true zhey do water down zhe Guinness ? Heck, for health sake I’m switching to gin. It’s so smooooooth. And there’s this olive pit down at bottom, to shoot out at the fiddler with yer whistle.
> But… Don’t apples generate naturally ethylene, same stuff being used to artificially ripen bananas after transport ?
Kids, stay away from apples, DO NOT dip your fipples in banana split.
Also, apple seeds are a natural source of arsenic. Arsenic doesn’t really flush from the body really well. I remember a murder mystery from a while ago, where the deed was done by feeding the victim many, many waldorf salads over a period of time. (A true waldorf salad uses the seeds and all of the apple.)
I don’t know how that gag started but ethylene glycol is used by some intsrument makers to dip their timber in it to prevent it from moving after shipping. You may well have a whistle already dipped in it so.
To clarify this, a friend of mine makes pipes. Some six years ago he had some problems with a batch of ebony that was not as seasoned as he would have liked and some instruments shipped to drier climates had shrinkage problems. One flute maker advised the ethylene glycol treatment. The eth. glycol replacing the moisture in the timber, at least that’s the idea. One timber merchant when asked if this would actually work replied it would not, the ebony would fall asunder after a while so my friend didn’t go ahead with it. [in those days there was a big scandal in Europe when it turned out that Austrian winemakers were adding the same stuff to their white wine to eliminate the headache factor, several people died from it so having instruments treated with the same stuff didn’t seem a great idea]
[ This Message was edited by: Peter Laban on 2002-11-14 12:59 ]
On 2002-11-14 10:34, Peter Laban wrote:
I don’t know how that gag started > __ >
Last Newsletter (nov. 10th), topic # X
Talking of glycol booze… Normandy-Niemen french pilots brought some of their mechanics and tools with them to Russia in WW2. Problem occured from Russian soldiers, used to sip alcohol from the brakes and cooling systems of the planes while guarding them at night in the freeze. Some drank glycol (and survived..), one Lockheed fluid
As Vissotsky sang :
If we hadn’t distilled
Booze from sawdust
Would we have stalled
At a bottle each just ?
It really is pretty nasty stuff…as little as a tablespoon is enough to kill a big dog. Ethylene glycol spills from cars kill many pets every year…the stuff is sweet, so many will actually drink it (and they have no compunction against licking it off their paws if they walk through it). Generally, by the time signs of poisoning are apparent, the kidneys are already damaged beyond repair, and euthanasia the only humane course of action.
It can also be dangerous to keep around children. They are attracted by the bright color (which looks a little like Kool-Aid) and the sweet taste. I’d certainly be wary of using it casually on anything designed to be put into the mouth.
Ah, but that dihydrogen monoxide stuff…don’t you guys know that stuff can be deadly if inhaled in sufficient quantities?
On 2002-11-14 11:35, Redwolf wrote:
Ah, but that dihydrogen monoxide stuff…don’t you guys know that stuff can be deadly if inhaled in sufficient quantities? >
Redwolf
However, when mixed with a small amount of surfactant, dihydrogen monoxide makes a great cleaning solution!
I thot the wood preservative was propylene glycol or something with a “p” in there. We sold it as PEG to wood turners when I was mgr at a woodworkin store.
On 2002-11-14 14:01, BrassBlower wrote:
However, when mixed with a small amount of surfactant, dihydrogen monoxide makes a great cleaning solution!
That’s because it breaks down superficial tension. OK, surface tension–you folks talk funny.
I’ll keep a bottle of Photoflo or Swipe ready when reading some threads.
Propylene glycol.. use to mix that stuff up in a nasty stew to treat demodectic mange(this was before mitaban,etc. that’s available now).
Do watch the anti-freeze. I have, unfortunately seen animals die from this poisoning and it is a horrible thing.
Yep- Antifreeze will poison. -Rangers at Olympic National Park sometimes ask visitors to idle cars for an extra minute before shutting down to help prevent antifreeze spit-up, poisoning
the deer lapping up antifreeze puddles on the ground. I’ve seen deer ill from this, and its ghastly.
But… Don’t apples generate naturally ethylene, same stuff being used to artificially ripen bananas after transport ?
You mean, it’s true zhey do water down zhe Guinness ? Heck, for health sake I’m switching to gin. It’s so smooooooth. And there’s this olive pit down at bottom, to shoot out at the fiddler with yer whistle.
