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My question is this: How does a group that large not consider methanol poisoning? Almost every bootlegger from the mountains of Kentucky to half the prisoners i
by s_q_b 12y ago
My question is this: How does a group that large not consider methanol poisoning? Almost every bootlegger from the mountains of Kentucky to half the prisoners in the United States knows that when you're making your own alcohol, accidental methanol poisoning is what can kill you.
They were operating a still, and had everyone from PhDs to carpenters there, and nobody thought of methanol poisoning? The ultimate irony is, of course, that the antidote to methanol poisoning is ethanol, aka regular potable alcohol, of which they had a great deal.
Final point, these guys are going to the bottom of the world. We can't give them specialized alcohols (to say nothing of a spare Li-ion battery)? There are some alcohols that are similar in effect to ethanol, but a lot less toxic, more easily transportable, etc. Sure, they're not common, but neither is a base deep in Antarctica.
- Zigurd 12y agoMethanol poisoning in the prohibition era was the result of trying, and failing, to purify methylated ethanol. That was not in the picture in this case. Even if they had a really crappy distillation operation, it would not have produced a fatal dose of methanol, even if someone intentionally dosed the victim with the "heads" of a distillation. You would die from the ethanol first.
- s_q_b 12y agoSure, but there was methanol on base, it is known to be mixed with ethanol in some locations to improve the potency. I assume they also had denatured ethanol for lab purposes. It just seems like an obvious hypothesis if that much alcohol is being consumed.