A report in our local paper said that someone has been killing local cats by soaking fish in anti-freeze and leaving it for cats to eat.
(Probably a bird lover, as UK cats are estimated to kill 200 million mammals, 55 million birds and 10 million reptiles and amphibians yearly. Source: The Mammal Society)
The report said anti-freeze was lethal to humans too, even in small amounts.
I know the containers carries the X motif and the word "Harmful" but if it really is lethal, surely this is insufficient warning.
I know a mechanic who would test the strength of anti-freeze by dipping his finger in the rad. and tasting the coolant. He was not dead, at the last count.
Is it really so dangerous?
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The Austrians will verify that it is poiseness ,remember they tried to sell it as wine and killed a few people.It is extremely toxic and not to be used as an appertif
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Hi Alwyn
It certainly is at least for cats, we have recently had a visit from an animal charity warning us that this was going on in our area and apparently antifreeze tastes quite sweet so the cat is not deterred from eating the laced meat. It would appear to be the poision of choice for cat killers becuase of this as most other poisions have a bitter taste or so the representative from the charity said.
As for its effect on mechanics perhaps a antifreeze laced bacon sandwich would be an interesting experiement.
as ever
Mark
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Alwyn,
next time the mechanic does this trick watch very carefully.
You might find its the same trick as done by a colleague, living happily in retirement now, who would test the strength of an acid solution by dipping his finger in and then licking it.
He was, of course, dipping his index finger, and then licking his second finger, the swap being done on the way to his gob. Hand being quicker and the eye and all that.
just a thought
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Flat in Fifth wrote:
> He was, of course, dipping his index finger, and then licking
> his second finger, the swap being done on the way to his gob.
> Hand being quicker and the eye and all that.
I seem to remember a joke / anicdote similar to this about a bloke teaching people how to do an autopsy and illustrating the required attention to detail, dipping his finger not into acid but into an unplesant orrifice.
But then again some of the mechanics I know..........
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Wot a clever lot you are.
I also read of a doctor who told his medical students they could tell if a urine sample was from a diabetic by tasteing. He then put a finger in the sample and...............FIF has told you the rest.
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FiF
A trick much beloved of medical school lecturers who would do the same thing in front of students with a urine sample 'from a diabetic' and then get them to taste how sweet it was. Having seen lecturer do it student ususly reluctant to refuse....
Usually followed by a wolfish grin on part of lecturer and something along the lines of "those of you sufficiently observant will have noticed....."
Antifreeze normally comprises ethylene glycol which is pretty toxic - cats being small will of course require a far smaller lethal dose than man
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Sorry Dave,
I had not read your post when I duplicated your story.
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Cats aren't usually stupid enough to drink antifreeze, but dogs are - if you are workking on your car's cooling system, keep any dogs well away, and don't leave the old antifreeze in a bucket when you have finished.
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I think a good enough reason to exercise extreme care when handling all motoring and household chemicals.
However, to continue the motoring thread, what do the forum suggest is the baest way to deal with scrotes like that? a wheel brace applied strongly and repeatedly across the hands and kneecaps, or crushing the nether regions with a set of mole grips?
I am amazed that humans can be so cruel...
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Hi Ian,
I've been trying to post on a US(ofA) Pets forum,
but I was politely informed that pets were not allowed to post, only their owners.
So I've had to come back here.
Regards.
Actully, Andy Bairsto is wrong, and there is no evidence of any harm coming to anyone who drank the Austrian wine containing antifreeze. The concentations were such that the only likely symptoms were nausea, headache, and the liver having to work overtime.
Then someone pointed out that people who drank the wine from the honest producers who *didn't* use Glycol also had these symptoms!
So, Alwyn, antifreeze is toxic, but there's no need to run around in a panic if you get a splash on your whiskers next time you're under the bonnet.
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No evidence tell that to the widows of the 18 people who died
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I was relying on what I read at the time, and since it was 15 years ago, my assertion that
>
> Actually, Andy Bairsto is wrong,
....was unwise and impolite.
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Its surprising the number of people who are unaware of the dangers to cats.Whenever i drain a cooling system i try to catch as much as possible in a container then any spillage is hosed away.
Some really sick people out there but like most other offences against animals the courts are way too leniant if they are ever caught.
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Dogs, surely, but thanks anyway.
Like Richard said, no cat would be stupid enough.
(Unless it was incorporated in a fish sauce)
<@O¬
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As most of the mammals are vermin (our cats catch roughly one a night), I think we owe them a debt of gratitude. Most of the birds round here are too quick for them anyway, and I suspect that when there are a few feathers on the lawn, the victim was already in a bad way. Birds often die on the wing, so I would take the statistic with some seasoning...
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I quote from my trusty Royal Society of Chemistry 'Hazards in the Chemical Laboatory" book
Ethylene Glycol (or Ethane-1,2-diol to use it's more modern name)
Toxic Limit Threshold (TLV) 100ppm
Toixc Effects: Death has followed the drinking of EG as a substitute for spirits. 100ml may prove fatal. Similar quantities may result in restlessness, unsteady gait, drowsiness coma and injury to the kidneys.
So, not very nice stuff.
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