bi50xrs@sdcc3.UUCP (dragon) (01/07/86)
i had heard that after consuming lots of alcohol, the effects of any hangovers are nullified if lots of vitamin C is taken, say 2-5 grams. in fact, the next morning the possible victim should even wake up feeling better than normal. several different people have atested to the validity of what i am writing now. my question is, after talking to a few medical doctors we still can't figure out why this is so ? what's the big deal about ascorbic acid + alcohol ??? dragon disclaimer: it doesn't matter what the victim had consumed before. i.e. even on an empty stomach this works.
mwg@petrus.UUCP (Mark Garrett) (01/08/86)
++ > i had heard that after consuming lots of alcohol, > the effects of any hangovers are nullified if lots > of vitamin C is taken, say 2-5 grams. > ..... > dragon Pauling's argument about vitamin C and alcoholism went something like this (forgive me for not remembering all the chemicals): Alcohol directly helps some reaction involving chemical A, but also produces more chemical B which in turn does more harm to A than the alcohol did good. Since there is a time delay in the reactions, the body "realizes" that alcohol helps A, but can't see ahead enough to realize the dire consequences, so it makes the victim crave alcohol, which in turn, makes the problem worse; hence addiction. (This argument is only heuristic, and is not Pauling's argument, but only the way I remember it.) Vitamin C apparently steps in and takes the place of the alcohol in helping reaction A, without producing the villainous quantities of B, and therefore breaks the cycle. It would seem that a user who is not addicted would also benefit from this sequence. I'm almost embarrased to post my source but, it was an interview with Pauling on the "Merv Griffin Show" sometime in the mid-70's. -Mark Garrett
steiny@scc.UUCP (Don Steiny) (01/09/86)
> i had heard that after consuming lots of alcohol, > the effects of any hangovers are nullified if lots > of vitamin C is taken, say 2-5 grams. > dragon Hmm, I don't drink anymore, but when I did it never made any difference to me. The best way to prevent hangovers is not to drink. I read an article recently that said that GABA is depleted by alcohol, that taking GABA when drinking makes you more drunk. Even without alcohol it is a powerful tranqulizer. -- scc!steiny Don Steiny @ Don Steiny Software 109 Torrey Pine Terrace Santa Cruz, Calif. 95060 (408) 425-0382
meister@linus.UUCP (Phillip W. Servita) (01/09/86)
from the drinking + vitamin C discussion: >Vitamin C apparently steps in and takes the place of >the alcohol in helping reaction A, without producing >the villainous quantities of B, and therefore breaks >the cycle. It would seem that a user who is not >addicted would also benefit from this sequence. > >I'm almost embarrased to post my source but, it was >an interview with Pauling on the "Merv Griffin Show" >sometime in the mid-70's. > >-Mark Garrett Chemical B (produced via the bodies breakdown of ethanol) is FORMALDEHYDE. Body breaks down the ethanol first, as it is more dangerous than the formaldehyde in the small concentrations that are encountered. Formaldehyde concentrations in the bloodstream cause nausea and headache, which is not realized until the nerve-deadening effects of the alcohol have worn off.(More precisely, the by-products of the reaction to break down the formaldehyde cause the nausea and headache). This is how a hangover works. As a side, the bodies breakdown of formaldehyde is MUCH slower than ethanol. (explaining why the hangover occurs the morning after, about 5-7 hours after the alcohol was initially broken down.) For a Free Hangover (ie no beer required) go to your local Intro Bio Class and sniff the jars of Preserved Dead Frog Parts for a short time. :-) -- ------------------------------------------------------------- "they forcibly extracted the word 'but' from his vocabulary, and locked him in a room with 10 economists..." ------------------------------------------------------------- -the venn buddhist
lee@rochester.UUCP (Lee Moore) (01/10/86)
For those of you interested in not having a hang-over, I re-post
for your enjoyment, the following note from Dave Ihnat that
was posted on the net sometime ago.
lee
---------------------------------
From: ignatz@ihuxx.UUCP (Dave Ihnat, Chicago, IL)
Newsgroups: net.misc,net.wines
Subject: Re: Hangover Cure Wanted!
Date: Fri, 3-Feb-84 23:12:32 EST
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 118
Ok, you asked for it! This has been an important topic for me, and I
haven't hesitated to incorporate the best of both personal experience
with the recommendations of the "Masters". So, following is the
method I use for those really incredible hangovers...the ones where I
wake up under the mattress. (I own a water bed.)
Now, this isn't just try-and-fail; some of the following was reasoned
from many discussions with nurses and doctors who are fellow imbibers;
the rest, extracted from an excellent text, "The Hangover Handbook",
by David E. Outerbridge (Harmony Books, New York, copyright 1981 by
David E. Outerbridge and Rae Lindsay, ISBN: 0-517-545845 (cloth),
0-517-543567 (paper)). (That ought to convince you that this is real!)
This text confirmed many of my medical speculations, and in addition,
provides detailed medical descriptions of just what you're doing to
yourself when over-indulging in drink; numerous reasons to ignore
the terrible effects you just learned about; anecdotes throughout
history concerning this oldest of pasttimes; and, finally, dozens of
remedies, rated according to their efficicacy. So, on with...
PROBLEM: Why do you feel horrible?
ANSWER: To simplify, you're dehydrated and your blood electrolytes are
shot to hell. You've loaded yourself with impurities, too--congeners
and aldehydes, which are poisons in their own right. These have to be
metabolized, requiring protein and oxygen. Alcohol causes
important elements such as magnesium, potassium, and calcium to be
temporarily unavailable, leading (in part) to tremors. (How? Not
here. Study the books.) It also washes away vitamins B1, B6, and C.
Alcohol inhibits REM sleep--this is why you can sleep 8 hours, and
still be tired and irritable. Finally, neurons react to the presence
of a depressant such as alcohol by becoming more sensitive; it takes
time to re-adapt. Thus, the sensitivity to light, sound, etc. So, of
all the offered remedies, I've settled on the following; in light of
the foregoing discussion, you should be able to guess the reason for
each component.
1) DRINKING IS AN ART. Be an artist. Plan these things; eat a
*hearty* meal beforehand, high in protein and minerals. The old
bit about grease is, surprisingly, not too crazy. The slower the
rate of absorption, the better. Incidentally, vitamin C is a
chelating agent for numerous congeners, especially aldehyde; so is
cabbage. Stoke up before drinking!
2) AVOID THE WORST. If you have a tendency to drink light liquors,
indulge it. The darker the liquor--bourbon, as opposed to
vodka--the more impurities. (This is, of course, almost impossible
to do.) I don't do this; Jack Daniels' is my bane and my joy.
Usually in reverse order.
3) GO TO BED: Here, you may look ahead. Take a few glasses of water
to anticipate the dehydration. Also, take the following witches'
brew--lay it out before leaving, if you may forget. If you don't
do it tonight, then do it when you get up; but your stomach, after
you've scoured the lining with alcohol, may not love it:
Vitamins: A - 2x normal daily dosage
B1 - 4x normal daily dosage
B6 - 4x normal daily dosage
C - 500-1000 mg
Minerals: Nioxin - 10-20 mg
Calcium - 250 mg
Magnesium - 250 mg
Potassium - 1 tsp. KCl solution.
3) SLEEP! If you do enough of this, you may even miss the whole
thing. Unfortunately, sometimes we have to get up. Like for
work...so we go to:
4) REMEDIAL ACTION: You already did it, with or without the above
precautions, and HAVE to get up. Now is the time to recover:
-Drink fluids. Contrary to popular fables, you won't get drunk
again, although you may feel light-headed or dizzy; understand
that your body has been ABUSED. In light of the above
explanations, preferentially drink fruit juices--vitamins,
especially C, and sugar for your depleted metabolism--or even
soda pop, if you must. AVOID diet sodas; while they provide
fluid replenishment, that's all. You need more. Incidentally, a
cold watermelon provides liquid and simple sugars, and the cold
feels good both in the mouth and throat.
-Take a hot shower. Obviously, this will speed the metabolism,
aside from washing that hideous stench of stale smoke and sweat
from your trembling body. Along the same lines, run a mile,
workout, or whatever else you tend to lean toward to work
your metabolism up to a higher pitch. You'll feel worse
during the workout, but better much sooner. (I cheat here.
I'll take a hot sauna over the workout, but WARNING! Your
body is shaky; it may not be able to take the same
sauna-punishment when hungover as when sober, so use
caution.)
-EAT. No matter how it feels, eat a full meal. Especially lean
toward foods rich in protein, vitamins, and--you guessed--cabbage!
-SLEEP. If you can, go back to sleep. Otherwise, don't
forget to take your vitamins if you forgot them before going
to bed. By this time, you will probably still feel 'not
quite right', but you will have purged yourself of most of
the foul symptoms.
FINALLY: Avoid aspirin. Your headache and body pains and tremors are
a combination of a lot of things, and the aspirin (or Tylenol, or
whatever) will not be able to solve them. If you need an antacid,
well, maybe...but wait until after eating and drinking some fruit
juices and water. Finally...the one problem I mentioned above, that I
haven't addressed, is the neuron sensitivity. Believe it or not, a
small amount of the hair of the dog *will* help. The single Bloody
Mary will help...have it before eating.
This was longer than I meant it to be, but this *is* a serious
subject. Believe me, this regimen is easy to follow and will make it
distressingly easy for you to shrug off incredible binges!
From the tired liver of
Dave Ihnat
ihuxx!ignatz
--
TCP/IP: lee@rochester.arpa
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XNS: Lee Moore:CS:Univ Rochester
Phone: +1 (716) 275-7747, -5671
Physical: 43 01' 40'' N, 77 37' 49'' Wsmh@mhuxl.UUCP (henning) (01/12/86)
> > i had heard that after consuming lots of alcohol, > > the effects of any hangovers are nullified if lots > > of vitamin C is taken, say 2-5 grams. Friends who are organic chemists claimed that alcohol does not cause hangovers but the impurities found with alcohol cause hangovers. They always drank lab alcohol and never had hangovers.
werner@aecom.UUCP (Craig Werner) (01/12/86)
> > i had heard that after consuming lots of alcohol, > > the effects of any hangovers are nullified if lots > > of vitamin C is taken, say 2-5 grams. > > Hmm, I don't drink anymore, but when I did it never > made any difference to me. The best way to prevent hangovers > is not to drink. I have a book entitled 'The Hangover Handbook' (paperback) and it details several hundred ways claimed to prevent hangovers. Of all of them listed, I prefer W.C. Field's approach: "Keep Drinking" :-), naturally. -- Craig Werner !philabs!aecom!werner "Illness strips away superficiality to reveal reality in etched detail."
jsl@princeton.UUCP (Jong Lee) (01/13/86)
> Friends who are organic chemists claimed that alcohol does not cause > hangovers but the impurities found with alcohol cause hangovers. > They always drank lab alcohol and never had hangovers. doesn't this belong in net.jokes? by lab alcohol, you don't mean methyl alcohol, but grain? wouldn't that mean if you drank 190 proof grain, you'd be home free? too bad it's impossible to get 100% pure alcohol! your organic chemist friends must have a good sense of humor. *** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE ***
hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath) (01/13/86)
In article <2181@aecom.UUCP> werner@aecom.UUCP (Craig Werner) writes: > I have a book entitled 'The Hangover Handbook' (paperback) and it >details several hundred ways claimed to prevent hangovers. Of all of them >listed, I prefer W.C. Field's approach: > "Keep Drinking" I can testify that that one works, having once stayed drunk (well, tipsy) for most of a week at the Munich Oktoberfest (the follies of my youth ...). While we're on the subject, a biologist once told me hangover symptoms are primarily caused by low blood sugar. Based on that I developed the following cure which saved me much grief in my drinking days: Upon waking with that "morning after the night before" feeling drink a cup of sugar with a little coffee in it. (I exaggerate, but you get the idea). Remember, it's medicine -- it's not supposed to taste good. This will take the worst edge off in about half an hour and allow you to proceed to step two. Step two is designed to keep your blood sugar up at a reasonable level and help balance your electrolytes. Go to your favorite fast-food chain (you probably don't feel much like cooking) and have a _large_ 'burger, _lots_ of orange juice, and more coffee with sugar. This should keep you feeling vaguely human (as opposed to something like last week's garbage) and get you through to the next meal. From there you're on your own. I've also been told that two aspirin before retiring is a good preventive, but you have to be sober enough to remember to take them. -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe) Citicorp(+)TTI 3100 Ocean Park Blvd. Geniuses are people so lazy they Santa Monica, CA 90405 do everything right the first time. (213) 450-9111, ext. 2483 {philabs,randvax,trwrb,vortex}!ttidca!ttidcc!hollombe
djl@fisher.UUCP (Dan Levin) (01/13/86)
> Friends who are organic chemists claimed that alcohol does not cause > hangovers but the impurities found with alcohol cause hangovers. > They always drank lab alcohol and never had hangovers. Well, after that extremely enlightening (if somewhat lengthy) discussion, (not the one above, the other one...) I can but add a slightly simpler explaination. There are two problems with drinking, as I have been led to understand. One is the impurities. Here, drinking USP ethanol wins big. Also tastes great, try it straight from the freezer. The second problem, and the more difficult one to solve, is the dehydration. Especially of the brain and surrounding tissue. This leads to headache, as we all know. The win here is to drink water on the way to bed, and every time you wake up during the night. If you can choke down the better part of a quart, you will probably be ok the next day. NB: There are certainly reactions going on that produce more poisons than just those already found in the original drink in the form of impurities. I know nothing (except what I read in the referenced article) about what to do with those. -- ***dan {allegra,astrovax,princeton}!fisher!djl The misplaced (That car sure is rusty!) Californian
abh6509@ritcv.UUCP (A. Hudson) (01/13/86)
>Chemical B (produced via the bodies breakdown of ethanol) is >FORMALDEHYDE. Body breaks down the ethanol first, as it is more dangerous >than the formaldehyde in the small concentrations that are encountered. >Formaldehyde concentrations in the bloodstream cause nausea and headache, >For a Free Hangover (ie no beer required) go to your local Intro Bio Class >and sniff the jars of Preserved Dead Frog Parts for a short time. :-) > -the venn buddhist Your high school chemistry is strongly lacking! Formaldehyde is the product of partial oxidation of METHANOL and is the cause of blindness when people drink sterno or other nasty stuff. I heard (but cannot vouch) that amyl alcohol is the impurity that is responsible for those hangover affects. If this were true then it would be possible to distill a brew with minimal impurities. Stolichnaya comes pretty close to this. Highly recomended but expensive at $17/liter. A. Hudson
ron@brl-smoke.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) (01/15/86)
> I can testify that that one works, having once stayed drunk (well, tipsy) > for most of a week at the Munich Oktoberfest (the follies of my youth ...). > > While we're on the subject, a biologist once told me hangover symptoms are > primarily caused by low blood sugar. Based on that I developed the > following cure which saved me much grief in my drinking days: Actually, most of the hangover symptoms/unpleasantness that I have suffered seem to be based on dehydration. Generally, I swig most of a 28 oz bottle of club soda a while after I've been drinking. -Ron To Alchohol Dehydrogenase, Cheers!
hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath) (01/15/86)
In article <1198@princeton.UUCP> jsl@princeton.UUCP (Jong Lee) writes: > ... wouldn't that mean if you drank 190 >proof grain, you'd be home free? too bad it's impossible to get >100% pure alcohol! your organic chemist friends must have a good >sense of humor. My bio-chemist neighbor (Ph.D. and former full professor) tells me it's now possible to obtain 100% pure ethanol. The stuff is difficult to make and very expensive, but it does exist. She does _not_ recommend drinking it. Though not available in all states, Everclear is about 95% grain alcohol. Usefull for making punch for parties, but _warn_ your guests! -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe) Citicorp(+)TTI 3100 Ocean Park Blvd. Geniuses are people so lazy they Santa Monica, CA 90405 do everything right the first time. (213) 450-9111, ext. 2483 {philabs,randvax,trwrb,vortex}!ttidca!ttidcc!hollombe
gadfly@ihuxn.UUCP (Gadfly) (01/15/86)
> > Friends who are organic chemists claimed that alcohol does not cause > > hangovers but the impurities found with alcohol cause hangovers. > > They always drank lab alcohol and never had hangovers. > > doesn't this belong in net.jokes? by lab alcohol, you don't mean > methyl alcohol, but grain? wouldn't that mean if you drank 190 > proof grain, you'd be home free? too bad it's impossible to get > 100% pure alcohol! your organic chemist friends must have a good > sense of humor. What he meant was they drank the 95% ethanol, not the 100% pure. After ethanol has been purified to 95% (the other 5% is water), it is impossible to remove the rest of the water by distillation. In order to make 100% ethanol, other organic solvents have to be added and then removed. The worst offender (from a health standpoint) is benzene, traces of which remain in even reagent-grade 100% ethanol (which certainly *is* possible to get--it doesn't stay that way, though, if left open to absorb water from the air). Back when I worked in a p-chem lab, we always drank the 95% stuff, which we called "vodka mix" (just add water). We got plenty of hangovers. We found that they could be made less severe if we also drank lots of water so as not to get dehydrated. That royal navy grog will dry you out in a hurry. -- *** *** JE MAINTIENDRAI ***** ***** ****** ****** 15 Jan 86 [26 Nivose An CXCIV] ken perlow ***** ***** (312)979-7753 ** ** ** ** ..ihnp4!iwsl8!ken *** ***
larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman) (01/15/86)
>>Chemical B (produced via the bodies breakdown of ethanol) is >>FORMALDEHYDE. Body breaks down the ethanol first, as it is more dangerous >>than the formaldehyde in the small concentrations that are encountered. >>Formaldehyde concentrations in the bloodstream cause nausea and headache, > > Your high school chemistry is strongly lacking! Formaldehyde is the > product of partial oxidation of METHANOL and is the cause of blindness > when people drink sterno or other nasty stuff. Right; methanol is oxidized to formaldehyde by the action of the liver enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase. Incidently, ethanol is sometimes given as part of treatment for methanol poisoning because ethanol competes for alcohol dehydrogenase much better than methanol. For the record, ethanol is oxidized and eventually converted to water, carbon dioxide, and ATP in four stages: ethanol --> acetaldehyde [by action of alcohol dehydrogenase] acetaldehyde --> acetic acid [by action of aldehyde dehydrogenase] acetic acid --> acetyl coenzyme A [by action of acyl coenzyme A synthetase] acetyl coenzyme A --> ATP + CO2 + H2O [through citric acid cycle] > I heard (but cannot vouch) that amyl alcohol is the impurity that is > responsible for those hangover affects. True. Fusel oil is the name for a mixture of amyl alcohols, acids, esters and aldehydes found in alcoholic beverages, and is the primarily impurity responsible for hangovers. Another cause for a hangover is cerebral edema, which is caused by hypoglycemia or other glycogen-related impairment of liver function resulting from ethanol ingestion. This kind of discussion sorta takes the fun out of drinking, don't it? ==> Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, New York <== ==> UUCP {decvax|dual|rocksanne|rocksvax|watmath}!sunybcs!kitty!larry <== ==> VOICE 716/741-9185 {rice|shell}!baylor!/ <== ==> FAX 716/741-9635 {G1, G2, G3 modes} duke!ethos!/ <== ==> seismo!/ <== ==> "Have you hugged your cat today?" ihnp4!/ <==
nose@nbires.UUCP (Steve Dunn) (01/16/86)
> by lab alcohol, you don't mean > methyl alcohol, but grain? wouldn't that mean if you drank 190 > proof grain, you'd be home free? too bad it's impossible to get > 100% pure alcohol! your organic chemist friends must have a good > sense of humor. > There are several things around labs that might be called lab alcohol. They include denatured ethanol which is ethanol with a poison added to it so people won't drink it. There is also what I believe is called absolute ethanol. This has had all the water removed from it and is the closest thing to chemically pure ethanol you're likely to find. Unfortunately the impurities it does contain are toxic, don't drink this stuff!!!!. Finally there is just plain ethanol with some percentage of water. This you can drink. Just be sure you get the right stuff!! Its been a good while since I've worked in a lab so I may not have gotten this quite right. In a word, the point is "BEWARE". -Steve "Chainsaw" Dunn
phil@isieng.UUCP (Phil Gustafson) (01/16/86)
>Friends who are organic chemists claimed that alcohol does not cause >hangovers but the impurities found with alcohol cause hangovers. >They always drank lab alcohol and never had hangovers. There's an important reservation to this. Lab alcohol commonly comes in two purities: 95% and 100%. The former is ethanol and distilled water. Its concentration is determined by the relative vapor pressures of the compounds -- it's the strongest alcohol one can make by distillation. The 100% (absoulute) alcohol is made by treating the 95% stuff with benzine. The benzine dissolves in the water (or the other way around) and is separated mechanically. Of course, there are trace amounts of very toxic and carcinogenic benzine left. If you're going to quaff lab alcohol, use the 95% variety. And bear in mind that it's extremely illegal. phil
ayers@convexs.UUCP (01/17/86)
> I have a book entitled 'The Hangover Handbook' (paperback) and it >details several hundred ways claimed to prevent hangovers. Of all of them >listed, I prefer W.C. Field's approach: > "Keep Drinking" What? they didn't put down my famous cure that begins: "First you take the juice of one quart of brandied peaches..." (??????) Bill Dunkenfield
marco@andromeda.UUCP (Louis Marco) (01/17/86)
In article <1198@princeton.UUCP>, jsl@princeton.UUCP (Jong Lee) writes: > > Friends who are organic chemists claimed that alcohol does not cause > > hangovers but the impurities found with alcohol cause hangovers. > > They always drank lab alcohol and never had hangovers. > > doesn't this belong in net.jokes? by lab alcohol, you don't mean > methyl alcohol, but grain? wouldn't that mean if you drank 190 > proof grain, you'd be home free? too bad it's impossible to get > 100% pure alcohol! your organic chemist friends must have a good > sense of humor. > > > *** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE *** He means "absolute ethanol": ethanol without *any* impurites. You use it in organic synthesis. A former chem major.
clarke@utcsri.UUCP (Jim Clarke) (01/17/86)
In article <1320@ihuxn.UUCP> gadfly@ihuxn.UUCP (Gadfly) writes: >I worked in a p-chem lab, we always drank the 95% stuff, which we >called "vodka mix" (just add water). We got plenty of hangovers. >We found that they could be made less severe if we also drank lots of >water so as not to get dehydrated. That royal navy grog will dry >you out in a hurry. Actually, I believe (i.e., I remember reading somewhere) that the term "grog" is an abbreviation for the name "Grogram", and that this Grogram character was distinguished in this way by the sailors of the RN because he figured out that you could save money by watering down the rum you handed out. So, if I'm right, the last sentence quoted above is exactly backwards! And if the discussion so far in this group is right, Grogram was in fact a noble benefactor of the poor tars. >ken perlow ***** ***** >(312)979-7753 ** ** ** ** >..ihnp4!iwsl8!ken *** *** -- Jim Clarke -- Dept. of Computer Science, Univ. of Toronto, Canada M5S 1A4 (416) 978-4058 {allegra,cornell,decvax,ihnp4,linus,utzoo}!utcsri!clarke
levy@ttrdc.UUCP (Daniel R. Levy) (01/18/86)
In article <1198@princeton.UUCP>, jsl@princeton.UUCP (Jong Lee) writes: >> Friends who are organic chemists claimed that alcohol does not cause >> hangovers but the impurities found with alcohol cause hangovers. >> They always drank lab alcohol and never had hangovers. > >doesn't this belong in net.jokes? by lab alcohol, you don't mean >methyl alcohol, but grain? wouldn't that mean if you drank 190 >proof grain, you'd be home free? too bad it's impossible to get >100% pure alcohol! your organic chemist friends must have a good >sense of humor. > C'mon, is it REALLY impossible to get chemically pure ethanol? I have heard that it can't be had from distillation of a mix of it and water, at least not in "ordinary" equipment, but couldn't it be chemically synthesized "dry" (chemists?). -- ------------------------------- Disclaimer: The views contained herein are | dan levy | yvel nad | my own and are not at all those of my em- | an engihacker @ | ployer or the administrator of any computer | at&t computer systems division | upon which I may hack. | skokie, illinois | -------------------------------- Path: ..!ihnp4!ttrdc!levy
larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman) (01/20/86)
> > > Friends who are organic chemists claimed that alcohol does not cause > > > hangovers but the impurities found with alcohol cause hangovers. > > > They always drank lab alcohol and never had hangovers. > > > > doesn't this belong in net.jokes? by lab alcohol, you don't mean > > methyl alcohol, but grain? wouldn't that mean if you drank 190 > > proof grain, you'd be home free? too bad it's impossible to get > > 100% pure alcohol! your organic chemist friends must have a good > > sense of humor. > > He means "absolute ethanol": ethanol without *any* impurites. You > use it in organic synthesis. Pure ethanol - with no denaturants - is a rare commodity for lab use, and is a restricted sale item. All other ethanol for lab use has one or more of the following denaturants: ethyl acetate, methy iso-butyl ketone, iso-propyl alcohol, propanol, and gasoline. Ethanol with the following labels contains only 95% ethanol and is STILL DENATURED: Ethanol, Anhydrous Ethanol, Absolute Ethanol, 95% Ethyl Alcohol, Anhydrous Ethyl Alcohol, Absolute Ethyl Alcohol, 95% Reagent Alcohol, Anhydrous Reagent Alcohol, Absolute Reagent Alcohol, 95% If you read the bottle and/or the manufacturer's (like J. T. Baker, Mallinckrodt, MCB, etc.) data sheets, you will discover the true composition. The moral of the above is: don't drink ANY laboratory alcohol under ANY circumstances! ==> Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, New York <== ==> UUCP {decvax|dual|rocksanne|rocksvax|watmath}!sunybcs!kitty!larry <== ==> VOICE 716/741-9185 {rice|shell}!baylor!/ <== ==> FAX 716/741-9635 {G1, G2, G3 modes} duke!ethos!/ <== ==> seismo!/ <== ==> "Have you hugged your cat today?" ihnp4!/ <==
mwg@petrus.UUCP (Mark Garrett) (01/20/86)
++ > doesn't this belong in net.jokes? by lab alcohol, you don't mean > methyl alcohol, but grain? wouldn't that mean if you drank 190 > proof grain, you'd be home free? too bad it's impossible to get > 100% pure alcohol! (Jong Lee) Surely lab-quality ethanol can be purified to better than 95%!! -Mark
ron@brl-smoke.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) (01/21/86)
> For the record, ethanol is oxidized and eventually converted to water, > carbon dioxide, and ATP in four stages: > You give the impression that water is not consumed, but the first two steps you list consume water.
larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman) (01/23/86)
> C'mon, is it REALLY impossible to get chemically pure ethanol? I have heard > that it can't be had from distillation of a mix of it and water, at least not > in "ordinary" equipment, but couldn't it be chemically synthesized "dry" > (chemists?). It's not impossible to get 100% (200 proof) ethanol which is reasonably pure - it's just difficult. Pure 100% ethanol is VERY hygroscopic, and will absorb water wapor from the atmosphere. If you leave it thus exposed to the air, you will eventually have 95% ethanol. Further complications result from the fact that when ethanol is mixed with water and boiled (as in distillation), an azeotropic mixture is formed at a concentration of 95% ethanol. This means that continued distillation will NOT result in ethanol concentrations greater than 95%. In order to remove the water, something must be mixed with the ethanol which will displace the water. The problem then becomes one of separating this new substance from the ethanol. This new substance may then leave impurities in the ethanol. Then you have to remove these new impurities. And then if you are bound and determined to have 100% ethanol, these procedures have to be conducted in an atmosphere inert of water wapor. Ain't easy. Actually, there are very few laboratory procedures and syntheses where 95% alcohol and 5% some_other_alcohol_which_displaces_water is unsatisfactory, so there is no big demand for 100% pure ethanol - except for people bent upon drinking it :-). ==> Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, New York <== ==> UUCP {decvax|dual|rocksanne|rocksvax|watmath}!sunybcs!kitty!larry <== ==> VOICE 716/741-9185 {rice|shell}!baylor!/ <== ==> FAX 716/741-9635 {G1, G2, G3 modes} duke!ethos!/ <== ==> seismo!/ <== ==> "Have you hugged your cat today?" ihnp4!/ <==
ccb@decvax.UUCP (Charles C. Bennett) (01/24/86)
>If you're going to quaff lab alcohol, use the 95% variety. And bear in >mind that it's extremely illegal. > > phil Illegality depending on localle. I found some 190 proof "clear spring" in a liquor store in Philadelphia last July. Be Advised: this stuff is FLAMMABLE. ccb
tmoody@sjuvax.UUCP (01/24/86)
If it is indeed the case that impurities in alcoholic beverages are causally involved in hangovers, then one would expect that aged and filtered liquor would be gentler than "raw" stuff. In particular, one would expect a charcoal-filtered, aged whiskey to be gentler than gin. I understand that in the process of dehydration, caused by the rise in the body's alcohol level, the concentrations of various vitamins are leeched away. I seem to remember reading -- in that Bible of scientific respectability: _Life_Extensions_, -- it is a good idea to take B vitamins after drinking. Has anyone tried this as a hangover preventative?
phil@isieng.UUCP (Phil Gustafson) (01/25/86)
In article <170@decvax.UUCP> ccb@decvax.UUCP (Charles C. Bennett) writes: >>If you're going to quaff lab alcohol, use the 95% variety. And bear in >>mind that it's extremely illegal. >> phil I said the above and see it can be misconstrued. I said in the sense that I'd say "If you're going to shoot heroin, use a clean needle." >Illegality depending on localle. I found some 190 proof "clear spring" in >a liquor store in Philadelphia last July. Be Advised: this stuff is >FLAMMABLE. >ccb Three things: In some states, 190 proof (95%) booze is legal. The most common brand is 'Everclear.' As with most cheap (per unit alcohol) booze, most of the cost is Federal excise tax. Now, undenatured ethanol is vigorously controlled, mostly to make sure the Feds get their cut. Except for universities, who can and do get it by the barrel. It IS illegal (and stupid) to drink this. A certain amount, however, does somehow find the livers of students, professors, and their cronies. I can't deny having sipped some in my foolish youth. Why stupid? Because if you read the label wrong, or the freshman lab assistant with the Twisted Sister t-shirt has filled the right little bottle from the wrong big bottle, you go blind and die. It's *much* brighter to go to the liquor store and buy cheap vodka. At least you know what you're getting and know what the risks of using it are. phil My opinions only.
hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath) (01/28/86)
In article <2723@sjuvax.UUCP> tmoody@sjuvax.UUCP (T. Moody) writes: > >If it is indeed the case that impurities in alcoholic beverages are >causally involved in hangovers, then one would expect that aged and >filtered liquor would be gentler than "raw" stuff. In particular, one >would expect a charcoal-filtered, aged whiskey to be gentler than >gin. I remember reading somewhere that the more expensive whiskeys are less harmful to the system and cause milder hangovers than the cheap stuff. I wouldn't expect the difference to be a great one. Note: Before you run to stock up on 40 year old irish whiskey at some outrageous price, keep in mind that whiskey doesn't improve beyond 12 years in the barrel and doesn't improve in the bottle at all. If you buy any over 12 years old you're paying for hype. -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe) Citicorp(+)TTI 3100 Ocean Park Blvd. Geniuses are people so lazy they Santa Monica, CA 90405 do everything right the first time. (213) 450-9111, ext. 2483 {philabs,randvax,trwrb,vortex}!ttidca!ttidcc!hollombe