In article , tony sayer
writes
In article , Andy Champ
scribeth thus
Java Jive wrote:

Really, I'm very surprised to hear that. I wonder what the different
formulae were/are.

Town gas was largely hydrogen (with a substantial level of carbon
monoxide, which is why it was poisonous) whereas natural gas is largely
methane.

Andy

This is why Cambridge was converted quite early too many students with
their heads in the gas oven if they couldn't hack the courses;(

Hmm. Methane may not be actually poisonous (unlike CO), but it will
still asphyxiate. OTOH, I think CO has some anaesthetic effect
concentrations, so presumably a potential suicide dies whilst
unconscious.

I assume that makes CO preferable if (a) you have the option, and (b)
you're trying to end it all. The scrappage scheme will cause problems in
that regard though - IIRC some well-tuned engine-cat combinations now
emit virtually zero CO (although plenty of CO2, which kills pretty
effectively).

Macabre. Thread change?
--
SimonM
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