Still true, in the case of carbon zinc cells.

Opening carbon zinc batteries makes my
Mom yell at me. The managanese dioxide
makes a mess.
..
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..
..
"TimR" wrote in message ...

I haven't opened one since I was a kid, but a D cell used to have a carbon rod as the positive terminal, about 3/8 inch in diameter, and the lantern battery had one almost an inch across.