Peter Parry wrote:
On 6 Jun 2004 14:30:34 -0700, (N. Thornton) wrote:
Often all thats neeed is some caustic soda. I put a cupful in the
sink, over the plug hole, and poured some boiling water on it.
With respect that is a really silly idea - when caustic soda
dissolves the reaction is strongly exothermic - it generates a lot of
heat. Pouring near boiling water on it is not sensible as you get an
immediate boiling mass of concentrated caustic soda.
Its very effective,
Indeed - but it is equally effective if made up following the
destructions on the container and a damn sight safer.
but !beware! It spits alkali, and the spit drops can
do your eyes a serious and nasty injury.
There is no can about it - boiling concentrated caustic soda will
blind you very quickly. Alkali burns from caustic soda are _always_
worse than they look and should always be treated as emergencies and
the victim taken to hospital after rapid first aid of complete
irrigation of the eye with copious amounts of water.
Eyes yes, but skin burns are nothing. I have had dozens of minor caustic
spalshes and never once went to hospital.
For eyes, its a question of massive and immediate dilution. Time is of
the essence. Don't rush to A & E, get the eye washed with clean cold
water again and again and THEN get to A & E. But they won't do anything
much more than wash it again. If its damaged, its damaged, and the only
treatment is something to stop it hurting ad keep infection at bay, and
hope it heals itself.