Bond girl kills herself by drinking acid. What a way to go.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-14218733

What a terrible way to go. We have assisted suicide here in my state and I've never thought of it too much one way or another. But this lady deserved a more decent way to end her life.

Learn somethng every day, I guess.

There are various formulas for Drain Cleaner.

Buy it at your TrueValue store

Santeen, 32 OZ, Drain Opener, Concentrated Sulfuric Acid Formula, Liqu

SKU: 202382

Model No 0200

UPC 36612002002

Santeen, 32 OZ, Drain Opener, Concentrated Sulfuric Acid Formula, Liquefies Organic Materials Such As Paper, Cotton Cloth, Food, Sanitary Napkins, Orgainic Waste, Soap & Grease, Thaws Frozen Drains, Reduces Amount Of Heat Generated While Dissolving Clogs, Lower Heat Means Less Chance Of Fumes Or Injury, Safe For ABS, PVC & Cast Iron Pipes. Sold in Cases Of 12

This Item Normally Ships in 3-5 Business Days
SANTEEN PRODUCTS

Quantity On Hand: 2268
PRICE: $75.71

I guess they are aware of its pharmaceutical value.

Sulfuric is usually sold in concentrations of 50, 93, or 98%. It can go higher by absorbing excess sulfur trioxide, but those forms fume aggressively. I've used in the lab back in the day, and i wouldn't want it around my house.

I'v guessing this stuff is 50% sulfuric with nonionic surfactants to give it higher viscosity. There are similar products on the store shelves at grcoery and hardware joints.

GAC

There is some hypo in some of the products, but it's mostly a strong alkali. That's why we should wear gloves when using it.
GAC

Common cleaners like Drano are alkaline. Usualy highly concentrated KOH or NaOH.

But, products like "The Works" are acidic. They either contain sulfuric or hydrochloric acid. Those with hydrochloric have more surfactants in them to raise the viscosity, because HCl can only go up to 37% in water and it's really thin.

They all have some surfactant in them.

If you have iron build up, the acidic forms are better because iron compounds actually precipitate out when the pH goes high. (Above a 9.) But, iron compounds are soluble below a pH of 4, so the sulfuric or HCl will clean that up too.

The downside of the acidic cleaners is the fuming and smell. The alkaline producsts don't stink.
GAC

But wouldn't the effect be buffered a bit with the hydrochloric acid in the stomach?

Here's the problem. I'm picking a nit, but it's not really forming a buffer. Buffers have chemically distinct properties with regard to pH regulation.

What happens when a strong alkaline material, like sodium hydroxide hits HCl is that it forms water and sodium chloride, or table salt. That releases a LOT of heat which cannot be good at all for the stomach.

Also, there is very little acid in the esophagus. Those of us who have had acid reflux know that all too well. There isn't supposed to be any acid up there. So, the caustic does a great deal of damage just getting to the stomach. By the time we start neutalizing any of the caustic in the stomach, the damage has been done.

I'm not sure the concentration or volume of acid in the stomach, but it would take a lot of acid because even concentrated HCl is only 37%. And, the molecular weight is nearly the same as caustic. So, it takes almost one to one, although the drain cleaner isn't (and can't be) 100% otherwise it would be a solid.

I won't get into the "buffer" thing in any detail. I realize hardly anybody cares.
GAC

You post only confirms my post.

Now I am contemplating a suicide much closer to the one portrayed in "The Meaning of Life".

if you read the entire piece, it states she had been given the all-clear by the doctors that her cancer had been successfully put in remission

she was mixing alcohol and treatment for bipolar disease/depression, and even bipolar disease all on its own can cause delusions, much less this combination

she did not die of a reasoned choice to end her life, to spare herself the pain of cancer

she died of a disease-caused delusion that caused her to kill herself in an extremely irrational and painful manner (pouring sulfuric acid all over her body and also drinking it)

in other words, she made no reasoned adult choice to commit suicide, this was not euthanasia

this was a case of her mental illness finally killed her

sometimes it is not acknowledged just how much mental illness is resistant to treatment with all those wonder drugs out there, i've known people who just weren't helped, probably you have too, we need to discover something better

poor woman, what an awful ending

It is just like any other illness where sometimes a drug that helps one or even many, fails in other cases. And some do choose not to take the "wonder drugs" that turn out to not be so wonderful in practical application. Unfortunately, treatment for mental health issues is quite complicated and some people succumb to their illness before a proper treatment approach is found. I hope Ms. Scoular's death can at least shed some light on these issues.

I mean, I knew who she was, but referring to her as only "Bond Girl" makes her seem like a...thing.

r.i.p.

I've never heard of that measurement.

an ounce (one shot) for liquor, 12 ounces (1 can or bottle) for beer and one glass for wine. In the UK the beer thing is probably one pint.

sad story.

i remember a guide at the british museum explaining this to me in great detail for some reason

he assured me that americans put too much wine in that glass of wine w. dinner, which is undoubtedly the case, as i have proved to myself by measuring it once in awhile

a glass of wine is 2-3 units.

which means a 750ml bottle of spirits at 40% ABV is 30 units. So she was drinking the equivalent of 5 to 7 bottles of spirits each week.

She was bipolar and a (recovering?) alcoholic. It is very difficult to overcome that dual-diagnosis. It looks like she suffered for many years and tried very hard to treat her illnesses. Those two hours between ingestion and death must have been horrifying. At least she is now at peace.

unless you believe in assisted suicide for those suffering from alcoholism and depression. This poor woman had a serious history of mental illness, alcoholism and suicide attempt(s). Her cancer was in remission. She'd just been busted for drunk driving.