Comments on: Lead Acetate (Heavy metals can be sweet, too!) http://www.moleculeoftheday.com/2006/05/25/lead-acetate-heavy-metals-can-be-sweet-too/ Molecules: You'd Better Learn to Live With Them Sat, 22 Nov 2008 07:33:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: Michelle http://www.moleculeoftheday.com/2006/05/25/lead-acetate-heavy-metals-can-be-sweet-too/#comment-37 Mon, 29 May 2006 00:56:34 +0000 http://www.moleculeoftheday.com/2006/05/25/lead-acetate-heavy-metals-can-be-sweet-too/#comment-37 I wonder what they are using to weight Pinewood Derby cars for the Cub Scouts these days - I recall chunks of lead in the garage for this purpose when my brothers were young. I wonder what they are using to weight Pinewood Derby cars for the Cub Scouts these days - I recall chunks of lead in the garage for this purpose when my brothers were young.

]]> by: motd http://www.moleculeoftheday.com/2006/05/25/lead-acetate-heavy-metals-can-be-sweet-too/#comment-36 Sun, 28 May 2006 19:46:21 +0000 http://www.moleculeoftheday.com/2006/05/25/lead-acetate-heavy-metals-can-be-sweet-too/#comment-36 I am unfamiliar with how lead works on the gut, but I am guessing the active ingredient probably was the opium. All the opium alkaloids impair gut motility. The old treatment for diarrhea, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paregoric" rel="nofollow">paregoric,</a> is actually just opium tincture plus camphor to make it unpalatable. It still was opium, though, so they took it off the market. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loperamide" rel="nofollow">Imodium/Loperamide,</a> the current OTC remedy, is actually a non-CNS active opioid. Also, opioid addicts often remark on the fact that they experience prolonged constipation when using, and intense diarrhea as part of withdrawal. Neat book, I hadn't heard of this one yet. Thanks. I am unfamiliar with how lead works on the gut, but I am guessing the active ingredient probably was the opium. All the opium alkaloids impair gut motility. The old treatment for diarrhea, paregoric, is actually just opium tincture plus camphor to make it unpalatable. It still was opium, though, so they took it off the market. Imodium/Loperamide, the current OTC remedy, is actually a non-CNS active opioid.

Also, opioid addicts often remark on the fact that they experience prolonged constipation when using, and intense diarrhea as part of withdrawal.

Neat book, I hadn’t heard of this one yet. Thanks.

]]> by: Chad Weider http://www.moleculeoftheday.com/2006/05/25/lead-acetate-heavy-metals-can-be-sweet-too/#comment-35 Sun, 28 May 2006 18:05:18 +0000 http://www.moleculeoftheday.com/2006/05/25/lead-acetate-heavy-metals-can-be-sweet-too/#comment-35 From <a href="http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/Chemistry/?ci=0198503407&#38;view=usa" rel="nofollow">Nature's Building Blocks</a> by John Emsley: <blockquote>Victorian doctors went further and gave lead acetate with opium as a cure for diarrhoea - it was effective because it paralysed the gut, while the opium deadened the associated stomach pains.</blockquote> He goes on to mention how lead acetate would be added to port wine to improve taste (possibly causing the death of any number of notable people of past). From Nature’s Building Blocks by John Emsley:

Victorian doctors went further and gave lead acetate with opium as a cure for diarrhoea - it was effective because it paralysed the gut, while the opium deadened the associated stomach pains.

He goes on to mention how lead acetate would be added to port wine to improve taste (possibly causing the death of any number of notable people of past).

]]> by: Adam http://www.moleculeoftheday.com/2006/05/25/lead-acetate-heavy-metals-can-be-sweet-too/#comment-33 Sat, 27 May 2006 04:26:40 +0000 http://www.moleculeoftheday.com/2006/05/25/lead-acetate-heavy-metals-can-be-sweet-too/#comment-33 Oh, I'm sure my Eisenhower-era oven can reach 3400 °C without too much trouble . . . ok, maybe not. Oh, I’m sure my Eisenhower-era oven can reach 3400 °C without too much trouble . . . ok, maybe not.

]]> by: motd http://www.moleculeoftheday.com/2006/05/25/lead-acetate-heavy-metals-can-be-sweet-too/#comment-31 Fri, 26 May 2006 06:21:55 +0000 http://www.moleculeoftheday.com/2006/05/25/lead-acetate-heavy-metals-can-be-sweet-too/#comment-31 What's amazing is that 500g isn't "a good-sized chunk." This is ca. 25mL of the metal in volume (neglecting the bulk associated with all the dead space in powders). Tungsten is heeeeeeavy. What’s amazing is that 500g isn’t “a good-sized chunk.” This is ca. 25mL of the metal in volume (neglecting the bulk associated with all the dead space in powders). Tungsten is heeeeeeavy.

]]> by: motd http://www.moleculeoftheday.com/2006/05/25/lead-acetate-heavy-metals-can-be-sweet-too/#comment-30 Fri, 26 May 2006 06:20:45 +0000 http://www.moleculeoftheday.com/2006/05/25/lead-acetate-heavy-metals-can-be-sweet-too/#comment-30 <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7615498016&category=104233" rel="nofollow">here.</a> A pain to sinter the stuff, though. here.

A pain to sinter the stuff, though.

]]> by: Adam http://www.moleculeoftheday.com/2006/05/25/lead-acetate-heavy-metals-can-be-sweet-too/#comment-29 Fri, 26 May 2006 04:05:16 +0000 http://www.moleculeoftheday.com/2006/05/25/lead-acetate-heavy-metals-can-be-sweet-too/#comment-29 Ever since I saw the Periodic Table Table site, I've wanted to get my hands on a good-size lump of tungsten. Alas, all the eBay peeps outbid me by a C-note at least whenever some comes up. I also want to try my hand at making bismuth hopper crystals, which looks like it would be easier (and cheaper). In further PTT news, I recall him mentioning that one of his correspondents was tasting several chlorides (by analogy with good ol' NaCl). He characterized cesium chloride as "horrible," as I recall. I wonder if someone will make an "anything without a nitrogen in it is probably safe" t-shirt. Ever since I saw the Periodic Table Table site, I’ve wanted to get my hands on a good-size lump of tungsten. Alas, all the eBay peeps outbid me by a C-note at least whenever some comes up.

I also want to try my hand at making bismuth hopper crystals, which looks like it would be easier (and cheaper).

In further PTT news, I recall him mentioning that one of his correspondents was tasting several chlorides (by analogy with good ol’ NaCl). He characterized cesium chloride as “horrible,” as I recall.

I wonder if someone will make an “anything without a nitrogen in it is probably safe” t-shirt.

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