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From: drdave <drdave@ng.netgate.net>
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: whip-its
Date: Fri, 19 Jul 1996 12:09:53 -0700

On Thu, 11 Jul 1996, The last of the red hot swamis! wrote:

>
> one of my roommates was talking to a friend of hers when the subject of
> whip-its[1] came up. according to this friend she knew a kid who was
> with a bunc of other people doing whip-its. this kid inhaled, suddenly
> went into convulsions, and died. he was taken in for an autopsy, and when
> they opened him up, his brain had turned to mush.
>
> now, if anyone wants more info, i can try to find it out next time i talk
> to my roommate, but i mainly wanted to know if anyone else has heard
> anything like this.
>
> [1] small containers of compressed nitrous oxide that are normally used
> as charges for spray cans of whip cream. when inhaled, supposedly
> produces a short high of about 10-20 seconds.

Nitrous oxide can very definitely be lethal and can very definitely cause convulsions (see medical and chemical refs below).

However, it is hyperbole to say that it turns it's victims brains to "mush".

The Possibly Soon to be FAQ on Nitrous Oxide

Nitrous Oxide, N2O is indeed sold in small canisters as a propellant for desserts (ie. "whippits"), probably because it has a sweet odor. It is used as an anesthetic and analgesic by doctors and dentists. However, at high, prolonged exposure levels nitrous oxide is a narcotic and an asphyxiant. (Merk Index, 9th Ed, entry 6473).

In other words, one can inhale so much that they die from lack of oxygen. Their body doesn't rebel and demand oxygen because of the narcotic, anesthetic and analesic properties of nitrous oxide.

One adverse affect that can occur before or without death is indeed involuntary spasms/convulsions.

"Four deaths resulting from abuse of nitrous oxide". DiMaio, Vincent J. M.; Garriott, J. C. (Southwestern Inst. Forensic Sci., Dallas, Tex., USA). J. Forensic Sci., 23(1), 169-72, 1978.

"An autopsy case of the lethal anesthetic accident caused by nitrous oxide mis-inhalation". Naruse, Takanori; Nakamura, Isao; Fujikura, Takashi; Takizawa, Hisao; Ito, Yusuke (Fac. Med., Toyama Med. Pharm. Univ., Toyama, Japan). Nippon Hoigaku Zasshi, 42(4-5), 397-402 (Japanese) 1988

"Nitrous oxide availability". Murray, Michael J.; Murray, William J. (Dep. Anesthesiol., Duke Univ. Med. Cent., Durham, NC, 27710, USA). J. Clin. Pharmacol., 20(4, Pt. 1), 202-5, 1980.

dr "giddy with the possibility of being in the FAQ" dave