Killer Moonshine

[baggio248]

They need lessons from The Beer Baron, Uncle Jesse and Boss Hog.

Lethal Homebrew Kills 13 Iranians, Blinds Five

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Toxic moonshine killed 13 Iranians and blinded five others in the southern city of Shiraz, state media reported on Saturday.

The official news agency in Iran, where alcohol is banned, said 60 people were taken to hospital after knocking back the deadly homebrew and 20 were still in a critical condition.

State television showed the victims stretched out on hospital beds and rigged up to drips.

A television broadcast reminded viewers alcohol has been outlawed since the 1979 Islamic revolution but it is, however, widely available in Iran, where it is smuggled across the nation's borders.

[attgig]

ooooh, i wonder how big the mob is in Iran. i'm sure they can make a killing! .......

[zenbooty]

ooooh, i wonder how big the mob is in Iran. i'm sure they can make a killing! .......

The mob RUNS Iran. But they say its illegal. And they do plenty of killing already as it is.

[DarkFury]

Nuttin' like a bit of "white lightnin'" to make you go blind...

[zenbooty]

Well, back in Houston Texas, back up in the hills
Everybody down there was a runnin' a still
Made white lightning till the sun go down
Filled up a bottle, then they passed it around
Mighty, mighty pleasing, my pappy's corn squeezings
Oooooh...(hiccup!), White Lightning!

Well I asked my pappy why he called his brew
White Lightning instead of Mountain Dew
I took a little sample and then I knew
'Cause my eyes bulged out and my face turned blue
Lightning started flashing, thunder started crashing
Oooooh...(hiccup!) White Lightning!

Well the "G" men, "T" men, revenuers too
Looking for the place where he made his brew
They were looking, trying to book him
But my pappy kept on cooking
Oooooh...(hiccup!) White Lightning!

Well a city slicker came and he said "I'm tough!"
"Hey, can I try that powerful stuff?"
He took a little sip, he made a weird sound,
Last he saw of us as he hit the ground!
Mighty, mighty pleasing, your pappy's corn squeezings
Oooooh...(hiccup!) White Lightning

Well the "G" men, "T" men, revenuers too
Looking for the place where he made his brew
They were looking, trying to book him
But my pappy kept on cooking
Oooooh...(hiccup!) White.... Lightning!

[nickel]

dems gonna be some bad hangovers.....well the ones who live

[Memo]

So why exactly does moonshine make you go blind?

[DarkFury]

So why exactly does moonshine make you go blind?

Basically... moonshine is almost pure alcohol (usually most backyard brews can be up into the 150 - 170 proof area which equals 75% - 85% alcohol), and probably this "bad batch" was tainted with methenol alcohol from the wood burning process from which it is made.

Pretty much ingesting methenol is kinda like drinkin' gasoline at that point... and methyl alcohol can induce blindness based on its toxicity...

http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/englishhtml/M2015.htm

Of 100% methyl alcohol...

POISON! DANGER! VAPOR HARMFUL. MAY BE FATAL OR CAUSE BLINDNESS IF SWALLOWED. HARMFUL IF INHALED OR ABSORBED THROUGH SKIN. CANNOT BE MADE NONPOISONOUS. FLAMMABLE LIQUID AND VAPOR. CAUSES IRRITATION TO SKIN, EYES AND RESPIRATORY TRACT. AFFECTS CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM AND LIVER

Potential Health Effects
----------------------------------

Inhalation:
A slight irritant to the mucous membranes. Toxic effects exerted upon nervous system, particularly the optic nerve. Once absorbed into the body, it is very slowly eliminated. Symptoms of overexposure may include headache, drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, blindness, coma, and death. A person may get better but then worse again up to 30 hours later.

Ingestion:
Toxic. Symptoms parallel inhalation. Can intoxicate and cause blindness. Usual fatal dose: 100-125 milliliters.

Skin Contact:
Methyl alcohol is a defatting agent and may cause skin to become dry and cracked. Skin absorption can occur; symptoms may parallel inhalation exposure.

Eye Contact:
Irritant. Continued exposure may cause eye lesions.

Chronic Exposure:
Marked impairment of vision has been reported. Repeated or prolonged exposure may cause skin irritation.

Aggravation of Pre-existing Conditions:
Persons with pre-existing skin disorders or eye problems or impaired liver or kidney function may be more susceptible to the effects of the substance.

Here are some more references:

http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/alcohol

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2838213.stm

And you can find a bunch more with a google search.

[attgig]

scary.

[bachviet]

Remind me not to drink any alcohol imported from Iran.

[zenbooty]

FWIW, methanol is the stuff in antifreeze that makes you go blind if you drink it. Or didn't your Dad ever tell you not to drink the pretty green stuff in the bottles?