# Cecil, please study up on the signs of cyanide poisoning!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-please-study-up-on-the-signs-of-cyanide-poisoning/494565>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [April 27, 2009, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-please-study-up-on-the-signs-of-cyanide-poisoning/494565 "2009-04-27T22:56:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2009, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-please-study-up-on-the-signs-of-cyanide-poisoning/494565/1 "2009-04-27T22:56:15Z")

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In [this column](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2861/does-beet-sugar-contain-a-wwii-poison) commenting on the possibility of cyanide in beet sugar, Cecil queries:

> [@Cecil Adams](#):
>
> last time you ate anything containing beet sugar, did you turn blue and die? If not, don’t worry.

Unfortunately, when one does expire from cyanide poisoning, they tend to turn quite pink and die.

Like carbon monoxide when it combines with hemoglobin, cyanide-hemoglobin complexes are quite red in coloration, and even the most hypoxic person will tend to look a most cheery shade of pink-red when passing away from cyanide ingestion.

I’ve never treated a cyanide poisoning patient myself, but I have had a few unfortunate CO overdose victims brought in while I was on duty, and they were very sadly rosy-cheeked when I pronounced them dead.