# How do they know what lethal gases smell like? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [December 4, 2000, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-know-what-lethal-gases-smell-like/43996 "2000-12-04T19:55:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nukeman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce7236/32.png) [@Nukeman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nukeman)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-know-what-lethal-gases-smell-like/43996/1 "2000-12-04T19:55:33Z")
Another point, but almonds have arsenic in them in small amounts, which gives them their distinctive taste, and its also present in apple pips, so if you bite an apple pip open, they taste of almond. Have you ever had a bad almond? (possibly the worst taste ive ever tasted as it just wont go away) it tastes really strongly of almond and I think thats what arsenic must taste like. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-know-what-lethal-gases-smell-like/43996/2 "2000-12-04T20:27:54Z")
That’s cyanide you’re thinking of, **Nukeman** , not arsenic. See: [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_212.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_212.html) ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-know-what-lethal-gases-smell-like/43996/3 "2000-12-04T21:10:19Z")
Thank you for posting your comment. Please include a link to Cecil’s column if it’s on the straight dope web site. To include a link, it can be as simple as including the web page location in your post (make sure there is a space **before** and **after** the text of the URL). Cecil’s column can be found on-line at the link kindly provided by colibri. The column can also be found on pages 212-213 of Cecil Adams’ book «[_The Straight Dope_](http://www.straightdope.com/otheroutlets/books.html)». * * * moderator, «[**Comments on Cecil’s Columns**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/forumdisplay.php?forumid=1)» ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-know-what-lethal-gases-smell-like/43996/4 "2000-12-05T08:11:39Z")
The first time I saw this thread, I too assumed the reference was to the apricot-seed column. But then I saw that today’s Straight Dope Classic is [How do they know what lethal gases smell like?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a970307c.html) ---
**Author:** ![Nukeman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce7236/32.png) [@Nukeman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nukeman)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-know-what-lethal-gases-smell-like/43996/5 "2000-12-05T14:11:37Z")
oops. sorry. I dont see how its cyanide however as cyanide very quickly ;goes off’ in air. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-know-what-lethal-gases-smell-like/43996/6 "2000-12-05T15:44:50Z")
**Nuke** , check the article. It says that what’s actually present in the seeds are “cyanogentic glycosides.” The cyanide is bound to another molecule, which renders it harmless. Once it hits the digestive enzymes, though, the compound is split, the cyanide is released in active form, and you die. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2000, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-know-what-lethal-gases-smell-like/43996/7 "2000-12-07T18:17:02Z")
OK, in my moderator spiel above, please change “Colibri” to “bibliophage”.