# Smelling salts **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 1, 2009, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelling-salts/479507 "2009-01-01T21:36:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Alex\_Dubinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@Alex\_Dubinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_Dubinsky)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelling-salts/479507/1 "2009-01-01T21:36:45Z")
I need a new way to wake up. I noticed a while ago that Listerine would do the trick well. Its burn would invigorate me and leave me clear headed. Lately, however, it seems to have lost its bite. I need to find stronger stuff. What about smelling salts? They seem to be effective enough to bring people out of unconsciousness… ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelling-salts/479507/2 "2009-01-01T22:53:42Z")
What’s wrong with just waking up? Why do you need chemical assistance? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelling-salts/479507/3 "2009-01-01T23:10:52Z")
What about a cold shower? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelling-salts/479507/4 "2009-01-01T23:12:47Z")
I would be happy to slap you awake if you paid me. I might even do it for free… ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelling-salts/479507/5 "2009-01-01T23:35:47Z")
Smelling salts, IIRC, are ammonia based. If you want to wake yourself up, open up that bottle of ammonia and take a deep sniff. I did that when I was a child. Once. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelling-salts/479507/6 "2009-01-02T00:29:48Z")
Why is it called “smelling salts” when it’s ammonia? Is there a NaCl component to ammonia? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelling-salts/479507/7 "2009-01-02T01:08:53Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Why is it called “smelling salts” when it’s ammonia? Is there a NaCl component to ammonia? It’s a salt in the Chemistry sense - Ammonium + Carbonate. See more here: [Salt (chemistry) - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_(chemistry)) ---
**Author:** ![Zygomide](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zygomide](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zygomide)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelling-salts/479507/8 "2009-01-02T02:16:15Z")
I recommend ditching the normal schedule you follow and wake up around four in the afternoon. That would probably make things easier for you. The night shift does have its perks. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelling-salts/479507/9 "2009-01-02T03:49:19Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > It’s a salt in the Chemistry sense - Ammonium + Carbonate. > See more here: [Salt (chemistry) - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_(chemistry)) I believe you and all, but your linky no providey information! Which link am I supposed to click on? ---
**Author:** ![Amblydoper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@Amblydoper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amblydoper)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelling-salts/479507/10 "2009-01-02T04:57:44Z")
Ammonium Carbonate ((NH4)2CO3) decomposes into Ammonia (NH3), Carbon Dioxide, and Water. The Ammonia gas is what wakes you up. ---
**Author:** ![Apex\_Rogers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@Apex\_Rogers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apex_Rogers)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelling-salts/479507/11 "2009-01-02T05:05:59Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > I believe you and all, but your linky no providey information! Which link am I supposed to click on? The board software likes to eat parenthesis when presenting URLs (automatic link parsing option does this). Try this [link](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_(chemistry)). ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_Dubinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@Alex\_Dubinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_Dubinsky)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelling-salts/479507/12 "2009-01-02T07:02:19Z")
> [@CoG888](#): > > Ammonium Carbonate ((NH4)2CO3) decomposes into Ammonia (NH3), Carbon Dioxide, and Water. The Ammonia gas is what wakes you up. That’s _all_ it is? I’ve smelled ammonia before, it didn’t seem that shocking. Am I supposed to find something extra-strength? And why mess with the whole “salt” thing if you could just get a bottle of the liquid? ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelling-salts/479507/13 "2009-01-02T07:09:30Z")
I’m trying to picture your morning routine. The alarm goes off, you fling your arm to the side of the bed, grab the bottle, and take a good whiff of mouthwash? Try horseradish. ---
**Author:** ![St.Urho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e7dd6/32.png) [@St.Urho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St.Urho)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelling-salts/479507/14 "2009-01-02T07:35:12Z")
> [@Alex\_Dubinsky](#): > > That’s _all_ it is? I’ve smelled ammonia before, it didn’t seem that shocking. Am I supposed to find something extra-strength? And why mess with the whole “salt” thing if you could just get a bottle of the liquid? The idea is that rather than carrying around a bottle of liquid ammonia, you have the little ampules. You crack the ampule and it releases the ammonia gas. I’ll also point out that these have fallen out of favor, and IME, it’s very rare to see them in EMS or the ER. St. Urho Paramedic ---
**Author:** ![Flander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelling-salts/479507/15 "2009-01-02T15:08:32Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > I did that when I was a child. Once. :eek: Ditto. My nose hairs cried. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelling-salts/479507/16 "2009-01-02T15:56:23Z")
My organic chem prof told of his lab partner who didn’t waft the smell from a beaker to his nose, but instead just took a big breath of fumes to see if this was the water or the ammonia beaker. It was the ammonia. He fell down and bled from an ear. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelling-salts/479507/17 "2009-01-02T22:05:17Z")
> [@Cardinal](#): > > My organic chem prof told of his lab partner who didn’t waft the smell from a beaker to his nose, but instead just took a big breath of fumes to see if this was the water or the ammonia beaker. > > It was the ammonia. > > He fell down and bled from an ear. They tell you that inhaling directly is bad. They tell you there is no humanly way to tell if glassware is hot just by looking. Does everyone listen? No. I suppose he learned his lesson, though. ---
**Author:** ![Atomicflea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/58956e/32.png) [@Atomicflea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomicflea)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelling-salts/479507/18 "2009-01-02T22:51:53Z")
I recommend rolling out of bed onto a cold floor. ---
**Author:** ![GameHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@GameHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GameHat)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelling-salts/479507/19 "2009-01-03T02:03:24Z")
> [@Cardinal](#): > > My organic chem prof told of his lab partner who didn’t waft the smell from a beaker to his nose, but instead just took a big breath of fumes to see if this was the water or the ammonia beaker. > > It was the ammonia. > > He fell down and bled from an ear. I’ve had two experiences that have taught me (the hard way) to “waft” One was finding a seemingly clean plastic hand pump in the pilot plant. As I picked it up, I noticed a drop of liquid on the tip. “Hmm,” thinks I. “I wonder what this pump was used for?” So I put the wand tip directly under my nose and inhale deeply. Mistake. The pump had been used for [Glacial Acetic Acid](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glacial_acetic_acid). I got weak-kneed and dizzy, plus my lungs burnt for the rest of the day. The second time - large glass beaker, I had been melting out [Maleic Anhydride](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maleic_anhydride), which is the anhydride of course of [Maleic Acid](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maleic_acid). Any acid that has it word root the “Mal” is pretty bad for you. :rolleyes: I melted out a few kilos, added to the reaction flask (all in a hood, as should be done) but then suffered a moment of idiocy when I thought “eh, I’ll just put it in the sink right now to rinse out”. So I took the flask with molten maleic residue at about the melting point (135 C ish) and began to carry to the sink. Which is not in the hood. With the beaker held to my chest, a few inches below my chin. That time I not only got the weak knees, I also had my vision fade out for a few seconds. Came very close to fainting; lucky I didn’t or the hot beaker of death probably would have crashed down on me. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelling-salts/479507/20 "2009-01-03T02:12:43Z")
> [@Flander](#): > > Ditto. My nose hairs cried. Isn’t there a “laboratory grade” of liquid ammonia that is about a jillion times stronger than the regular grade? I seem to remember reading something about this but chemistry has always been associated with black magic and devil worship in my mind. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelling-salts/479507.md?page=2)