In films, I have several times seen people be knocked unconscious, or lost 
consciousness for some other reason, only to be brought back round by 
another person making them sniff some chemical.  Whatever chemical it is 
seems to work almost instantly to make them awake again.

Question: Does such a substance exist in real life?  What is it?

Post a reply to this message

"scott" <sco### [at] scottcom> wrote in message 
news:48d11c49$1@news.povray.org...
> In films, I have several times seen people be knocked unconscious, or lost 
> consciousness for some other reason, only to be brought back round by 
> another person making them sniff some chemical.  Whatever chemical it is 
> seems to work almost instantly to make them awake again.
>
> Question: Does such a substance exist in real life?  What is it?
>

Anything very strongly scented works, though not usually so miraculously. 
It's mainly for when a person has fainted, rather than beaten unconscious.
Smelling salts or ammonia-based substances are the ones I've seen used.

Post a reply to this message

Gail <gail (at) sql in the wild (dot) co [dot] za> wrote:

> "scott" <sco### [at] scottcom> wrote in message 
> news:48d11c49$1@news.povray.org...
> > In films, I have several times seen people be knocked unconscious, or lost 
> > consciousness for some other reason, only to be brought back round by 
> > another person making them sniff some chemical.  Whatever chemical it is 
> > seems to work almost instantly to make them awake again.
> >
> > Question: Does such a substance exist in real life?  What is it?
> >

> Anything very strongly scented works, though not usually so miraculously. 
> It's mainly for when a person has fainted, rather than beaten unconscious.
> Smelling salts or ammonia-based substances are the ones I've seen used. 

  I have the impression that you see this typical scene only in older
movies, not in newer ones. (Well, seeing someone fainting in newer movies
is quite rare in the first place...)

  I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if modern medicine would
advice against using this trick on someone who is actually unconscious.
There are many things which were typical in older movies which are very
ill-adviced.

-- 
                                                          - Warp

Post a reply to this message

"Warp" <war### [at] tagpovrayorg> wrote in message 
news:48d12cb0@news.povray.org...
>  I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if modern medicine would
> advice against using this trick on someone who is actually unconscious.

I would agree but hey I'm no doctor .... but I've been on sidelines of NFL 
game and when someone has gotten their bell rung they break out the smelling 
salts (ammonia tabs). I've also seen weight lifters take a BIG wiff before a 
lift.

> There are many things which were typical in older movies which are very
> ill-adviced.

smoking (cough .... haven't kicked the habit)

cutting each other and swearing a blood oath

Jim

Post a reply to this message

48d136cd@news.povray.org...

> smoking (cough .... haven't kicked the habit)

I have :-D

>
> cutting each other and swearing a blood oath

Before 80's, it was not so dangerous than it is now.

Marc

Post a reply to this message

m_a_r_c <jac### [at] wanadoofr> wrote:
> > cutting each other and swearing a blood oath

> Before 80's, it was not so dangerous than it is now.

  Less germs back then?-)

-- 
                                                          - Warp

Post a reply to this message

48d13d61@news.povray.org...
> m_a_r_c <jac### [at] wanadoofr> wrote:
>> > cutting each other and swearing a blood oath
>
>> Before 80's, it was not so dangerous than it is now.
>
>  Less germs back then?-)

At least a big one less yes : HIV
The AIDS pandemia started during the very late 70's
I think it makes a huge difference.

Marc

Post a reply to this message

m_a_r_c <jac### [at] wanadoofr> wrote:
> At least a big one less yes : HIV
> The AIDS pandemia started during the very late 70's

  The first documented and confirmed case happened in 1959, but it didn't
become a pandemia until 1981, so yeah.

> I think it makes a huge difference.

  You are right. Nowadays people are morbidly afraid of becoming in
contact with other people's blood, for the fear of HIV. One of the few
phobias which is actually more beneficial than harmful.

  Curiously, people don't seem to be too afraid of the (by far) more
common way of getting the disease: Random sex. They just trust on the
safety of condoms (even though it's well-known fact that condoms can
fail, due to ruptures, even microscopic ones).

  This is, in fact, something I have never understood. People seem to
think that as long as they don't know if the other has HIV or not, they
are "safe". If you ask any of these people: "Would you have sex with
someone you *know* has HIV, even with a condom?" I'm pretty sure that
the honest answer would be a definite "no".
  However, "would you have sex with a person from who you *don't know*
if they have HIV or not?" the answer seems to be "yes". They seem to be
willing to take the risk in this case.

-- 
                                                          - Warp

Post a reply to this message

> In films, I have several times seen people be knocked unconscious, or lost 
> consciousness for some other reason, only to be brought back round by 
> another person making them sniff some chemical.  Whatever chemical it is 
> seems to work almost instantly to make them awake again.
>
> Question: Does such a substance exist in real life?  What is it?

Once when I was getting surgery on part of my back, I started feeling light 
headed (I don't handle surgery or needles or anything like that very well). 
I told the nurse and she put something under my nose and told me to breathe 
in hard. I didn't get a very good look at it but it was the size and shape 
of a tootsie roll. Anyway, when I breathed in it burned my throat and made 
me cough really hard, but I immediately felt *way* better. I don't know if 
that was smelling salts or not.

It happened again during the same surgery, and even though I knew how 
unpleasant it was I breathed in really hard because of how well it had 
worked the first time.

Actually, I'm wondering if it's commonly available or if it has negative 
side effects.

 - Slime
 [ http://www.slimeland.com/ ]

Post a reply to this message

What *I* want to know is... in films, it's common to just punch somebody 
in the head and them be instantly knocked out. Is it actually possible 
to do this IRL? Is it really that easy? Do you wake up with just a 
headache, or permanent brain damage? Surely you'd at least have bruising??

Post a reply to this message