On Fri, 27 Mar 1998 18:42:18 -0000, "Graham Balin"
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>Flat Coke is just as good, but neither as effective as this recipe:
>
>1 teaspoon of salt
>1 teaspoon of sugar
>to 1 pint of water + a bit of squash for flavour.
>
NO NO NO NO NO !!!!!
I sincerely hope the "chap from the Observer" hasn't copied this.
Graham has made a classic mistake by recommending a dangerously
hypertonic solution which could kill a small child.
If you assume a level 5ml teaspoon (it would more likely be heaped in
practice) then this gives you 10.85 grams of NaCl, which is 387.5
mmol.
When this is dissolved in 1 pint you get a solution containing 818.93
mmol/l of NaCl, or 321.72 mmol/l sodium. This is more than "twice
normal" saline. By comparison, the WHO formula contains 90 mmol/l
sodium and dioralyte contains 60 mmol/l.
The correct formula should have been a pint of water, a teaspoon of
sugar and a SALTSPOON or PINCH of salt. The potential for dangerous
error here is very great, which is why, in countries that can afford
to pay for them, the extra cost of commercial preparations is probably
worth it.
David
PS. If you think about it, a whole teaspoon of salt in the cooking
would make it pretty inedible.
---------------------------------------
Dr David Evans
Cardiff
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