X-Message-Number: 26208 Date: Fri, 20 May 2005 10:34:52 -0400 From: "Raphael T. Haftka" <> Subject: Suspended animation References: <> Carbon monoxide? Brian Wowk noted that suspended animation research may not be yet too useful for Cryonics, but I was curious about two possible exceptions. 1. Carbon monoxide suicide: The Scientific American paper indicates that carbon monoxide is potent for preventing ischemic damage, and even suggests shipping organs immersed in carbon monoxide in sealed containers. It regretfully dismisses it as an agent for inducing suspended animation in humans, because it binds so strongly to red blood cells. However, this is not relevant to a Cryonics patient, and so Carbon monoxide looks very attractive as a way to commit suicide for a patient in danger of brain damage due to Alzheimer disease, high probability of stroke, etc. 2. Even in natural death, it appears that it may be worthwhile to check on whether exposure to carbon monoxide or H2S may be useful to reduce ischemic damage if there is delay in suspension. Rafi Haftka Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=26208