From: a2zarewe@juno.com
To: FJORDING@aol.com
Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2001 19:26:52 -0600
Subject: Re: Breathing Helium - this needs reading.


On Thu, 19 Jul 2001 17:17:54 EDT FJORDING@aol.com writes:
>  Helium IS helium, there is no different "compound." As to your poor 
> pay, I 
> can't help what they pay nurses in the UK. The fact remains, despite 
> your 
> ignorance, that helium does not interact with your vocal chords, as 
> you say, 
> because "relaxing" them would lower the pitch and your voice. Listen 
> to 
> divers breathing theses mixes, and their voices are high, for the 
> duration, 
> of the dive, not after. Helium does not react in the blood, it is 
> inert. If 
> it did, it would not be useful as a diving mix. The sole reason for 
> not 
> breathing it, unless you consider opooing a lung trying to inhale it 
> from the 
> tilt-valve, remains oxygen deprivation. It happens faster with a 
> breathful of 
> helium than it does if you simply hold your breath because you are 
> starting 
> out with NO oxygen in the lungs. If you just hold your breath, there 
> is that 
> one lungful of oxygen to use up before deprivation begins. Oh, and 
> in a 
> helium mix environment, divers feel colder, because it conducts heat 
> faster 
> than air and body heat is carried away faster.  
> 


Interesting that you have so much to say but neglected to sign your name.
 Your response was unbelievably rude! This thread was written by someone
wanting to offer information to people who asked a question regarding WHY
it is not safe to breathe helium.  If you have reason to disagree with
the facts that were presented, what is the problem with just stating your
difference of OPINION (that you believe to be fact ), as those who
originally responded to this thread did (there were many different trains
of thought on this subject - ALL presented as "fact").

Regardless of whose facts are the most correct, in the end, you have said
nothing different than the author that you are responding to...... the
bottom line (regardless of the details) is:  DO NOT BREATHE HELIUM, IT
COULD BE DANGEROUS TO YOUR HEALTH (and your wealth; should one chose to
ignore the possible danger, fail to impart that info to their clients and
get SUED)! 

Who cares who has the most accurate details, if, in the end, ignoring the
BASIC WARNING- "Do not breathe helium" - could lead to [potentially]
causing someone harm?

Lastly, although I fear this will make me a "rude respondent", I also
believe the following needs to be said.....
                            GROW UP!!!!!!  If you don't like what someone
has said, respond like an adult and the professional that you are
supposed to be.  

Your response was completely uncalled for, and as a reader, completely
uninvested in this debate (at least the who's right/who's wrong part of
it), I was quite offended at how you chose to respond.  Furthermore,
although I  previously  read the threads on this topic, and took each
disputed "fact" with a grain of salt; choosing not to impart my 2 cents
(as I also have info different from those who posted)- the bottom line
being the only message/fact that concerned me.  I was so appalled at your
response, I could not stay silent.

Andrea
Balloon Creations