Good Gas

Natural-gas pipelines, big-inching their way across the U.S., are changing the pattern of attempted suicides and may be saving lives. Dr. David M. Spain, medical examiner of New York's Westchester County, reached these conclusions after studying the effects in his county since natural gas replaced manufactured gas a year and half ago. Previously, he said, among 180 modes, no fewer than 42 had been corn-fitted with illuminating gas. Since the hangeover, there have been 120 suicides --not one of them with gas.

The reasons for the difference are partly chemical, partly psychological. Manufactured gas is full of carbon monoxide which has an even greater affinity for the body's hemoglobin than oxygen has. Natural gas is composed largely of methane and ethane, which do not replace oxygen in the blood. The only way they can kill is by diluting the oxygen until the victim suffocates. But this takes a long, long time, said Dr. Spain, and in the meanwhile, most would-be suicides change their minds or are discovered.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.