this post was submitted on 08 Jul 2023
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[–] Chriszz@lemmy.world 71 points 1 year ago

Less poisonous. Its purpose is to be poison.

[–] ryannathans@lemmy.fmhy.ml 36 points 1 year ago (4 children)

If poison expires it becomes safer

If medicine expires it becomes poison

[–] novibe@lemmy.ml 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Not necessarily.

Aspirin yes, paracetamol no.

Some medicine also just becomes less effective, not more dangerous.

[–] ryannathans@lemmy.fmhy.ml 2 points 1 year ago

What does aspirin degrade to that's harmful?

[–] WalterLatrans@yiffit.net 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

In the case of tetracycline antibiotics the degradation products can damage the kidneys and cause Fanconi syndrome. So in that case as a medicine for people it becomes poison, as a poison for bacteria it becomes safer.

[–] ryannathans@lemmy.fmhy.ml 3 points 1 year ago

Haha that's the case I had in mind!

[–] moup@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

If you wait long enough does poison expire and become medicine again tho?

[–] 3laws@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

If you wait long enough it's no longer a matter of chemistry but of physics. It goes inert and/or it degrades to/along its container.

[–] Squiglet@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Someone hire this guy! Nobel material.

[–] UntouchedWagons@lemmy.ca 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Surely it'd be less effective since some of the molecules or whatever have broken down into (hopefully) less poisonous molecules?

[–] InputZero@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 year ago

Presumably yes, and for historical context look to Napoleon Bonaparte. It's presumed that when he attempted suicide the mercury cyonide had "expired" (humidity and water got in) and that's why his suicide failed. I still wouldn't go around eating expired poison to prove a point though.

[–] Leejon95@lemmy.fmhy.ml 7 points 1 year ago

Doesn't really matter, but the taste will degrade over time

[–] p0tat@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

Only one way to know

I need to know the answer

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