03-01-2012, 08:13 PM
In order to be effective, cyanide gas really requires a confined space - there are, sadly, several examples. It was stockpiled for use by some of the major powers, but wasn't considered very effective. It would, however, have the virtue of low persistence (the gas is lighter than air and disperses fairly rapidly), if that was desirable and it is relatively easy to decontaminate with plain water, as it washes into the ground and is actually good for the soil!
As is fairly common knowledge, the practice of taking suicide pills of a cyanide is often ascribed to captured spies, not all of them in books - leaving that characteristic smell of almonds which the investigators, at least the fictional kind, find so easily. However, all those cases are from ingesting the liquid form in a capsule.
As a use for ancient chemical warfare, for example by the method your students suggest, it would be dangerous to those it splashed upon, or actually hit, but so would a large stone or lighted incendiary, with much less danger to the user. Any gas given off from such a liquid would be noxious, but not really more so than standing behind a dirty car exhaust (which can also contain cyanide in small doses).
Digressing a moment, early forms of what is now known as Biological Warfare, however, were commonly practised in protracted sieges throughout history; by virtue of using catapults to fling rotting animal carcasses, or even human bodies, into cities to spread disease and/or to poison water supplies.
As is fairly common knowledge, the practice of taking suicide pills of a cyanide is often ascribed to captured spies, not all of them in books - leaving that characteristic smell of almonds which the investigators, at least the fictional kind, find so easily. However, all those cases are from ingesting the liquid form in a capsule.
As a use for ancient chemical warfare, for example by the method your students suggest, it would be dangerous to those it splashed upon, or actually hit, but so would a large stone or lighted incendiary, with much less danger to the user. Any gas given off from such a liquid would be noxious, but not really more so than standing behind a dirty car exhaust (which can also contain cyanide in small doses).
Digressing a moment, early forms of what is now known as Biological Warfare, however, were commonly practised in protracted sieges throughout history; by virtue of using catapults to fling rotting animal carcasses, or even human bodies, into cities to spread disease and/or to poison water supplies.
