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Topic: Poison Drinks (Read 15121 times) |
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Jeremiah Smith
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Poison Drinks
« on: Aug 18th, 2002, 10:43pm » |
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So, a rich old man has died. After his death, his children are surprised to learn that he has left all of his money to his oldest son Jeremiah, who loved him dearly, and ignored his other children, who hated him.
So, the funeral is a day or two later, and the other sons and daughters have decided to kill Jeremiah and take his inheritance. Since his father's death, Jeremiah has taken to drinking, and they know that, at the wake, he's going to be gulping down the liquor like it was nectar of the gods. So they decide to poison the drinks. One of the other sons, Wallace, tends bar, and gets the poison all ready.
So Jeremiah comes up, crying and depressed, and orders a scotch on the rocks. Wallace serves him one, and he chugs it down in two seconds. "Give me another." Wallace gives him a second glass of scotch, which he also drinks in a matter of moments. The other siblings are puzzled...the poison is fast-acting; Jeremiah should be convulsing on the floor and retching his guts out. Finally, fifteen minutes later, a rather inebriated and very much alive Jeremiah orders one last glass of scotch, but as Wallace hands it to him, he changes his mind and leaves, sobbing. The other siblings come over to Wallace, and wonder what's going on. They talk about what could have gone wrong for a few minutes, and figure the poison's harmless. So Wallace sips the drink he poured for Jeremiah, and is pronounced DOA thirty minutes later.
Why did Jeremiah live? (He had no immunity to the poison, he didn't know it was coming, the poison was obviously deadly.)
Sorry for such a long puzzle...I just wanted some plot to it 
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| « Last Edit: Sep 20th, 2003, 6:43pm by Icarus » |
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KT
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Re: NEW PUZZLE - Poison Drinks
« Reply #1 on: Sep 17th, 2002, 1:49am » |
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HE WAS ALREADY PICKLED?  WE NEED SOME DICUSSION ON THIS. I AM JUST 'DYING' TO HAVE A HINT!
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stiwi
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Re: NEW PUZZLE - Poison Drinks
« Reply #2 on: Sep 17th, 2002, 11:35am » |
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hmmz....
seems to be drinking FAST can be healthy!!??
regards
stiwi
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Jeremiah Smith
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Re: NEW PUZZLE - Poison Drinks
« Reply #3 on: Sep 17th, 2002, 3:49pm » |
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Shee-yahh...I didn't think there was any interest in this puzzle, since no one answered for a long time after I put it up...
But, anyways. Hint. The drinking fast thing is important...now find out why. It might help to remember your bar drink terminology. 
Incidentally, this is a rather old puzzle. I just stole the basic premise, added some plot, and posted it.
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Fonducci
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Re: NEW PUZZLE - Poison Drinks
« Reply #4 on: Sep 18th, 2002, 12:00am » |
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The poison was in the ice, which explains why it was ineffective when the drink was downed quickly. Giving time for the ice to melt was the key to activating the poison.
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Chronos
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Re: NEW PUZZLE - Poison Drinks
« Reply #6 on: Sep 18th, 2002, 1:49pm » |
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On the other hand: Doesn't Wallace know exactly how he poisoned the drinks? Given that, shouldn't he be able to figure it out pretty quickly, before he goes and drinks a watered- (and poisoned-) down drink?
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shiv
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Re: NEW PUZZLE - Poison Drinks
« Reply #7 on: Sep 19th, 2002, 10:15am » |
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the poison could have been in the ice...
when he gulped, he left out the ice in his glass.
After 15 mins, all ice melted and poor wallace had to drink the poisoned drink... and convulse and die... pity!
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Jeremiah Smith
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Re: NEW PUZZLE - Poison Drinks
« Reply #8 on: Sep 19th, 2002, 12:24pm » |
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on Sep 18th, 2002, 1:49pm, Chronos wrote:| On the other hand: Doesn't Wallace know exactly how he poisoned the drinks? Given that, shouldn't he be able to figure it out pretty quickly, before he goes and drinks a watered- (and poisoned-) down drink? |
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We can assume that Wallace isn't exactly the sharpest crayon in the box
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Pietro K.C.
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Re: NEW PUZZLE - Poison Drinks
« Reply #9 on: Sep 21st, 2002, 8:28am » |
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My solution was different! I thought that maybe Wallace had indeed poisoned the scotch, but didn't know the poison was more dense than, and not soluble in, whiskey - and would therefore sink to the bottom. The way I read the puzzle, I understood that Jeremiah turned down the last glass of scotch, after drinking many - so presumably that was just about the last remaining liquid in the bottle, and hence poison. (Yes, people can drink a lot when they're sad)
This way at least we don't have to assume Wallace is THAT dim-witted.
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Jeremiah Smith
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Re: NEW PUZZLE - Poison Drinks
« Reply #10 on: Sep 22nd, 2002, 3:23pm » |
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I think I like Pietro's answer better
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Olclops
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 Or, we could use the Andromeda Strain solution, and say that the poison is only active within a certain (standard) blood pH range. Therefore, Jeremiah is saved by his crying - his shallow breathing temporarily alters his blood pH out of the standard range and saves his life long enough for the poison to pass through his system.
There's a nice irony there, but it's a borrowed solution.
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Nyarly
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Prisoner solution
« Reply #12 on: Sep 25th, 2002, 12:15pm » |
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Also possible: Jeremiah leaves suddenly because, after downing several scotches quickly, they're all coming back up, before the poison can be absorbed in his bloodstream.
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Spongebob
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Re: NEW PUZZLE - Poison Drinks
« Reply #13 on: Nov 8th, 2002, 1:55pm » |
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I think the ans is they didn't wait long enough.
Jeremiah did die. He died 15 min after he left the bar, or 30 min after his first drink. Wallace also died 30 min after taking a drink.
The so called "correct" ans that the poison is in the ice is illogical.
What ya think of that? Huh? How you like me now biatch!
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stud9920
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Re: NEW PUZZLE - Poison Drinks
« Reply #14 on: Jul 29th, 2003, 2:48am » |
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It's so obvious. The poison is just not as fast as expected. Jeremiah gets enough glasses to puke his guts, therefore lives. 15 min to get drunk, five to puke, leaves ten minutes. No poison in stomach.
Wallace otoh oly drinks one glass, not enough to puke.
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wowbagger
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Re: NEW PUZZLE - Poison Drinks
« Reply #15 on: Jul 29th, 2003, 7:29am » |
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on Jul 29th, 2003, 2:48am, stud9920 wrote:| The poison is just not as fast as expected. |
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Of course, once we start questioning the premises, there are many possible explanations. It is clearly stated that "the poison is fast-acting", not that the siblings expect the poison to be fast-acting.
I like creative answers like Pietro's, for example, but you overdid it, imho. (Which is not to say I don't go over the top myself at times )
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Gerd
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Re: NEW PUZZLE - Poison Drinks
« Reply #16 on: Jul 30th, 2003, 11:12am » |
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Also possible, he at random ate the right substance before drinking the poison, that thereby was neutralized.
Or (like in the case of Rasputin) the poison was something like potassic-cyanide (KCN) that together with the hydrochloric acid (HCl) (in stomach) makes hydrogen chloride (HCN). And Jeremiah wouldn't be affected by the poison, if he hadn't enough gastric acid.
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wowbagger
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Re: NEW PUZZLE - Poison Drinks
« Reply #17 on: Jul 30th, 2003, 12:45pm » |
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on Jul 30th, 2003, 11:12am, Gerd wrote:| like potassic-cyanide (KCN) that together with the hydrochloric acid (HCl) (in stomach) makes hydrogen chloride (HCN) |
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I'm sure you just mixed up the words, but it's either hydrogen chloride (HCl) or hydrogen cyanide (HCN). Just trying to avoid the casual reader from being befuddled... No, actually I'm trying to increase confusion!
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towr
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Re: NEW PUZZLE - Poison Drinks
« Reply #18 on: Jul 30th, 2003, 2:37pm » |
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I'm pretty sure the CN- is poisenous in and off itself, the proton in HCN doesn't change that, it just gets split off anyway (it's an acid after all)..
So KCN or NaCN or HCN would al be poisenous to the same extend, I think.. (Except that HCN is gaseous in the oiutside environment, unlike the other two, but once ingested they're all aqueous)
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Gerd
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Re: NEW PUZZLE - Poison Drinks
« Reply #19 on: Jul 31st, 2003, 1:32am » |
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@wowbagger: of course you are right. Thank you! I translated word by word (with the help of a dictionary), and there I made a mistake. Sorry!
@towr: and of course you are right too. Most foods are more acescent than KCN and therefore immediately react, so that the HCN is deflagrated (?) soon with no effect.
KCN also has a soapy taste and smells like HCN.
I'm sorry, but I only tried to bring in some new aspects to the riddle.
Wish you a nice day!
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| « Last Edit: Jul 31st, 2003, 1:36am by Gerd » |
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nobody
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Maybe this question could be made clearer by having someone other than Wallace (one of the other siblings, that is) drink the poisoned drink. Then the poison can be in the ice and Wallace is not a complete doofus. 
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paul schmitz
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i dont know the specifics of the Rasputin poison, but perhaps since there is already HCl in the stomach, the HCN will not dissociate because of the high H+ count already present. I assume Cl is more electronegative than CN and all that jazz.
anyway, my solution was originally that the poison is not totally soluble and it sank to the bottom, like Italian dressing. Gah, I can't think of a better solution.
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towr
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Re: Poison Drinks
« Reply #22 on: Jul 7th, 2005, 1:41am » |
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on Jul 6th, 2005, 10:55pm, paul schmitz wrote:| i dont know the specifics of the Rasputin poison, but perhaps since there is already HCl in the stomach, the HCN will not dissociate because of the high H+ count already present. I assume Cl is more electronegative than CN and all that jazz. |
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They're exactly equally negative; Cl- and CN-. Not that that matters much at all.
They're also both very well soluble, there can't possibly be enough HCl in the stomach to prevent HCN from solving. I think HCN might even be more soluble than HCl.
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| « Last Edit: Jul 7th, 2005, 1:41am by towr » |
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truemuffinman
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Re: Poison Drinks
« Reply #23 on: Aug 22nd, 2006, 9:46am » |
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When you cry, your body heats up. If Jeremiah had just experienced the trauma of someone dying, then he would be crying A LOT. Maybe the poison wasn't heat-proof and therefore burned up inside his stomache, but not in the other guy's because he wasn't sad?
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| « Last Edit: Aug 22nd, 2006, 9:46am by truemuffinman » |
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rmsgrey
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Re: Poison Drinks
« Reply #24 on: Aug 23rd, 2006, 4:00am » |
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on Aug 22nd, 2006, 9:46am, truemuffinman wrote:| When you cry, your body heats up. If Jeremiah had just experienced the trauma of someone dying, then he would be crying A LOT. Maybe the poison wasn't heat-proof and therefore burned up inside his stomache, but not in the other guy's because he wasn't sad? |
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So Jeremiah ends up well cooked?
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