Re: Salt

Warrl kyree Tale'sedrin (warrl@mail.blarg.net)
Sat, 10 Jan 1998 02:04:33 +0000


> From: Robin Helweg-Larsen <robinhl@vnet.net>

> Anyone know the validity of the story that drinking seawater makes you crazy?
> Do people survive on a raft by drinking seawater, or do they have to catch
> rainwater? Maybe not drinking enough (sea)water makes them crazy?

Seawater is significantly saltier than the water in human bodies.
Human urine is essentially as salty as the water in human bodies.
This means that if you drink seawater either you accumulate salt in
your body, or you expel more water than you take in.

And, in general, humans DON'T accumulate salt in their bodies when
drinking seawater.

So, drinking seawater, rather than quenching your thirst, causes you
to become dehydrated.

Also, salt water is a low-grade emetic (causes you to throw
up). This is an additional means by which drinking seawater can
dehydrate you.

Severely dehydrated individuals do show signs of dementia, including
but not limited to hallucinations..
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