A colourless poisonous liquid, used as a solvent and a fuel. It changes easily into a gas.
Methyl alcohol; wood alcohol; colorless, flammable liquid used as a solvent for ethyl alcohol. Highly toxic if ingested, methanol can cause blindness, kidney failure, and death.
Wood alcohol; also called methyl alcohol. Methanol is used as a solvent or fuel and is a clear, colorless, flammable liquid with a characteristic odor. Consumption of even a very small amount of methanol can produce permanent blindness, and loo milliliters (about ½ cup) is likely to be fatal for an adult.
A variety of alcohol used as a solvent to remove paint of a constituent of some antifreeze fluids. It is poisonous: sometimes people drink it as a substitute for ethyl (ordinary) alcohol. Symptoms appear up to 24 hours later and include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headache and sometimes unconsciousness. Treatment is to induce vomiting (in conscious victims) and to do a stomach washout, but such steps must be taken within two hours of ingestion. Hospital treatment is usually required, when intravenous infusion of sodium bicarbonate (and sometimes ethanol, which slows up breakdown of methanol by the liver) is administered.
Methanol, a toxic form of alcohol, serves as a solvent, paint remover, and is utilized in certain antifreeze formulations. Instances of methanol poisoning often arise from its consumption as a misguided replacement for regular alcohol. Signs of poisoning encompass headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and loss of consciousness. Additionally, methanol exposure can harm the retina and optic nerve, leading to blurry vision. Prolonged or substantial methanol ingestion can ultimately lead to irreversible blindness.