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From: max@zion.Berkeley.EDU (Max Hauser)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk,rec.arts.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: Future Police Speculations Needed
Message-ID: <21598@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Wed, 4-Nov-87 16:36:36 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.21598
Posted: Wed Nov  4 16:36:36 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 7-Nov-87 11:16:53 EST
References: <1463@haddock.ISC.COM> <1824@trex.rutgers.edu> <23473AE4@PSUVMA>
Sender: usenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: max@trinity (Max Hauser)
Organization: Combine Honette Ober Advancer Mercantiles
Lines: 26
Summary: Anesthesia
Xref: mnetor alt.cyberpunk:141 rec.arts.sf-lovers:8735

This may be a little afield for alt.cyberpunk but Jon Acheson's
provocative posting raised a point that, being of a technical bent,
I'd like to follow up.

In article <23473AE4@PSUVMA> AE4@PSUVMA.BITNET (Jon Acheson) writes:

> ... Anti-terrorist techniques would also improve: in a hostage situation,
>fast-acting anesthetic gas would be shot into the room: before the thug can
>do anything, they are waking up in jail.

Fast-acting anesthetics have been a staple soft weapon in science 
fiction at least since _Brave New World_ but despite massive
research they seem no more practical today than fifty years ago.

The good low-toxicity gases like ether and cyclopropane are
typically explosive in mixture with air and they require dosage
control, another big stumbling block. Nevertheless they are an
irresistable idea.

If anyone knows of innovations on this front I would be interested to
hear of them. Why not -- this bears on the original request for 
future police speculations, the more so if the author wants realistic
detail.

Max Hauser     UUCP: ...{!decvax}!ucbvax!eros!max
               Internet (old style): max%eros@berkeley
               Internet (domain style): max@eros.berkeley.edu