Potassium Cyanide (KCN) Consumption
- Take a small glass of cold tap water; do not use mineral water, nor any kind of juice or soda water, due to the acidity of such liquids.
- Stir 1g (or 1.5g, at most) of potassium cyanide (KCN) into the water; using more than recommended will likely cause burning of the throat due to the acidity.
- After about five minutes—this “waiting period” is important, as a chemical reaction needs to take place—the KCN will be dissolved and ready to drink (because it has turned into HCN). It remains drinkable for a period of several hours, but not much more than that.
- Once the concoction is drunk, consciousness will be lost within a minute. There will be just time to rinse out the glass (to ensure that no one else accidentally drinks from it—however, one could just as easily put a big “Warning” label onto the glass, or throw it into a corner or a fireplace, if one doesn’t want to take the time) and lie down. But beware—a person extremely weakened by illness might lose consciousness within twenty seconds.
- While in the coma, death will follow in fifteen to forty-five minutes, depending on the physical strength of the person and whether the stomach is full or empty (an empty stomach promotes faster death).
- During the coma period, the dying person will breathe heavily or snore, similarly to people who have taken a lethal dose of barbiturates.
[Hans] Atrott notes that with a person who is seriously terminally ill, death is so peaceful that often doctors do not detect suicide, and sign the death certificate as being from natural causes.