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HCN gas does smell a bit like Hydrochloric Acid.

Not like almonds at all.

Otherwise known as Muriatic Acid when used in pools, hydrochloric is an aqueous solution of HCl gas, which is a very acidic gas, highly soluble in water. It is usually supplied in its saturated solution of approximately 37% concentrated HCl gas dissolved in water. It's a smoker, as soon as you open the bottle of concentrate, vapors of HCl begin to escape and if you get a whiff it's pretty rough.

HCN can be supplied in gas form (pressure cylinders) if needed, but most cyanide is supplied as a solid salt like NaCN or KCN, which are "basically" non-acidic forms of cyanide.

These crystals can be dissolved in water (makes a very toxic solution) without the release of very much HCN gas, but the solution must be maintained in a relatively alkaline condition, otherwise if it is acidified the solution will liberate HCN and it smells like an acidic gas alright.

A little bit like HCl but even rougher.

Well in my back yard during college there was a big cherry laurel and once the little fruits were ripe it would be infested with birds who were wolfing them down. It's hot even in north Florida and after a while some of the fruits would get fermented to a certain percentage of alcohol. The birds were really partying then until it got to the point they would fall out of the tree drunk.



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