MALE, May 1959
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MALE, May 1959 interior 1
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MALE, May 1959 interior 2
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“A stench of gas told her the boys were playing ‘monoxide poker’”
– Carbon monoxide is odorless.
That is true unless she smelled a flavour of Champagne wine whose bubbles contain carbon monoxide.
They’re probably referring to nitrous oxide aka laughing gas, aka dinitrogen monoxide. After it’s anesthetic effects were discovered, it was used for all kinds of entertainments for years, such as “gas parties” where it was used to remove people’s inhibitions in entertaining ways. I can see idiots playing “Last person capable of moving gets the pot.”
Doing this with carbon monoxide would likely be lethal.