A Tholian Web Oddity....

[Phaser Two]

I think the writer was probably going for a reaction the same way people would react when they are told to take warfarin. Besides poisoning mice, warfarin is used in humans to thin blood.

Sure. Still doesn't explain why Spock breezes by the reference the first time he hears it. In fact, given the unreliable state of the crew, he might even have been expected to ask Bones if he was exercising appropriate safeguards with such a dangerous substance.

 

[KennyB]

I always thought Regula One (in TWOK) sounded like a laxative.

For gentle overnight relief............

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Spock's strong response the second time will be explained by an encounter with the substance in DSC. You heard it here first.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Sure. Still doesn't explain why Spock breezes by the reference the first time he hears it. In fact, given the unreliable state of the crew, he might even have been expected to ask Bones if he was exercising appropriate safeguards with such a dangerous substance.

Speaking of dangerous substances, the episode seems to take for granted that McCoy would have a supply of Klingon nerve gas on hand to play around with.

The idea of replicating any substance from scratch mostly came in with TNG. You could argue the precious gems in "Catspaw" ("We could manufacture a ton of these"), but TOS wasn't explicit about the idea of replicators, and "The Tholian Web" with its theragen certainly wasn't. It's more likely the TOS-era thought process was that McCoy looked up how to make theragen from common ingredients.

 

[Phaser Two]

Speaking of dangerous substances, the episode seems to take for granted that McCoy would have a supply of Klingon nerve gas on hand to play around with.

The idea of replicating any substance from scratch mostly came in with TNG. You could argue the precious gems in "Catspaw" ("We could manufacture a ton of these"), but TOS wasn't explicit about the idea of replicators, and "The Tholian Web" with its theragen certainly wasn't. It's more likely the TOS-era thought process was that McCoy looked up how to make theragen from common ingredients.

Well said. I always preferred the "Arena" approach ("a fortune I would trade for a hand phaser or a good solid club") to that line in Catspaw and TNG's poorly-conceived replicate-anything mantra. But yes, I agree that McCoy was making the Theragen Cold & Flu Non-Drowsy from scratch.

 

[tomswift2002]

Speaking of dangerous substances, the episode seems to take for granted that McCoy would have a supply of Klingon nerve gas on hand to play around with.

Considering that the Federation and Klingons were in a Cold War state at the time, it might've made sense to have had some on hand in case the Klingons ever boarded the ship.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Considering that the Federation and Klingons were in a Cold War state at the time, it might've made sense to have had some on hand in case the Klingons ever boarded the ship.

You know, it never even occurred to me that Klingon nerve gas would be nerve gas optimized for use against Klingons. Star Trek almost always sets conflict strictly between species and seldom within them.

But in any case, Federation guys don't use nerve gas, period. Gas warfare has been outlawed since the early 20th century.

 

[Shawnster]

Speaking of dangerous substances, the episode seems to take for granted that McCoy would have a supply of Klingon nerve gas on hand to play around with.

The idea of replicating any substance from scratch mostly came in with TNG. You could argue the precious gems in "Catspaw" ("We could manufacture a ton of these"), but TOS wasn't explicit about the idea of replicators, and "The Tholian Web" with its theragen certainly wasn't. It's more likely the TOS-era thought process was that McCoy looked up how to make theragen from common ingredients.

And the replicated Nazi uniforms from Patterns of Force.

But in any case, Federation guys don't use nerve gas, period. Gas warfare has been outlawed since the early 20th century.

On Earth. But the Federation is comprised of many worlds. Perhaps Vulcans, Andorians, or Tellerites did not outlaw such weapons.

 

[tomswift2002]

But in any case, Federation guys don't use nerve gas, period. Gas warfare has been outlawed since the early 20th century.

I seem to recall a couple of episodes mentioning anesthezine gas being pumped into the air systems on, not just the the 1701, but also the D, DS9 and Voyager in order to knock people out. So I don't think gas warfare is totally outlawed in the Federation.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

I seem to recall a couple of episodes mentioning anesthezine gas being pumped into the air systems on, not just the the 1701, but also the D, DS9 and Voyager in order to knock people out. So I don't think gas warfare is totally outlawed in the Federation.

Technically, you're right, because in real life, using anesthesia gas against an enemy is dangerous. The Russians tried it when terrorists took a theater audience hostage in 2002...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moscow_hostage_crisis_chemical_agent

...and some people died. A gas concentration high enough to knock men out will be high enough to stop some people from breathing altogether.

But in Star Trek, the idea was that the ship's knockout gas is totally safe for all somehow. Kirk wouldn't use nerve gas or mustard gas, that kind of brutal, deadly thing that horrified people during WW I.

 

[Shawnster]

I seem to recall a couple of episodes mentioning anesthezine gas being pumped into the air systems on, not just the the 1701, but also the D, DS9 and Voyager in order to knock people out. So I don't think gas warfare is totally outlawed in the Federation.

Isn't tear gas still legal today? Obviously not all gas weapons are outlawed.

 

[MAGolding]

You know, it never even occurred to me that Klingon nerve gas would be nerve gas optimized for use against Klingons. Star Trek almost always sets conflict strictly between species and seldom within them.

But in any case, Federation guys don't use nerve gas, period. Gas warfare has been outlawed since the early 20th century.

Hmmm.

"A Taste of Armageddon":

KIRK: All that it means is that I won't be around for the destruction. You heard me give General Order Twenty Four. That means in two hours the Enterprise will destroy Eminiar Seven

"Errand of Mercy":

AYELBORNE: To wage war, Captain? To kill millions of innocent people? To destroy life on a planetary scale? Is that what you're defending?

Possibly the Federation, like some people today, considers it illogical to ban poison gas while using planet-devastating weapons. Though I don't think any good could come from lifting the ban against any type of weapon that has been banned.

 

[tomswift2002]

Isn't tear gas still legal today? Obviously not all gas weapons are outlawed.

There's also always nitrous oxide.

 

[Timo]

Or the use of non-gas. "Internal bulkheads sealed? Okay, start venting out their air."

Scotty seems to think theragen is categorically lethal. But so are most of the weapons he himself is wielding. Heck, even his sidearm is a WMD. So future laws on banning specific weapons must be futuristic in any case, and probably have been frequently rewritten on the subject of combat gases, too.

But McCoy would do wisely to have Klingon poisons in stock. They are no doubt invaluable in the creation or optimization of an antidote, after all.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[johnnybear]

Maybe Kang shared it with them for a trip to a neutral planet after Day of The Dove?
JB

 

[Timo]

The two only need have swapped recipes, really - we get no evidence that it would be particularly difficult to create theragen out of stock chemicals.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Marsden]

...You could argue the precious gems in "Catspaw" ("We could manufacture a ton of these"), but TOS wasn't explicit about the idea of replicators,...

I always thought Captain Kirk was lying about that. He was being bribed and what better way to confuse the briber than deny the value of the bribe. Kind of like, take your gems and stick them, somewhere.

Although you can't deny the Enterprise had very good manufacturing capabilities, from flintlocks to ultraviolet satellites, they were able to produce many of the things they needed.

 

[GNDN18]

I always thought Captain Kirk was lying about that.

I think Kirk was serious. My sense was that 23rd century technology had mastered nuclear transmutation without need of sonic screwdrivers replicators. It also fit with Spock’s theory that Sylvia and Korob drilled too deep into the crew’s unconscious knowledge and skipped past technological achievements.

 

[Mad Jack Wolfe]

Possibly the Federation, like some people today, considers it illogical to ban poison gas while using planet-devastating weapons. Though I don't think any good could come from lifting the ban against any type of weapon that has been banned.

Gas weapons kill rather slowly and painfully. Planet-devastating weapons are quite quick. In a matter of moments, you're either incinerated or you and your neighbourhood are floating in space with the rest of the rubble.

 

[Timo]

Or then gas just makes you go asleep and never wake up.

Weapons in general aren't banned on issues of "cruelty", or assault rifles and revolvers would be the first to go. Expediency is what matters, and combat gases today just aren't all that good as weapons, while they make for much better bargaining chips.

Timo Saloniemi